Who Didn't You Recognize After a Gimmick Change?

[chunkylover53]

Over the years of watching professional wrestling, alot of superstars have competed in different promotions(as well as within the same promotion) under different characters. Some slightly altered(e.g. Jeff Jarrett as country singer to misogenist) while others made a dramatic turn(Adrian Adonis' biker gimmick to feminist). Sometimes the transformation is so great, you don't even realize its the same person who played their previous gimmicks. So who didn't you recognize after a gimmick change?BTW, you're more than welcomed to provide pictures.

Here's my list...

Scott Levy - I had no idea Raven, a depressed, nihilistic, sadistic, misanthrope was Johnny Polo, a spolied, arrogant, but cheerful rich kid until my brother(who was more informed we these things at the time) told me.

Dustin Runnells - I knew who Dustin Runnells was from his WCW days, I just didn't know he played Goldust at first until WWE started acknowledging it.

Owen Hart - I remember watching old tapes of the Blue Blazer not knowing he was the guy who played him until the company turned it into a joke.

Umaga - Didn't know he previous played Jamal from 3 Minute Warning until reading it.

Charles Wright - Best known as The Godfather(a pimp) also played Papa Shango(a Witchdoctor) earlier in the decade.

Alex Wright - Didn't know he played Berlyn

I'm sure I can think of more, but I'll just leave it as that for now.

[Lance Uppercut]

Ditto on Papa Shango.

I also didn't know for a long time that Rikishi was the Sultan

[repomanfan]

aldo montoya/justin credible

[MetalGearDizzle]

Brutus/Disciple. Part of me still doesn't believe it!

[heyguesswhatidid]

Repo man from Smash.

[silentrage]

Johnny Polo > Raven.
Issac Yankem > Kane.
Earthquake > Golga.
Smash > Repo Man.

[Mr. Mediocre]

Let's see...

Kwang and Savio Vega.
Isaac Yankem and Kane.
Blue Blazer and Owen Hart.
Headshrinker Fatu and Rikishi.
Papa Shango and Kama Mustafa (I knew he was the Godfather and called him "The Godfather Kama Mustafa" for awhile).
Johnny Polo and Raven (as mentioned by like everyone else).

And I'm sure there are others I can't think of right now.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I had no idea Crush from Demoltion was Hawaiian Crush, then I had no idea he was evil Crush, then I had no idea he was biker Crush.....then I really had no idea he was in Kronic, because I have a CD in which Crush explicitly tells me not to do drugs.

Ok, that's all made up, mostly because a guy a post or two above me has Crush in his sig.

[HMARK Center]

Took me until I was about 14 to start recognizing a lot of wrestler gimmick changes.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

It took a while to make the connection between Dustin Rhodes and Goldust. He looked a little familiar but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Beefcake to Disciple... I didn't recognize Brutus at all until he joined War-yah and ranted against Horace Hogan.

I remember Danny Spivey in WCW (and a bit of his short run in the WWF) and I didn't recognize him at all as Waylon Mercy.

Also, I remember seeing Scott Hall a few times in the AWA, and didn't recognize him as Razor Ramon.

[slasher911]

Antonio Banks turning into Montel Vontavious Porter. Seriously, it blew my f***ing mind. And I don't know how it happened, but he learned how to wrestle at some point between the two, because he SUCKED as Antonio Banks, but rules as MVP.

["Nature Boy" Ric Moranis]

I had no idea that AWA Scott Hall was The Diamond Studd and Razor Ramon. I figured that Scott Hall had gotten out of the business like Billy Jack Haynes or other guys I used to always see in the magazines when I was little, since I never saw him after his stint in '89 NWA jobberdom.

Even worse, after the NWO first started, I still didn't think it was the same Scott Hall. I thought it was along the lines of WCW's Steven Regal being a completely different guy than the AWA's old Steve Regal. I never really believed the Hall/Razor thing until Larry Z started referencing their AWA days on Nitro.

It's too bad I didn't have the internet back then, but it was almost more fun that way. Or maybe because I was 13.

Oh, and when Raven got to WCW, he had me fooled too (since our area didn't get ECW). Then once he talked, I was like, "holy ****, that's Scotty Flamingo/Polo". I was impressed at the metamorphosis.

Those two guys pretty much saved their careers with changing their look. Other than Umaga, have there been any really great transformations like these lately??? (that aren't openly referenced on TV like Matt Bentley/Martyr or Chavo/Kerwin White)

[The Great El' PANDA King]

Smash was Repo Man?

[Libertine]

Tugboat/Shockmaster

[dsriggs]

Surprised nobody's mentioned:

->

[ddt]

Raven and Johnny Polo; Dustin Runnels and Goldust (at first); Danny Spivey and Waylon Mercy; Savio Vega and Kwang -- still hard to believe that one.

[sabu]

Smash > Repo Man.

[Chainsaw]

I didn't recognize a lot of guys after gimmick changes because I didn't watch WCW growing up. For instance, I never knew that Mick Foley was actually Mankind until it was specifically stated onair.

[Danimal]

ddt said:

Raven and Johnny Polo; Dustin Runnels and Goldust (at first); Danny Spivey and Waylon Mercy; Savio Vega and Kwang -- still hard to believe that one.

\

Waylong Mercy was Danny Spivey? I never knew that.

[Mr. Mediocre]

It took me a while to realize Cactus Jack and Mankind were the same person.