5 Best Money Related Gimmicks in WWE
Some say money can’t buy you happiness. Others even say it is the root of all evil. For WWE, money has often been a central theme of the company and helped to shape the direction it has been going in since 1984. WWE has also used money as a theme for some of the greatest character gimmicks in WWE history.
Vince McMahon had a business plan to leave the territories and take WWE national and was willing to spend money to get talent. McMahon and WWE experienced money issues in the 1990s which led to a downturn in the product. In late 1990s and into 2000s, WWE was able to invest back in the brand making it a multi-billion dollar corporation. Finally, today as hard times spread, a lack of money has led to a series of releases of some of WWE's top superstars.
In each of the eras described above, WWE created character gimmicks that best fit the time and will be represented in this top five. Others, like Billionaire Ted and Vince McMahon himself, did not make our list because neither was actual full-time talent. Billionaire Ted was a caricature of Ted Turner, the billionaire owner of WWE’s competition at the time. Vince McMahon took over the gimmick during the Attitude Era as the billionaire owner of WWE who ruled using his money.
WWE has played off the emotions people have towards money to create some of their most iconic character gimmicks of all-time. Here are the five best examples of WWE Superstars who used money as part of their gimmick.
#5. WWE’s taxman IRS
NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion Mike Rotunda prepares to take "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for an airplane spin ride,back in 1987 https://t.co/vgJuhqKYEB
In the mid 1980s, Mike Rotunda was a baby face tag team champion in the WWE. Rotunda and Barry Windham, were young underdogs going up against evil tag teams. They faced the likes of the Wild Samoans, Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. They would have a successful run as a tag team before Rotunda went to WCW and became part of Kevin Sullivan’s heel faction, the Varsity Club.
36 years ago today the US Express of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo defeated Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch to win the WWF Tag Team Titles! https://t.co/UM5HXQp5DE
When Rotunda returned to the WWE, he was transformed into a character called Irwin R. Schyster, or simply I.R.S. No longer was he a U.S.A. chanting babyface but slicked back hair, suspenders wearing accountant with glasses, a pocket protector and a briefcase. Rotunda was an instant heel using this gimmick. No one wants to see the IRS coming to your house. WWE played off of people’s fear of tax issues with the I.R.S. character.
@PreebsFTK Mike Rotunda. Better known to wrestling fans as I.R.S. in late 80's / early 90's WWF. Teamed with the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase as Money Incorporated and won the WWF tag titles on several occassions. Father of current WWF wrestlers Bo Dallas and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. https://t.co/gy4u2af8v4
Rotunda would go on to have singles success as a heel and would eventually tag with Ted Dibiase to win tag team gold. Rotunda’s rise to prominence coincided with McMahon’s own problems with the federal government, so it was interesting to see life imitating art with the I.R.S. gimmick wreaking havoc in the WWE.