5 WWE legends who once had terrible gimmicks

In Professional Wrestling, a gimmick can often make or break a wrestler.

Whilst some wacky gimmicks have worked thanks to the right competitor (looking at you Undertaker!), a bad character can often have disastrous consequences for the person behind the costume.

There's a reason why Adam Bomb, the Shockmaster, Mordecai and Eugene were never World Champions.

But for some WWE legends, even they weren't able to escape having a terrible character early into their careers.

Whilst these gimmicks could've easily sunk the Superstar, everyone on this list was able to adapt and overcome their terrible characters, leaving it in the dust, and went on to become some of the biggest stars in all of wrestling history.

Here are five WWE legends who once had terrible characters, but were able to get through them and into the promise land.

#5: Kevin Nash - The Great and Powerful Oz

Shockingly, neon green wasn't threatening.

In the WWF, Diesel was the epitome of 90s cool, rocking sunglasses, leather jackets, and a year-long reign as the WWF Champion from 1994-1995.

But before reaching Vince McMahon, Kevin Nash worked as Oz, a clear reference to the titular character from The Wizard of Oz.

Decked entirely in green, Oz wouldn't show the same kindness shown by his namesake in L. Frank Baum's classic, as Nash would decimate his opponents without showing any heart.

The gimmick didn't last long (perhaps because no-one believed a wizard would come to WCW), and Nash would become Vinnie Vegas, which didn't do much better.

Hoping to leave the company, Nash told then producer Ole Anderson that he couldn't take wrestling anymore, and was granted an early release after telling folks he wanted to return to bouncing.

Within months, Nash would debut in the WWF as Diesel.

#4. Triple H: Terra Ryzing/Jean-Paul Levesque

The future Game smiles as Jean-Paul Levesque.

Again, we're in WCW, where a young Triple H would be for just a year, before joining the WWF in 1995.

But when the Game debuted in WCW, he was Terra Ryzing, a clear pun on terrorizing, and that was as much of a character as he had.

But maybe he was safer as Terra Ryzing, because when the company did give him a gimmick, they went way overboard.

Within weeks, Ryzing became Jean-Paul Levesque, a play on Triple H's real name, with the company telling him to be a French aristocrat.

Not knowing what he could do, and unable to speak French, Levesque put on a French accent, but knew he had to leave when there were plans to make him a tag-star.

Joining the WWF, as an American aristocrat, Jean-Paul became Hunter Hearst Helmsley, which later transformed into Triple H.

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#3. John Cena: The Prototype

This may be a controversial opinion, but John Cena may be the biggest star in the history of wrestling.

A record-tying World Champion, Cena's tenure with the company eclipses stars like Hulk Hogan, The Rock and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.

With the look of Vince McMahon's prototypical star, it's ironic that the doctor of Thuganomics wrestled as The Prototype, before debuting on SmackDown in 2002.

Little is known of The Prototype, other than Cena reportedly competed like a machine, perhaps competing like Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 Terminator.

To make matters more confusing, Cena rocked a bright yellow haircut, that resembled Ivan Drago in Rocky 4.

Fortunately, joining the WWE would be Cena's saving grace, allowing him to showcase more of his personality, such as his freestyle rap skills.

Winning the WWE Championship in 2005, Cena has come a long way since the Prototype.

#2. The Rock: Rocky Maivia

It's hard to say whether Rocky Maivia was a good or bad character, because he was so bland, it's a wonder that he had any character at all.

Now, in 2018, The Rock is a leading man in Hollywood, able to adapt to any role, though his worse may have been when he made his in-ring debut in 1996.

Appearing as a smiling babyface, Maivia was constantly touted by commentators as the next big star, who constantly shrieked at fans to like the company's third-generation Superstar.

People being how they are, the crowd quickly started to reject the blue chipper, with chants of 'Die Rocky Die', echoing arenas, a chant made worse by Johnson having to just stand there and smile.

Turning heel in 1997, Maivia would become The Rock, winning several World Championships in his career, and becoming one of wrestling's biggest stars.

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#1.Hulk Hogan: Mr. America

Who could this masked symbol of the red, white and blue possibly be?

Now, all these terrible characters have come early into a Superstar's career, this one not only happened to one of the biggest icons in the business, but also came at a time when Hogan's career had more than flourished.

After being fired by Vince McMahon following their WrestleMania XIX encounter, Hogan returned to SmackDown, now in a mask as Mr. America.

Using the same mannerisms, music and offense, it was obvious that Hogan and America were the same, and whilst McMahon's attempts to prove it were initially entertaining, the story got old fast.

This gimmick only lasted mere months, as Hogan was filmed unmasking after a SmackDown, allowing Vince to fire him again, allowing the Hulkster to leave the company.

Whilst Hogan is now back with the company, don't expect Mr. America to return anytime soon.

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