Gimmicks are one of the most important aspects of a pro wrestler's career. A wrestler's ability to tell a story and engage the audience is as equally vital as his in-ring skills, and gimmicks help them perform that task. We've seen iconic gimmicks like The Undertaker's Deadman in WWE rule the pro wrestling industry over the years, and we've also witnessed several lackluster gimmicks which almost ruined a wrestler's career.
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As time went by, those gimmicks faded away into the shadows, probably never to be seen again. Likewise, let's take a look at The Undertakers' Deadman and nine other gimmicks we might never see again.
10 The Deadman
The Undertaker debuted his iconic Deadman character back in Survivor Series 1990 and struck fear in the hearts of his adversaries for three decades until his retirement in 2020. The Undertaker also showed certain variations of his character with The Ministry of Darkness gimmick and The American Badass, but The Deadman was the character that defined his career.
He made an appearance on the Raw 30th-anniversary episode in his American Badass gimmick and recently revealed that the iconic Deadman character would never make an appearance on WWE television ever again.
9 Shelton Benjamin - The Gold Standard
WWE is missing out a lot by not utilizing the former Intercontinental and United States Champion Shelton Benjamin to his full potential. He showcased tremendous athleticism and in-ring skills during his first run with the company, and his infamous Gold Standard gimmick elevated him to another level in the mid-card title picture.
However, it appears the ship has sailed on a potential Shelton Benjamin push in WWE, and the chances of him getting back into singles competition have become very thin. As much as the fans would love to see it again, it appears WWE has no interest in bringing back Shelton Benjamin as The Gold Standard.
8 Nikki A.S.H.
Nikki Cross had the perfect gimmick during her time in NXT as part of the Sanity faction as a mysterious and deranged personality, but the main roster failed to see the potential in that character and damaged it beyond repair. Cross had to take things into her own hands and pitched the idea of a superhero gimmick to Vince McMahon, which led to her debuting the Nikki A.S.H. character.
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While it did produce some initial results and led to her winning the Raw Women's and Tag Team Championships, it didn't help her in the long run. She eventually reverted to her NXT character, and it's certain that we might never see Cross in her superhero gimmick again.
7 Mr. McMahon
Vince McMahon might've been a different personality backstage, but the Mr. McMahon character he portrayed on-screen is one of the cruel and despised gimmicks in WWE history. The Mr. McMahon character abused his powers and attempted to put down the fan-favorite wrestlers and elevate those who sided with him. Such was his reign of terror throughout his time as an on-screen authority figure in WWE.
But the controversy surrounding Vince McMahon, which led to his retirement as the Chairman and CEO of the company, might never allow him to return as an on-screen personality on WWE television again.
6 RK-Bro
Randy Orton's alliance with Matt Riddle to form the RK-Bro tag team introduced the fans to a more laid-back version of The Legend Killer. Matt Riddle's hilarious antics and Orton's attempts at putting up with his new partner's tomfoolery summoned positive responses from the crowd. They eventually went on to become 2-time Raw Tag Team Champions, but Orton's untimely back injury caused WWE to hit the pause button on the team and start pushing Riddle as a singles performer.
But Riddle's wellness policy violation and admission to rehab have jeopardized the possibility of a potential RK-Bro reunion even after Orton makes his return. The Apex Predator may be better served staying a singles star in the final days of his in-ring career..
5 Heel Triple H
Triple H always brought his best game whenever he portrayed a heel character in WWE, and the last time he played such a character was a part of The Authority storyline between 2013 and 2018. Similar to his father-in-law Triple H abused his power as a highly influential managerial figure in WWE to get his way and take out those who stood up to him and his wife, Stephanie McMahon.
He did what he thought was best for business and pushed stars like Seth Rollins to the main event picture. However, the cardiac arrest he suffered back in 2021 forced him to retire as an on-screen personality, and The Game focused on his backstage endeavors. As a result, we might never see Triple H as a regular heel character on WWE television again.
4 Hugger Bayley
Bayley's hugger gimmick was one of the most loved characters in WWE during her initial time in NXT. She was one of the best babyfaces on the NXT roster, and the fans welcomed her with loud cheers every time she walked out to the ring. But the company overplayed the character too much following her main roster debut, which resulted in it becoming stale and the fans eventually turning on her.
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She embraced a heel gimmick and ditched her ponytail in 2019 and has been portraying the character ever since. She's enjoyed much success with her current heel gimmick, and it's safe to say that WWE fans will never see the hugger gimmick again.
3 Roman Reigns - The Big Dog
Roman Reigns is in the best phase of his career with his heel Tribal Chief character. The gimmick gave Reigns the break he was looking for and helped him win the fans over, a feat he failed to achieve during his time with the babyface Big Dog character.
WWE's attempts at putting Reigns over as the top babyface didn't produce any results, as the fans never accepted him into that role. Reigns had to fight hard to win over the fans' affection which he got once he spiked up his character with a heel turn in 2020. Reigns' current historic run is a result of that change, and it's safe to say that the WWE Universe would never witness Reigns revert to his old babyface Big Dog character again.
2 The Fiend
The Fiend was one of the best incarnations of Bray Wyatt, as the masked character provided the extra mystery and fear factor the old cult leader gimmick couldn't deliver.
The iconic entrance and the presentation of the matches made the fans think great things were in order for Bray Wyatt. While it became a partial reality with Wyatt going on to become a 2-time Universal Champion, the losses he sustained against Goldberg and Randy Orton totally derailed his momentum. Wyatt stated in a recent interview with Ryan Satin that The Fiend is gone forever, and we must wait to find out if the claim is legitimate.
1 Stardust
One of the main reasons behind Cody Rhodes' exit from WWE in 2016 was his frustrations over portraying the Stardust character, which was very similar to his brother Goldust's gimmick.
He then went on to re-invent himself in the indies and aligned himself with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, which eventually led to the creation of All Elite Wrestling. When Rhodes left AEW in 2022 to re-sign with WWE, he reportedly told the WWE executives that he would never portray the Stardust character again, and we can expect it to remain the same in his current run with WWE.
