Wrestlers who were great at their character/gimmick

[Deleted]

I nominate Barry Darsow.  He always invested himself 100% in everything he was doing, whether it was a great character like Smash, a comedy character like Repo Man, or even "Hole In One" Darsow.

[salsashark]

Mick Foley takes the cake above all. I don't think it's ridiculous to say that he is one of a handful of wrestlers who could have made it as an actor. He has always had a ton of charisma and pulled off the goofy stuff as well as the menacing stuff.

[TGM]

Vince McMahon to the point where I can't tell where reality ends and Mr. McMahon begins.

[hisinsanity]

Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotundo) - Shit man, he's DEEP in that character.

Nelson Thompson (Nikita Koloff) - The dude went so deep that basically became that character in real life. There's a story going around that for years he wouldn't speak any English, not even backstage (he learned to speak fluent Russian). Was one of the few "Method Wrestlers" that wouldn't come out of his character, no matter what circumstance.

Dustin Runnels - 1995-1998, 2002: I use these time periods because this is when he was at his absolute BEST. Some of his best work was after his 2002 return, but it went nowhere in a wasted feud with "oVeRrateD" who did nothing to progress the storyline. His initial run was incredible. The Bizarre One was the genesis of the Attitude Era. Dustin's pre-taped vignettes were so good, they were almost unreal... Now he's just a guy in facepaint who looks like Savage Oppress from the Clone Wars universe and won't go back to his methodical/psychological 2002 character, which is what we all want to see anyways.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

The Undertaker hands down. I don't think anybody could taken a wrestling zombie that for anybody else would been wrestlecrap and make it into an Iconic figure in wrestling. Mark had everything from great in ring abilities as we saw more and more over time and mannerisms with the eyes and stuff. Plus how hard he spend trying to stay in character no matter what to this day. Even floor Ric Flair retirement stuff full character.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

I actually would nominate Buff Bagwell. He really found himself with that gimmick and you could tell he enjoyed doing it (which seems to be key in getting the best out of a performer unsurprisingly).

[Deleted]

Exotic Adrian Street. Someone on the forums, I want to say Madison but I may be wrong, said that he was William Regal doing Goldust's gimmick. Take that and give him an Amazonian valet and glam rock music.

(Just going to link the music videos because I'm not sure what federation they're from)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bhLK6XPKCs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8A3ZUMK74s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbSfgOHun1w

[Captain & Diet]

I always believed that Jake Roberts lived and breathed every evil word he ever said.

[Danimal]

Gorgeous George was the best heel of his era and a gimmick pioneer. Influenced a young Cassius Clay, urging him to really push the envelope and run his mouth more to become more of a draw. Doesn't matter if they came to see you win or lose, just that you draw.

[Capt Lunatic]

Dusty Rhodes. I can watch any of his matches and think "He's just a regular dude fighting the system" even though I know that backstage he was the system most of the time.

[mcstoklasa]

Terry Bollea appears to have forgotten how to be Terry Bollea. He is only Hulk Hogan now.

[Flash Burton]

Stone Cold Steve Austin during that 97-98 period just seemed totally natural to him

[willyjakes]

Aug 21, 2014 18:28:35 GMT -5 TGM said:

Vince McMahon to the point where I can't tell where reality ends and Mr. McMahon begins.

neither can he.

[Hit Girl]

The Million Dollar Man


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

[sdoyle7798]

Aug 22, 2014 12:19:37 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

The Million Dollar Man


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Money, money, money, money, mon-eeeeeeeeey....

[somsta]

You could really list any successful star. Flair, Vader, Savage, Rock, Sting, HBK, JYD, Sullivan, Jake, Abdullah, Brody, Perfect, Road Warriors, Goldberg... On and on. If someone wasn't great at their character they usually didn't make it.

[Brood Lone Wolf Funker]

Non Major Company wise I have to say Gregory Iron

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2014 17:15:29 GMT -5 somsta said:

You could really list any successful star. Flair, Vader, Savage, Rock, Sting, HBK, JYD, Sullivan, Jake, Abdullah, Brody, Perfect, Road Warriors, Goldberg... On and on. If someone wasn't great at their character they usually didn't make it.

That may be true, but I guess what I was looking for is for everyone to name off someone whose work as a particular character(s) stood out to them as exceptional.  Guess I should have phrased it better.

[somsta]

Aug 23, 2014 18:03:14 GMT -5 @tafkaga said:

Aug 23, 2014 17:15:29 GMT -5 somsta said:

You could really list any successful star. Flair, Vader, Savage, Rock, Sting, HBK, JYD, Sullivan, Jake, Abdullah, Brody, Perfect, Road Warriors, Goldberg... On and on. If someone wasn't great at their character they usually didn't make it.

That may be true, but I guess what I was looking for is for everyone to name off someone whose work as a particular character(s) stood out to them as exceptional.  Guess I should have phrased it better.

I see. I'd have to pick Macho Man then. Everything he did just seemed so real and believable. Honorable mention goes to Sgt. Slaughter and Hacksaw Duggan.

[beamanhogan]

Santino