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WWE has always been a company trying to keep abreast with the trends and whims of contemporary audiences. Pop culture has played a huge part in this over the years. At its core, pop culture is a reflection of the world around it at the current point of time.
Keeping that in mind, it is natural that elements of pop culture would bleed into the wrestling world and vice versa. The most obvious of these influences come in the form of gimmicks and wrestling gear. Some of the most iconic gimmicks and wrestling attire in WWE are pulled from pop culture references.
Whether it is Alexa Bliss emulating her inner Harley Quinn or Nikki Bella's Wonder Woman-inspired gear, pop culture has set its roots deep in WWE content.
Here, we look at 5 'must see' pop culture-inspired WWE wrestling gimmicks that pleased and delighted fans all over the world.
#5 Stardust
As his career floundered, Cody Rhodes put on the paints and dived head first into the bizarre character of Stardust. While it's debatable if the new gimmick did him any favors, it did lead to some interesting moments.
His silver-painted persona already resembled a character straight out of a comic book but he took it a step further at WrestleMania. He emerged on the grandest stage of them all in an outfit that was clearly inspired by Mr. Sinister.
In case you're not a comic book fan, Mr. Sinister is a villain from the X-men franchise. It is interesting to note that there were direct parallels between Mr. Sinister's obsession with Scott Summers and Stardust's rivalry with Neville.
This was, in itself, a rivalry filled with pop culture influences. Stephen Amell, the actor who dons the cape of Arrow on TV, also made a brief appearance when he went up against Stardust. The actor surprised the audience with his capability to keep up with the pace of the match and presented an enjoyable segment.
For most fans of the respective franchises, these little pop culture nods made the rivalry that much more interesting.
Both Stardust and Goldust, sons of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, have played many pop culture-based gimmicks in the wrestling industry.
#4 Seth Rollins
The Kingslayer. That, in itself, is the biggest pop culture reference when it comes to Seth Rollins. It was a moniker he earned after the slaying of Triple H and is a clear nod to Jaime Lannister's character on Game of Thrones. Jamie was dubbed The Kingslayer after killing The Mad King, Aerys Targaryen.
Rollins also paid tribute to Game of Thrones villain The Night King, with his WrestleMania 34 entrance. With unnaturally blue eyes and custom ring gear, Rollins made no bones about his love for the HBO fan favorite. The point was driven home by Corey Graves, who declared "Winter is here" upon the wrestler's arrival.
Seth Rollins isn't a man who messes around with his looks too often. That doesn't mean The Architect hasn't indulged in a bit of pop culture-inspired revelry now and then.
For his Title vs. Title match against Cena at SummerSlam 2015, Rollins channeled his inner Power Ranger for the win. Dressed in a white and gold ensemble, Seth strongly resembled the white ranger from the mid-'90s.
Jim Ross even pointed out the similarities when he commented that Rollins didn't exactly look like a heel but he did look like Tommy from Power Rangers. it was a nostalgic nod that the fans clearly enjoyed.
This wasn't his only foray into the world of pop culture, though, as Seth struck again at SummerSlam 2018. Challenging Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental championship, Rollins sported a Thanos-inspired gear in wake of the insanely successful Infinity War. Clearly, the formula was a successful one as Seth Rollins bagged the win.
Despite all the pop culture references, Rollins remains fixated on the task of delivering and has given the WWE universe some of the best matches in the recent past. A dash of pop culture only adds to Rollins' popularity, legitimizing him as a force to be reckoned with.
#3 Rey Mysterio
The Rey Mysterio character itself would fit right in with the masked vigilantes of the comic book world. His flashy ring gear, extraordinary athletic ability, and an unmistakable aura of being the underdog in a fight, all give him an alluring charm that has won the audience over many times over.
That being said, it is easy to see that Mysterio often derives his inspirations from the comic world's finest. His outfits have paid homage to heavyweights of the comic book world like The Flash, Captain America, Spiderman, Silver Surfer, Daredevil, Iron man, and a lot more.
