Top 25 Music-Inspired Wrestling Gimmicks

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Meet Alex, the seasoned wrestling aficionado and Lead Writer at WrestleBuddy. With three decades of fandom under his belt, Alex brings a wealth of experience and passion to the table. As a devoted follower of The Undertaker and CM Punk, his love for the sport runs deep. However, be warned – Alex isn't afraid to offer raw and unfiltered opinions that some may find harsh. In a world where reality can be hard to digest, Alex isn't afraid to tackle the tough truths of the wrestling industry head-on.

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16. Johnny B. Badd

One of the most consistent stars in WCW’s midcard throughout the early-mid 90s was the flamboyant Johnny B. Badd. The Golden Gloves champion had 3 reigns with the WCW Television title facing off against future megastars like Lord Steven Regal, Steve Austin and Diamond Dallas Page as well as more established names like Bobby Eaton, Lex Luger and Arn Anderson. A colourful personality and capable talent, his gimmick was heavily inspired by a particular music talent.

Booker Dusty Rhodes packaged Marc Mero as Johnny B. Badd, a Little Richard look-alike. Head the mannerisms, voice, the look, clothing and more nailed down to a tee to imitate the extravagant and often homosexual overtones the 50s rock ‘n’ roll star did. Sometimes Badd had a female valet in order to make his sexually indiscriminate. His name too was named after a 50s hit song, titled after Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’. Mero made the best of this role, popular as both a face and heel. A former boxer in his own right, this was incorporated into his gimmick, with his right hook being named after Little Richard single ‘Tutti Frutti’.

Whilst this gimmick would have likely flopped if anyone else performed it, the dedication and confidence of Mero made the possibly troublesome and mishandled role work.

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Alexander

Meet Alex, the seasoned wrestling aficionado and Lead Writer at WrestleBuddy. With three decades of fandom under his belt, Alex brings a wealth of experience and passion to the table. As a devoted follower of The Undertaker and CM Punk, his love for the sport runs deep. However, be warned – Alex isn’t afraid to offer raw and unfiltered opinions that some may find harsh. In a world where reality can be hard to digest, Alex isn’t afraid to tackle the tough truths of the wrestling industry head-on.

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