10 gimmick changes that saved Superstars' careers: Part 2

Previously, we looked into some of the most iconic gimmick changes in the history of this business.

We looked at how an extremely annoying Rocky Maivia became a god on the mic, a bland overweight Husky Harris turned into one of the most intriguing characters of all time, and Mean Mark ended up becoming a living legend.

With the annals of wrestling history being chock full of legendary gimmick changes, one list wasn't enough to cover the cream of the crop. So here's another list of 5 gimmick changes that practically saved Superstars' careers.

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#5 Jamal becomes Umaga

Rosey and Jamal

The Ruthless Aggression Era brought with it a string of young newcomers, who were all set to become future Hall of Famers. The likes of Cena, Orton and Batista managed to do the same, but not everyone ended up fulfilling their destiny.

Jamal came in as a part of a tag team with Rosey. The duo had an impressive run on Raw for a while, but couldn't break out of the division.

Years later, Jamal came back to WWE as Umaga, a Samoan monster who was unable to speak, but was lethal inside the squared circle. he came in after WrestleMania 22 and attacked Ric Flair on Raw.

By the time WrestleMania 23 rolled around, Umaga was featured in a high profile match with Bobby Lashley, dubbed as the Battle of the Billionaires, pitting Vince McMahon and Donald Trump against each other. With Austin as referee, this match was a major reason why WrestleMania 23 created a buy-rate record, which remained unbroken for 5 years.

Umaga is no more today, but the incredible career he had during his 2nd run is bound to earn him a Hall of Fame ring someday.

#4 Bradshaw becomes JBL

The A.P.A.

Bradshaw's tag team run with Ron Simmons as A.P.A. was well received, but he was never seen as a main event player. The duo competed in a Fatal Four Way Tag Team match at WrestleMania 35, which was won by Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty.

After 'Mania, Bradshaw separated from Simmons and came out with a completely new gimmick. The tough brawler was now a genius millionaire. He came out to the ring in a limousine, wore expensive clothes, and had an arrogant smirk on his face.

JBL was pushed to the Moon in 2004, as he won the WWE Title at The Great American Bash from Eddie Guerrero. He went on to successfully defend the title against the likes of Booker T, The Undertaker, and The Big Show.

JBL finally lost his title to the fan favorite John Cena at WrestleMania 21, and never won it back again.

#3 Dr Isaac Yankem becomes Kane

Kane during his blunder years

Glenn Jacobs didn't come into the WWE as Kane. He was given a string of gimmicks before debuting as The Undertaker's brother, one of which was a dentist!

In 1995, Jacobs was brought in as Jerry Lawler's dentist and went on to feud with Bret Hart. This rivalry led to a match at Summerslam which Yankem lost via disqualification.

There was no way the character of a dentist was going to work in those times, so WWE scrapped it soon. Jacobs was repackaged as Kane and he made his debut at the Badd Blood 1998 PPV, helping Shawn Michaels defeat The Undertaker.

This debut kicked off a decorated career as Kane won World titles, made Royal Rumble records, and appeared in multiple WrestleManias. Kane is currently serving as the Mayor of Knox County and looks ready to kick off a successful career as a politician.

#2 Hulk Hogan becomes Hollywood Hogan

The Hulk Hogan character didn't work well in WCW

By the mid-90s, Hogan's popularity was waning rapidly. He wasn't getting the kind of reactions in WCW that he once used to get in WWE.

It took a while, but Eric Bischoff managed to convince Hogan to turn heel and kick start a new career with a completely different persona. Hogan was revealed to be the third member of The Outsiders, which originally consisted of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. The trio stood tall at Bash at the Beach 1996, as Hogan turned heel in front of a sea of booing fans.

This marked the beginning of one of the greatest eras in professional wrestling history: The Attitude Era. Hollywood Hogan became a universally hated character and WCW defeated Raw in the rating war for 63 consecutive weeks. Hogan's nWo had changed the wrestling business forever. Most importantly, Hogan had saved his career from dying a slow death.

#1 The Ringmaster becomes Stone Cold Steve Austin

Austin with Dibiase

Austin had long, blond hair while he was in WCW. Bischoff didn't see much potential in the character and Austin was let go soon. After a brief stint in ECW, he was signed to WWE as The Ringmaster.

Austin showed promise with his promos and ring work, and was booked to win the King of the Ring tournament in 1996. After Austin defeated Jake Roberts in the finals, he cut one of the greatest promos of all time, now famously dubbed as "The Austin 3:16 promo".

Along with the likes of The Rock, Mankind, The Undertaker, and Triple H, Austin saved WWE from going bankrupt. WWE bought off WCW in 2001 and the Attitude Era came to an end. Austin's character change not only helped him become the greatest Superstar of his era, he also managed to save his company from a possible buyout.