5 WWE gimmicks that were actually Vince McMahon's creations

#2 Val Venis' controversial gimmick during the Attitude Era

The Attitude Era was, hands down, the most exciting time to be a pro-wrestling fan, as both WWE and WCW were pushing the boundaries when it came to producing edgy content on a weekly basis. One such character that fit the bill and was well received by the fans during the time was Val Venis. His non-PG act immediately became a hit with the WWE Universe at the time and he enjoyed several Championship runs, that included a European title reign.

Venis has discussed his character in the past, revealing that Vince McMahon was the person who created it.

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Vince McMahon came up with the name 'Val Venis' and the general idea of the character.

It was in development from day one and continued to evolve. It took a long time to really develop into the towel-wearing, 'hello ladies' character that ultimately it blew up into.

He also donned a corporate gimmick on WWE RAW during the Ruthless Aggression Era, as he was appointed "Chief of Staff" by then-RAW GM Eric Bischoff. Venis was released by WWE in early 2009, after working for the promotion for over a decade.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Alan John