"It was a shell of a man that never really existed" - 6 current WWE Superstars who hated their gimmicks
WWE Superstars work hard to build the perfect gimmick that can either make or break them on the big stage. Over the years, fans have seen superstars like Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Becky Lynch play interesting characters on-screen.
Many wrestlers dive so deep into the gimmicks they play that they start acting out the same way in real life. It shows their dedication to working in the ring and becoming successful.
At times, the gimmicks handed to certain superstars don’t work out as expected. Many WWE stars have even spoken about their dislike for a gimmick or character that they had to play on-screen.
These superstars had to wait for some time to change their characters. Many even had to leave the company and return again for a fresh run.
With that being said, check out the six WWE Superstars who hated their gimmicks at some point in their careers.
#4, #5 and #6. Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E (The New Day) did not like the gimmick handed to them by Vince McMahon
The New Day is one of the craziest stories of the modern era.
It was an absolute bottom of the barrel, career killing anchor of a gimmick.
Then Xavier Woods bet his entire career on getting Kofi booed (on purpose), and now it has 2 WWE Champions. https://t.co/QiftTRJdKu
Back in 2014, Xavier Woods got together with Big E and Kofi Kingston to form The New Day. The trio have won countless titles ever since and may well end up as the most successful tag team in WWE history.
Initially, the faction did not get over with the fans. They were rejected as babyfaces, and fans turned the “New Day Rocks” slogan into “New Day Sucks”. Kofi, Xavier, and Big E took matters into their own hands and turned their fortunes around with sheer hard work.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on FOX Sports, Kofi Kingston opened up about the initial gimmick of New Day. He reiterated that the three friends disliked Vince McMahon’s church-y idea, but still decided to give it a go.
"When we were given the gimmick of positivity preaching preachers, I’ll never forget it. We had been going back and forth with Vince about what we wanted to be. We wanted to be some guys who were not pleased with our positions in the company. He’s like, ‘Okay, well, how about you guys be preachers and you guys come out here and there’s gospel music.’ We’re just sitting there and we know that the people are going to reject this idea because nobody comes to WWE to go to church. But this is what he wanted us to do," Kofi said.
However, New Day took up the challenge as they wanted to show Vince that they could make anything successful with the chemistry they had. The WWE Chairman put them to the test, and they delivered soon after.
New Day currently has a very different gimmick compared to their original one. It has made them much more famous and has helped WWE move a lot of merchandise over the years.
#3. Karrion Kross had a terrible first WWE main roster run
We all wear masks.
And the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.
We understand how dangerous a mask can be.
We all become what we pretend to be. Perhaps I intend to expose that...
Painfully.
⏳ https://t.co/h0OJlCv7QQ
Karrion Kross recently made his return to WWE for another stint with the company. Kross’ previous run saw him emerge as an unstoppable force on NXT.
During his previous stint, Kross won the NXT Championship with ease and ran through several top superstars including Adam Cole and Finn Balor. However, his move to the main roster did not turn out too well.
WWE changed his look and gimmick once he made it to the main roster in 2021. Kross was made to wear a helmet during his entrance and looked like a gladiator. He was not as dominant on the main roster after the move as he was in NXT.
Speaking about his first stint on The Ringer Wrestling Show, Kross revealed that his revamped look was ridiculed by fans. The Herald of Doomsday further said that he didn’t feel like himself and did not enjoy the gimmick.
"Well, I don't know if I've ever said this publicly, but the first time I came out with the mask, there were people laughing in the audience. They were laughing," said Kross. "I always remember getting into this business thinking to myself, 'when this is all said and done, I want to leave this place better than it was before I came in...' When I came out with that and I heard people laughing, I was like...' You know, what I'm doing right now to me at that time, it felt like I was betraying everything that I wanted to contribute to."
He was released by the company in late 2021 and soon after and spent some time fighting on the independent circuit. Karrion Kross was rehired by WWE once Triple H took charge of the creative team. It looks like The Game wants to rebuild Kross as an unstoppable force once again.
#2. Cody Rhodes hated his time as Stardust in WWE
@AlexM_talkSPORT Not pushing Stardust wasn’t the crime, the character had broke me and I was a subpar performer under the paint during that period
The crime was not capitalizing on 2010-12 where I was cooking with gas and my live event work was top level consistent
In the end, blame is on me
Earlier this year, Cody Rhodes shocked the WWE Universe by making his return to the company. He came in with a brand-new attitude and defeated Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38 to get going.
Rhodes’ return saw him use The American Nightmare gimmick, which he used for his run in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Speaking to BT Sport after his return, Rhodes made it clear that there were no real guarantees when his return was confirmed. However, he did request to never bring back a gimmick he’d used during his previous run in WWE.
"There wasn't any true guarantees but there was a request. I never want to see Stardust ever again," Rhodes said.
It’s no secret that Cody was unhappy while playing the Stardust gimmick. He donned the face paint for over two years before leaving the company. The gimmick didn’t help push him forward in the company and kept him in the lower mid-cards.
It’s not clear when Rhodes will return from injury and who his next opponent will be. However, fans can rest assured that he will never appear as Stardust in the ring again.
#1. Bray Wyatt's early gimmick was largely forgetful
Bray Wyatt is one of the most creative minds in the wrestling industry today. The Eater of Worlds brought forward several versions of himself on the main roster to entertain fans. Among them, his "Eater of Worlds" and "The Fiend" gimmicks clicked with the fans.
During his time on WWE NXT in 2010, Wyatt had a completely different gimmick. He was known as Husky Harris at the time, and he never got going in the developmental brand. Wyatt also appeared as Harris as part of the Nexus faction for some time.
Speaking to Brian Fritz of BetweenTheRopes.com about a variety of topics, Wyatt opened up about his Husky Harris gimmick. The third-generation superstar disowned the gimmick and said it wasn’t who he was.
"Whatever that person was, Husky Harris, that ain't me. It never was. And I may have said that, I may not have, I don't recall. But I wanted a chance to show everyone who I really was," Wyatt said. "I'm not my father, I'm not my grandfather, my uncles or my brother even. I am what I am... whoever that person was a few years ago, it was a shell of a man that never really existed at all."
Wyatt recently returned to WWE and will likely lead a new faction. It will be interesting to see what creative direction his character heads in the coming months.