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As the old Sheryl Crow song goes, “A change will do you good.” Sometimes, WWE superstars don’t have the right look or gimmick when they make their first appearance on television. Maybe the character doesn’t resonate with the fans. Maybe the gimmick is too scary or in some instances, just plain lame.
WWE, however, is famous for taking a character once they have lost a key match or dropped a title and repackaging them as another gimmick that proved to be an instant success. There have been many cases of a superstar rising to relevance with a change in their gimmick. Here are six of the best makeovers in WWE of all-time.
#1 Roman Reigns
Long before he was The Needle Mover, Roman Reigns had a tough time winning over the fans. As Vince McMahon's pet project, Reigns was a textbook good guy who was being forced upon the WWE Universe. He wasn't the best guy on the microphone, and promos like "Suffering Succotash" didn't help him either.
Then came the global pandemic, which forced Reigns to take a leave from WWE as a precautionary measure. When he did return, though, it wasn't the babyface that had left. Gone was the old and boring entrance music that was borrowed from The SHIELD. Accompanied by Paul Heyman, this Reigns was a badass heel who was much more expressive during matches and looked natural while talking.
The transition of The Big Dog into The Tribal Chief is perhaps one of the best gimmick changes of the modern era.
Recommended: Roman Reigns' career in WWE has been full of ups and downs! Watch:-
#2 Kane
When Glen Jacobs first made his debut in WWF, he was Dr. Isaac Yankem, the personal dentist of Jerry Lawler. He would come to the ring with full dental gear in hand. When that gimmick went south, he was repackaged as the Demon Kane. Kane was billed as the brother The Undertaker, and burned as a youngster.
Kane made his debut at WWE “In Your House” in 1997, confronting The Undertaker. The confrontation cost ‘Taker the Hell in a Cell match versus Shawn Michaels. Since then, few have been as loyal to the company and few who have been as respected in the locker room for the work he does in the ring.
#3 The Rock
Can you smell what The Rock was cooking? Probably not, as Rocky Maivia was a rookie at WWF. But he has transformed into one of the greatest entertainers in the business and has become one of the most sought-after movie stars today. The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) has only worked under the WWF/E banner and is the son of former star Rocky Johnson and the grandson of former West Coast legend Peter Maivia.
He became the first third-generation wrestler in the company's history. Debuting with this legacy, Johnson couldn't connect with the audience. However, a heel turn followed by a run with Nation of Domination led to the creation of the legend that we know of today.
As seen with Reigns and The Rock, it seems that all Samoans have some trouble getting over at first!
Recommended: You may never have known that The Rock was once a law breaker
#4 WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley
It’s hard to believe, but Mick Foley has had four different characters in his career and has been successful with each. Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love and Foley himself all flourished in the business and helped establish him as a legend. Each character had something unique associated with it which entertained the fans.
How can we forget the 'Three Faces of Foley' showing up in the Royal Rumble!
#5 Goldust
As the son of Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes was a solid competitor in WCW, winning tag titles and showing he was one of the best athletes in the business. As we all know, Dustin’s relationship with his father, the immortal American Dream, was strained for most of his life.
Rhodes made his way to WWF and was transformed into a mystical character of inter-gender proportions. His salacious gimmick and his hot valet (his wife in real life) Marlena were just what the Attitude Era needed to cross the lines of sex appeal and questions about transgender equality. Goldust picked up where Adrian Street left off.
#6 Bray Wyatt
The man originally known as Windham Rotunda went on to become Husky Harris in the Nexus stable upon his arrival in WWE. The big man wasn’t one who garnered much support once he made it to the main roster. As a group, The Nexus, led by Wade Barrett, was strong in numbers but weak in individuality.
Bray Wyatt is the best example of taking a character and redefining it in the modern era, having done it not once, but twice. Be it making the Wyatt family insanely over with the WWE Universe, or making the fans go crazy over The Fiend, Wyatt will go down in WWE history as one of the biggest missed opportunities.
