Circus/Carnival-themed wrestlers?

[wildojinx]

What are some wrestlers with gimmicks relating to circuses or carnivals? The first two to come to mind are of course, Doink and Kizarny, any others? I always thought a high flying tag team of wrestlers whose gimmick was that they were former circus acrobats would be fun.

[Psicofreak667]

There was The Odditorium in Chikara. Sinn Bodhi (of Kizarny fame) was doing his "Warlord of Weird" gimmick, plus he had Qefka the Quiet (an evil mime) and Sir Oliver Grimsly (an esoteric gimmick that was like Alex DeLarge playing a circus ringmaster). It didn't last long for a few different reasons. Bodhi could not keep up with the Chikara style in the ring and was arguably the worst worker on the roster at any given time, Qefka came down with visa issues shortly into the angle. Grimsly's "gimmick" was more of a look than a gimmick and his actual ring work was solid but unremarkable, plus (I think) he was based in the US Southwest and when Qefka and Bodhi left, Chikara just stopped bringing him in.

Of course there was The Menagerie in TNA.

And Commando Bolshoi.

[Mozenrath]

The Oddities were basically a send-up to carnival freak shows, including using Freaks footage for the titantron.

[jimmyjames]

Came in to say The Menagerie in TNA. Knux, Rebel Crazzy Steve and I believe one more. Their entire backstory about them was that they were from Knux's family carnival that had gone out of business and they were the last of the workers from there.

[Bo Rida]

Mane event are a lion and liontamer duo.
Vaudevillians.
Don Callis is a carny piece of shit.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Don't forget the 10,000 regional Doink knockoffs

[fortknox]

Dec 22, 2022 11:27:30 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

Don't forget the 10,000 regional Doink knockoffs

[Jacy Derangement Syndrome]

Pogo The Clown my beloved man that never should have never existed

[Susan "Poison" Candy]

Dec 22, 2022 15:36:25 GMT -5 fortknox said:

Dec 22, 2022 11:27:30 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

Don't forget the 10,000 regional Doink knockoffs

LOL I want to know who the Doinks where in that big multi Doink match

[Rave]

Dec 22, 2022 4:37:38 GMT -5 jimmyjames said:

Came in to say The Menagerie in TNA. Knux, Rebel Crazzy Steve and I believe one more.

Rob Terry, under a mask as "The Freak". They also had some stiltwalkers at the beginning, but IIRC one tripped on the set.

[XIII]

Dec 22, 2022 17:37:49 GMT -5 Susan "Poison" Candy said:

Dec 22, 2022 15:36:25 GMT -5 fortknox said:

LOL I want to know who the Doinks where in that big multi Doink match

I want to know there’s one regular guy in the ten Doink battle Royal? I hope he comes out like that and gets announced as Doink Jones or something.

[jason1980s]

Dec 22, 2022 5:00:19 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Don Callis is a carny piece of shit.

WWF should have futured endeavored Don ASAP. Who hired him? I know he did something with Rick Martel for a tryout, was it Rick's idea to get him hired in 1997?

Don is another guy who never got over in WWF, ever and yet someone kept giving him different gimmicks and teams. JR seemed to loved him and his "David CORE-ESH" gimmick so I'm guessing he was another awful 90s Jim Ross hire. Truth Commission bombed, him in the minister outfit with Kurrgan bombed, him with Oddities bombed yet they got over given the right support and gimmick, him with Acolytes probably didn't last long enough to say it bombed but it would have. To quote Chris Griffin about Kevin Costner, "How does this guy keep getting work?" Seriously, I would like to know.

[Mozenrath]

Dec 22, 2022 20:03:21 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

Dec 22, 2022 5:00:19 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Don Callis is a carny piece of shit.

WWF should have futured endeavored Don ASAP. Who hired him? I know he did something with Rick Martel for a tryout, was it Rick's idea to get him hired in 1997?

Don is another guy who never got over in WWF, ever and yet someone kept giving him different gimmicks and teams. JR seemed to loved him and his "David CORE-ESH" gimmick so I'm guessing he was another awful 90s Jim Ross hire. Truth Commission bombed, him in the minister outfit with Kurrgan bombed, him with Oddities bombed yet they got over given the right support and gimmick, him with Acolytes probably didn't last long enough to say it bombed but it would have. To quote Chris Griffin about Kevin Costner, "How does this guy keep getting work?" Seriously, I would like to know.

Martel may have, given Don had come up in Canadian wrestling.

I don't even know if I want to fault him for not getting over, though. It was the '90s, there was a legion of guys who were having gimmicks bomb left and right, like Kama. If they fired guys every time something wiffed, the roster would have been like a dozen guys within a few months.

[Susan "Poison" Candy]

Dec 22, 2022 19:51:11 GMT -5 XIII said:

Dec 22, 2022 17:37:49 GMT -5 Susan "Poison" Candy said:

LOL I want to know who the Doinks where in that big multi Doink match

I want to know there’s one regular guy in the ten Doink battle Royal? I hope he comes out like that and gets announced as Doink Jones or something.

Apparently if I am reading other sites comments about this, the regular looking guy in that Doink Battle Royal is Ian Rotten

[dangerousdanpotato]

Dec 22, 2022 20:03:21 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

Dec 22, 2022 5:00:19 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Don Callis is a carny piece of shit.

WWF should have futured endeavored Don ASAP. Who hired him? I know he did something with Rick Martel for a tryout, was it Rick's idea to get him hired in 1997?

Don is another guy who never got over in WWF, ever and yet someone kept giving him different gimmicks and teams. JR seemed to loved him and his "David CORE-ESH" gimmick so I'm guessing he was another awful 90s Jim Ross hire. Truth Commission bombed, him in the minister outfit with Kurrgan bombed, him with Oddities bombed yet they got over given the right support and gimmick, him with Acolytes probably didn't last long enough to say it bombed but it would have. To quote Chris Griffin about Kevin Costner, "How does this guy keep getting work?" Seriously, I would like to know.

I may be wrong, but I think once the Super Models signing fell apart (due to Martel opting for WCW) Bret Hart put in a good word or had some dealing in helping Don get signed. Just something I've heard and maybe misremembered over the years...

[IgnahtaSempria]

In the American Southeast scene, there's The Carnies, Nick Iggy and Kerry Awful. Tripp Cassidy was also briefly a member, but he got an accusation made against him during Speaking Out, and I don't think he's been in wrestling since.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Also on the indies is The Mane Event, Midas Black and Jay Lyon

[Celexa Bliss 54]

Does AAA's Psycho Circus count?

[lildude8218]

Dec 22, 2022 0:38:56 GMT -5 Psicofreak667 said:

There was The Odditorium in Chikara. Sinn Bodhi (of Kizarny fame) was doing his "Warlord of Weird" gimmick, plus he had Qefka the Quiet (an evil mime) and Sir Oliver Grimsly (an esoteric gimmick that was like Alex DeLarge playing a circus ringmaster). It didn't last long for a few different reasons. Bodhi could not keep up with the Chikara style in the ring and was arguably the worst worker on the roster at any given time, Qefka came down with visa issues shortly into the angle. Grimsly's "gimmick" was more of a look than a gimmick and his actual ring work was solid but unremarkable, plus (I think) he was based in the US Southwest and when Qefka and Bodhi left, Chikara just stopped bringing him in.

I never understood this because Qefka was Dan Yost under the mask and he's from New Jersey. Unless he got in trouble for working that Chikara Canada show without a work visa or something?

[Susan "Poison" Candy]