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WWE is home to some of the most unbelievable and exciting athleticism in professional wrestling and all forms of entertainment. While the action is often "can't miss," the true allure to the titanic promotion has always been the emphasis on personalities and gimmicks.
Some gimmicks in WWE have just been the wrestler's real-life personality turned up for the cameras. Others may be more eccentric. Often, these more over-the-top characters are based on stereotypes or other forms of entertainment.
One of the most notable examples of WWE wrestling "borrowing" from other avenues of entertainment is the Razor Ramon gimmick. Scott Hall based his character on the movie Scarface.
Meanwhile, at one point, Joe Gacy used a character that was essentially an exaggerated stereotype of what many perceive Gen-Z to be, although he's evolved his persona since.
While stealing from movies and television is common, there are rare examples of characters being inspired by real people. This article will dive into a few notable examples of eccentric and flashy characters with surprising and real roots.
Below are three WWE gimmicks that were inspired by real people.
#3. Vince McMahon inspired the Million Dollar Man
The Million Dollar Man was a gimmick portrayed by Ted DiBiase throughout the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s in the WWE. His name explained his character well, as he was a millionaire who also happened to wrestle.
While looking down at others, Dibiase used his wealth to get what he wanted. For fans wondering what the character created by Vince McMahon was based on, we have the answer for you.
On Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, the legendary producer revealed that Vince McMahon was the real-life Million Dollar Man, which explains his love and conceptualization of the gimmick.
Prichard recalled a plane incident where McMahon paid a passenger $1000 and paid for his seat so that he'd put his cigarette out:
“[McMahon] goes, ‘I’ll pay for your seat and I’ll still give you another $500. Just put the cigarette out.’ The guy finally puts his cigarette out and Vince is peeling off hundreds to give this guy money to put his cigarette out. And I just looked down, I go, ‘f**k, man, you are The Million Dollar Man!’ And that’s when it all clicked [for] me because it was, ‘everybody’s got a price, pal... Everybody’s got a price for The Million Dollar Man. Do you understand now?’ and it clicked, but that was Vince in real life. I mean, that was real life s**t that, I mean, actually f**king happened,” Prichard recalled. [H/T - 411mania.com.]
Vince McMahon being the real-life Million Dollar Man is incredible, but it makes sense. He idolized the likes of Dr. Jerry Graham growing up, and he appreciated the lavish lifestyle despite growing up poor.
In a different world, Vince could have been the Million Dollar Champion. In hindsight, winning the WWE Championship was probably more memorable, however.
#2. A real-life stalker inspired Scrypts
Reggie, aka Reginald, now has a new name in WWE. The athletic superstar debuted on NXT under a mask after weeks of vignettes. The teasers featured security camera footage, spray-painting, and threatening calls, all by a mysterious character named Scrypts.
Fans now know that Scrypts and Reggie are one-in-the-same. Many fans may not realize that the stalker persona is allegedly based on a real person.
According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, WWE's newest masked wrestler is based on Armando Alejandro Montalvo.
“Okay, he was playing the guy — okay, so you remember the real stalker who was defecating on the premises and doing all that crazy stuff and he was arrested multiple times? That was the gimmick that inspired — that idiot inspired a gimmick that’s out there doing flips,” he said.
A character being inspired by a real-life stalker is a bold move. It remains to be seen if the gimmick continues to be influenced by Armando or if this only applied to the vignettes.
#1. Eugene was inspired by a WWE superfan and ring boy
Eugene is one of the most memorable gimmicks in WWE during the 2000s. Nick Dinsmore portrayed the character, and the name came from Eugene Palermo, a long-time superfan who also served as a ring boy at WWE events.
While someone with wrestling ties inspired the name, the character was initially thought up by somebody involved in the wrestling business.
According to Nick Dinsmore, which is Eugene's real name, it was Rip Rogers who came up with the gimmick.
"Rip Rogers had given me the idea for a character," Dinsmore explained. "His son has autism, and he's like, 'What about a character that isn't very social, he can't tie his shoes, can put a square peg in a square hole, but he knows wrestling perfectly, he knows all the moves, he knows all the history, all the trivia.'"
The Eugene character being a blend of Rip Rogers' son and a real-life ring boy makes the gimmick even more enjoyable. For better or worse, the persona certainly had fans talking about WWE.
