Former WWE champion reveals challenges faced during controversial career

WWE Superstars undergo several character changes and a lot of build-up during their careers. A former champion recently opened up about the challenges that he faced while pitching his controversial character. That would be Nick Dinsmore, who portrayed the character of Eugene.

Fans were treated to some bizarre characters during Vince McMahon’s regime. Some gimmicks were so outlandish that they brought a lot of heat and backlash to the Stamford-based company.

Speaking of former WWE Superstar Nick Dinsmore, the Stamford-based promotion built the character of Eugene as Eric Bischoff’s kayfabe nephew, who came across as a mentally challenged wrestling enthusiast.

During an interview with Developmentally Speaking, Dinsmore revealed the challenges he faced while pitching the Eugene character. He noted that Vince McMahon was impressed by his idea, and Stone Cold Steve Austin was surprised by it.

"Vince (McMahon) goes, 'I want to get back to character-based wrestling.' And I just pitched out that character right there. [Steve] Austin walks in and Vince goes, 'Steve, did you ever see this guy wrestle?' And he goes, 'No, I don’t think so,'" Nick Dinsmore said.

Dinsmore’s training under Nightmare Danny Davis earned him Stone Cold Steve Austin’s trust, which led to Vince McMahon’s approval of the controversial character.

"Everybody still wanted to be a cool, strong heel that got all their moves in. I wanted to be the complete opposite. I wanted to sell and be a babyface and just have fun out there," Nick Dinsmore said. [H/T TJR Wrestling]

Eugene won the World Tag Team Championship once alongside William Regal. He was released thrice by the Stamford-based company during his career.

---

WWE gave Eugene a few chances in the company

Nick Dinsmore tried to make it big with his comedic character, which stirred a few controversies. Overall, he got a few big matches, including once against Kurt Angle at SummerSlam.

While talking on Developmentally Speaking, Dinsmore revealed that the reason for his constant release from WWE was his non-compliance with the wellness policy:

"I got released for being non-compliant to the wellness policy. Although I failed one wellness policy, and back then it was supposed to be three, but I know it was probably the best thing for me at the time. After that, I didn't know what I was going to do. Then, the phone started ringing for indie shows nonstop, and I started working almost as much as I did with WWE on the indie shows."

Dinsmore worked on the independent circuit for several years before ultimately retiring from in-ring competition in December 2021.