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Val VenisWhat is the first thing that pokes up into our mind when we talk about Attitude Era? Is it the blood? Is it Steve Austin’s beer? Or is it the sultry divas who raised the temperature? No matter what it is, the Attitude Era was fun. Apart from these major aspects, the era was responsible for some excellent gimmicks. And I’m not talking about just the main event.While names like Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, and some others were dominating the main event, there were some gimmicks in the mid card that laid some excellent foundation. Those gimmicks are sometimes forgotten and sometimes embraced. Both ways, these gimmicks deserve a look-back and this list will do just the same.
#5 Steve Blackman
It is not easy to tag Steve Blackman under a particular gimmick category. He was so many things. Primarily, Blackman was a MMA master. He came down to the ring with his glow-in-the-dark Eskrima sticks. Later, Blackman switched to a Kendo stick and it became memorable as well.
The match that he had with Shane McMahon is still something special for the highlight reel. To be frank, there was nothing special about the gimmick. It was simple but sometimes, it is the simplicity that attracts fans and WWE learned that fact through Steve Blackman. He might not be remembered much these days, but Blackman was clearly a major name during the Attitude Era.
#4 Gangrel
Beguiling entrance music, entrance filled with fire and blood, a great DDT, some talented guys beside him, what more could we ask from an Attitude Era gimmick? Gangrel was a cult character in the Attitude Era. He lead the Brood which consisted of Christian and Edge and though the faction proved to be big breaks for both the superstars, Gangrel went downhill.
His stay in the WWE, however, was memorable and his entrance is still one of the most popular one among the WWE fans. He is currently into porn production these days and that pretty much kills off the chances of him making a return to WWE anytime soon.
#3 Right To Censor
Right To Censor was a stable that wanted to make WWE PG. It was a full on parody of the Parents Television Council which wanted to take away the violence and sexual content in the WWE shows. Steven Richards, Bull Buchanan, The Goodfather, Val Venis, Ivory and The Kat became members of this faction and their desperations to get rid of violence and sex from WWE proved to be entertaining.
They were part of some solid feuds during their stay in the company. The most memorable moment came perhaps when Kat went topless after she was forced into the group. It attracted a lot of attention and was one of the reasons why Right to Censor got noticed.
#2 The Godfather
Attitude Era was known for pushing the envelope. We saw some pretty edgy stuff on television and the gimmick of The Godfather fell right into that list. After portraying the Papa Shango character, Charles Wright took rebirth as the Godfather. The gimmick was simple, he was a pimp. And to take matters to the next level, the guy would bring out prostitutes to the ring.
It became the Hoes train and everyone wanted to be like the Godfather. We will not be able to hear words like ‘hoe’ in the current atmosphere but then again, that is what separates Attitude Era from the current product. The gimmick only lasted for a short period, but it was a run-away hit.
#1 Val Venis
While the pimp gimmick of The Godfather was racy to the core, WWE came up with another one that pushed the matter to unprecedented territories. They bought in Sean Morley into the company and renamed him, Val Venis. Now, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where that second name came from. The gimmick was that of a pornstar.
Venis came into television as an ex-pornstar and the big screen showed some hot videos from his past. He would wear a towel and provocatively take it off as well. The gimmick was so catchy that the fans forgot about the matches he was involved in. You will remember his entrance and moments vividly, but when it comes to his in-ring work, you are going to have a hard time.
