We’ve seen iconic gimmicks like The Undertaker’s Deadman in WWE rule the pro wrestling industry over the years, and we’ve also witnessed several lackluster gimmicks which almost ruined a wrestler’s career.
The Deadman
The Undertaker debuted his iconic Deadman character back in Survivor Series 1990 and struck fear in the hearts of his adversaries for three decades until his retirement in 2020. The Undertaker also showed certain variations of his character with The Ministry of Darkness gimmick and The American Badass, but The Deadman was the character that defined his career.
He made an appearance on the Raw 30th-anniversary episode in his American Badass gimmick and recently revealed that the iconic Deadman character would never make an appearance on WWE television ever again.
Shelton Benjamin – The Gold Standard
WWE is missing out a lot by not utilizing the former Intercontinental and United States Champion Shelton Benjamin to his full potential. He showcased tremendous athleticism and in-ring skills during his first run with the company, and his infamous Gold Standard gimmick elevated him to another level in the mid-card title picture.
However, it appears the ship has sailed on a potential Shelton Benjamin push in WWE, and the chances of him getting back into singles competition have become very thin. As much as the fans would love to see it again, it appears WWE has no interest in bringing back Shelton Benjamin as The Gold Standard.
Mr. McMahon
Vince McMahon might’ve been a different personality backstage, but the Mr. McMahon character he portrayed on-screen is one of the cruel and despised gimmicks in WWE history. The Mr. McMahon character abused his powers and attempted to put down the fan-favorite wrestlers and elevate those who sided with him. Such was his reign of terror throughout his time as an on-screen authority figure in WWE.
But the controversy surrounding Vince McMahon, which led to his retirement as the Chairman and CEO of the company, might never allow him to return as an on-screen personality on WWE television again.
Heel Triple H
Triple H always brought his best game whenever he portrayed a heel character in WWE, and the last time he played such a character was a part of The Authority storyline between 2013 and 2018. Similar to his father-in-law Triple H abused his power as a highly influential managerial figure in WWE to get his way and take out those who stood up to him and his wife, Stephanie McMahon.
He did what he thought was best for business and pushed stars like Seth Rollins to the main event picture. However, the cardiac arrest he suffered back in 2021 forced him to retire as an on-screen personality, and The Game focused on his backstage endeavors. As a result, we might never see Triple H as a regular heel character on WWE television again.
Roman Reigns – The Big Dog
Roman Reigns is in the best phase of his career with his heel Tribal Chief character. The gimmick gave Reigns the break he was looking for and helped him win the fans over, a feat he failed to achieve during his time with the babyface Big Dog character.
WWE’s attempts at putting Reigns over as the top babyface didn’t produce any results, as the fans never accepted him into that role. Reigns had to fight hard to win over the fans’ affection which he got once he spiked up his character with a heel turn in 2020. Reigns’ current historic run is a result of that change, and it’s safe to say that the WWE Universe would never witness Reigns revert to his old babyface Big Dog character again.