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It is said that nothing in wrestling is original.
It is also said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. After all, something is only replicated if it is successful the first time. I assure you that this list does not contain the Shockmaster or the Gobbledy Gooker.
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Before there was 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair, there was 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers. The Road Warriors begot Demolition. To be fair, Demolition had a very very good run, and would probably be in the WWE Hall of Fame, were it not for the fact that they are part of a lawsuit against the company.
Suffice it to say that Ric Flair went on to become one of the greatest of all time, usurped only by Shawn Michaels.
Speaking of Shawn Michaels, there was a time when Dolph Ziggler tried unsuccessfully to become Shawn Michaels 2.0, instead of just being the Showoff. TNA tried to replicate the magic of The Four Horsemen with their own stable, Fortune. Like all things TNA, it was not very successful.
Some recycled ideas are good, others are ill-advised.
These are ideas I would use to reboot, or tweak certain wrestlers on the WWE Roster.
#5 Braun Strowman wants to know Who's Next
Braun Strowman was arguably the hottest babyface in the company. Beloved by smarks and casual fans, cheered by men, women, and children, he consistently received some of the loudest and most positive reactions of the night.
Yes, Strowman is incredibly athletic, but it wasn't wrestling ability that got him over. His signature move is a running shoulder tackle, and his finishing move is a powerslam. Seth Rollins and A.J. Styles he is not.
Strowman got over due to his incredible natural charisma, boulder-like build, and a simple catchphrase.
Surely, there are similarities with a certain WCW Titan?
Right now, Strowman is the most feared man in the company, and on a collision course for the Universal Championship. But, the crowd does not want to boo him, and he will eventually need to be turned back babyface.
There is an easy way to do so.
What worked for Goldberg so many years ago, can work Strowman.
Have him run through everybody. Put a mid-card title onto him. Let him prove his worth by defeating everybody. Scratch that, have him wreck everybody. Running shoulder tackle. Maybe a chokeslam. The powerslam. 1-2-3.
Let everybody Get. These. Hands.
#4 Chad Gable has intensity, integrity, and intelligence
WWE once signed an Olympic-caliber athlete who wasn't the biggest but took to professional wrestling like a duck to water, and soon wrestled circles around most on the roster.
They booked him perfectly.
White meat babyface designed to get over as a smug heel? Check.
Infuse comedy into the character so that his natural goofiness can shine through? Check.
Eventual transition into a wrestling machine, in order to focus on his astounding physical gifts? Check.
That was Kurt Angle. And WWE needs to follow the same blueprint for Chad Gable because he is too good to be wasted in a tag-team with Bobby 'Catchphrase' Roode.
Erstwhile partner Jason Jordan proved that the white meat babyface will be mercilessly booed by today's audience.
Vignettes shot with the aforementioned Jordan in NXT provided ample evidence of his goofy charm.
As for his wrestling ability? It is on display every single time Gable walks into that ring.
Have him prove that Jordan faked the paternity test.
Let him reveal that he is Angle's illegitimate son.
And then let him be Kurt Angle's son in every sense of the word.
I for one am Ready. Willing. Gable.
#3 Sami Zayn-The Man of 1004 Holds
In 1998, Chris Jericho was a talented, but underappreciated part of WCW's cruiserweight division. He was an excellent wrestler who could have a good match with anybody.
He originally had a groundswell of support from the fans who appreciated his ability, and 'Lionheart' babyface character. But on WCW Nitro, 'Where the Big Boys Played', he wasn't big enough, or interesting enough to gain any sort of traction.
So he turned heel. He became a paranoid, sniveling, whining character, who was convinced that there was a conspiracy theory against him. Now, WCW being WCW, they still did nothing with him, but the character had legs and got over with the fans.
Sami Zayn's career has followed a similar trajectory.
Excellent wrestler? Yep.
Less than impressive physique compared to others? Yep.
Underappreciated? Yep.
As good a babyface as he was(I found myself cheering him on against Kevin Owens, even though Owens is one of my favorites), he has been an absolute revelation as a heel. I want to punch him every single time his smarmy face shows up on my television.
It needs to be escalated.
More conspiracy theories. Play up his naturally neurotic personality.
More lists about all the submission holds he knows. Play up his wrestling ability.
#2 Stone Cold Kevin Owens
This is technically not one gimmick, but two.
However, as Owens is one of my favorites, and this is my list, I'll allow it. Besides, nobody can deny that he needs a serious reboot after spending the last few months as Braun Strowman's punching bag.
Owens is done as a credible heel. A babyface turn beckons. Quitting RAW last week would have been the ideal way to achieve this reboot, but I digress.
Remember the Daniel Bryan storyline from Summerslam 2013 till Wrestlemania 30?
The authority did not want Bryan as champion because he didn't fit their notions of what the face of the WWE ought to look like. So Bryan was held down. The Authority berated him. They cost him championships. And they helped create the biggest babyface since Stone Cold Steve Austin.
I propose that Owens become a sort of hybrid between the two.
Have the authority cost him a championship because they do not want him as the face of the company. Explain away past favoritism by pointing to his losing record. Have them berate his weight, scruffiness, and ring gear.
Paint Owens as an every-man fighting for his dreams. Let Owens' clarion cry be that it isn't outside that counts, but a person's mettle, thus creating a babyface parent's are supportive of, and kids are proud of.
Let him reject the authority's attempts to mold him into the sort of champion they want. And let him stomp mud-holes into everybody.
Owens has the mic-skills to pull of such a character, and the story is believable enough to be accepted.
Also, if any more proof were needed, that stunner to Rollins on RAW 2 weeks ago was something Stone Cold would have been proud of.
#1 SHIELD.....for life
Two dominant trios.
Two of the most popular, and successful factions of all time.
Decked out in all black.
Incredibly cool.
Both comprising of main-event kingpins(Hollywood Hogan and Roman Reigns), a perpetual main-eventer( Seth Rollins and Kevin Nash), and charismatic upper mid-card occasional main-eventers(Scott Hall and Dean Ambrose).
I'll be honest.
The Shield is perfect as they are.
But I'd love to see special commercials paid for by them, with Hollywood Roman Reigns playing the air-guitar.
It would be, dare I say it, TOO SWEET.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
