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Rambo: First Blood might have come out 40 years ago, in 1982, but the film still holds relevance today. Referring to the movie, former WWE head writer Vince Russo discussed how a wrestling gimmick influenced by the character would have been perfect for Jaxson Ryker.
Ryker was released from WWE on November 18, 2021. Before his release, his last major storyline was a feud with Elias, where the latter turned on Ryker after initially befriending him. He even defeated the star, but afterward, he only wrestled on the Main Event show and didn't really have a storyline of his own.
During the most recent episode of The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo opened up about working with Jaxson Ryker. However, he also proposed a different idea for Ryker's gimmick, one that he felt would have helped the superstar develop that character into something like Rambo.
He compared it to the final moments in the Rambo: First Blood film, where Stallone finally breaks down and talks about what he was going through. He added that he could have made it something worth developing.
"I think if I’d worked with him longer, I would have developed that. Think about this for a second, there’s never been a wrestling character like Rambo. At the end of Rambo you saw the real guy when he cut that freaking promo, 'Nothing is over!' I mean, I really think that could have been something if developed correctly." [11:00 - 11:25]
You can watch the full video below:
Rambo would not be the first movie role to influence a wrestling gimmick
The role that Stallone played to perfection would not be alone among movie roles that inspired a wrestling gimmick. In the past, there have been several gimmicks influenced by iconic characters and roles in movies.
Paul Burchill, with his Pirates of the Caribbean gimmick, Sting being influenced by The Crow, Scott Hall being influenced by Scarface are the most notable. However, the list goes on.
Whether Ryker would be able to carry off the nuance required for such a gimmick is unclear, but the idea itself might be one that could be worth exploring.
You can watch the clip Vince Russo talks about below:
Russo worked with Ryker when he was working with IMPACT Wrestling under the name Gunner. Unfortunately, they never got a chance to explore this character.
Do you think this might have been a suitable role for Jaxson Ryker? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
