WWE History Vol. 7: The Gimmick Wrestlers

#6 TL Hopper

TL Hopper annoys Jerry Lawler while the King relaxes in his pool.

Tony Anthony, as the Dirty White Boy, was a major star in the southern promotions in the 1980s. He wound up winning over twenty different championships, usually as part of a tag team, with his biggest moment coming as the crowned AWF world heavyweight champion.

When he joined the WWE in 1996, the promotion didn't think the name Dirty White Boy would fly with its youth skewed audience. Vince McMahon declared that since Anthony 'looked like a plumber' he would portray one in the ring.

TL Hopper was born, and wrestled mostly low to mid-carders like himself. Some of his vignettes and promos were hilarious, such as the one where he menaces Jerry Lawler with a candy bar that closely resembles human excrement.

TL Hopper didn't last long, and Anthony would go on to portray Uncle Cleetus in the Godwins stable.

The WWE had all sorts of professional gimmicks on the table back in the day. But a plumber is certainly pushing it.