5 WWE gimmicks that instantly flopped
In WWE, there is no shortage of great gimmicks throughout history.
From the American patriotism of Hulk Hogan, to the cocky demeanor of The Rock, to the loud-mouthed Eco Warrior recently with the new Daniel Bryan, gimmicks are the backbone of professional wrestling.
But for all these great gimmicks, there are just as many bad gimmicks that failed to leave their mark with the crowd.
There are some that instantly failed to get over, and are only remembered by the most fervent fans for how bad they were.
Here are five gimmicks in WWE that flopped instantly, and how the company reacted to these blunders.
#5 Tensai
When Lord Tensai made his presence felt in WWE, the company certainly tried to give him a huge push.
Defeating John Cena with seeming ease on RAW in 2012, Tensai and his oft-forgotten manager Sakamoto were supposed to be a huge deal
There's just one thing WWE didn't factor in: smart fans.
As soon as he appeared, fans chanted 'Albert', referencing Tensai's former gimmick in WWE, before he left for Japan where he became a much bigger star.
Though commentary at first said Tensai was a force unlike any seen before, they eventually relented and said how "some fans" may recognise him as Albert.
With the character now seen as a joke by the fans, it wouldn't take long for Tensai to fall far down the card, turning face and forming a tag team with another monster that had been re-written into a comedy character, Brodus Clay.
You know WWE have nothing planned for you when your WrestleMania match is cut from the card without any notice.