In 1997, Mysterio won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship from Eddie Guerrero while wearing a purple mask and suit that was clearly meant as a nod to The Phantom.
Over the years, Mysterio's WrestleMania outfits have become an event in themselves as fans speculated what superhero would inspire his gear next. In 2003, he would pay homage to a superhero movie released just that year.
Daredevil might not have done well at the box office but it did inspire Mysterio to suit up at WrestleMania XIX. Like the film, however, Mysterio failed to deliver and lost the WWE Cruiserweight title to Matt Hardy.
WrestleMania XXV might not be a memorable one for Mysterio but his outfit choice certainly raised a few eyebrows. He fought against JBL in an instantly forgettable match that lasted all of 20 seconds.
While he won the Intercontinental title which was on the line, his dress choice clearly didn't win favor with the fans. As a babyface, his decision to dress up as The Joker didn't make much sense. It was akin to Batman himself converting to the dark side.
The match was remembered for another reason altogether. JBL lost the match and his title to Mysterio and announced to the world that he was quitting wrestling much to the delight of the WWE universe.
#2 Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss has never shied away from flaunting her love for comic book characters. In 2016, Bliss showcased her fondness for a certain DC villainess at WWE Backlash.
Sporting a two-toned outfit, pigtails and pink highlights, it wasn't hard to guess where Alexa was deriving her inspiration from. The look was a clear nod to DC's Harley Quinn. Bliss even tweeted it out, calling it a "homage to #harleyquinn"
While she didn't win the title that night, she certainly won over the fans with her show stopper look. This also proved to be a turning point in her career as she went on to embrace her dark side and become a heel. Her character remained reminiscent of Harley Quinn herself.
This isn't the first time Alexa Bliss has captured fans with her pop culture nods. While at NXT, Alexa made up a heel stable with Blake and Murphy with all of them sporting Iron Man inspired gear. They also gave Freddy Krueger a turn and doled out perfectly creepy appearances.
Bliss had this to say of her constant experimentations with her looks “I'm such a villain fan. I love comics, I love anything Disney – everyone knows that about me, I'm a big Disney fan – anything that's fictional, I'm a huge fan of. I just like portraying characters but making it my own. The Harley Quinn thing I was really excited about.”
She has gone on to dazzle audiences with other villain and hero inspired costumes. At the Elimination Chamber, she went with a Supergirl-inspired gear, with red and blue boots and her own emblem on the chest. At Wrestlemania, her green and purple outfit had question marks and a vest that said “Riddle Me Bliss”. It was a direct take on DC's Riddler.
Hopefully, we will continue to see Little Miss Bliss in other comic book adaptations in the future.
#1 Sting
Paying homage to pop culture icons is one thing, but emulating a character as a gimmick for over a decade requires a whole different level of dedication. In 1996, Sting ditched the short, bleached blonde hair and surfer look for a more ominous persona.
He grew out his hair and ditched the colorful facepaint for a somber black and white one. His attire included black tights, a tank top, and a duster. The look was iconic and audiences soon recognized it to be based on the 1994 cult classic The Crow.
Taking on the reigns of Brandon Lee's The Crow was no small feat as the film resulted in the tragic death of Lee. The story, while macabre, seemed to work well for the gloomy ambiance Sting created with his portrayal.
The gimmick worked on so many levels because Sting was indeed almost becoming the character he was portraying. Steve Borden was at a low phase of his life when the gimmick came around.
He had fallen down the trap of a life filled with prescription drugs and alcohol. The darkness permeated through real life to the ring. The transformation was flawless and personal life aside, it did help bring Steve Borden's career to a new height.
Speaking of gimmicks, Sting has this to say of the change:
"It was a different time, for sure. It was special. I don’t know how to describe it. Wrestling fans were really, really changing. Wrestling was changing, and fans wanted to see something a little bit more gritty. A little darker, a little more mysterious. [As a result], my character changed."
