WWE History Vol. 7: The Gimmick Wrestlers

#3 I.R.S.

Mike Rotunda in his IRS gimmick.

Mike Rotunda was a standout amateur wrestler who wound up winning a scholarship to Syracuse University, where he earned Letterman status four separate times in both wrestling and football.

He traveled to Germany and was trained for the ring by The Destroyer, then returned to the USA. Rotunda wrestled for JC Productions and other southern promotions before signing with the WWE for his first run in 1984.

Teamed with Barry Windham as the US Express, they won the WWE tag team title twice, a rare feat for the era. Their most famous feud was probably against Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff.

Rotunda would move to the NWA, where he enjoyed a lengthy reign as World Television Champion as a member of Kevin Sullivan's Varsity Club, which also included Ric Steiner and Dr. Death Steve Williams.

But Rotunda's most famous run in any company was definitely his time as Irwin R. Shyster, aka IRS.

Dressed in a suit and tie, he would accuse the WWE Universe of being tax cheats. WWE knew that people hated paying taxes, and someone who worked for the Internal Revenue Service--also abbreviated IRS--would garner cheap heat. Unexpectedly, the gimmick worked and IRS teamed with Ted Dibiase as Money Inc and even won the tag team titles.

IRS remains ever so loyal to Ted Dibiase that when the two superstars were part of a battle royal event held on Monday night Raw, the latter bribed the former with money to eliminate himself and IRS obliged to give Dibiase the win without the million dollar man breaking a sweat.

Rotunda is retired now, but his son wrestles for WWE as Bray Wyatt aka The Fiend.