WWE: 10 bad, goofy, and weirdly good wrestling gimmicks

By Mark Lynch | Sep 20, 2023

Kane (R) vies with Triple H during a tag team match as part of as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on November 2, 2018. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) /

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Papa Shango

Real name: Charles Wright

WWE character rating: A+

Papa Shango the wrestler (who was also Kama The Godfather) was incredible in the ring. He could have great matches with people who weren’t among the best. However, the gimmick was a product of the 1990s. He took a profession, exaggerated it, and brought it to life. As bad as it looked (and it was kind of racist), he did put a spell on the Ultimate Warrior that left him incapacitated and puking backstage.

Charles Wright’s Papa Shango is still memorable. He’s proof that even something that looks silly can work. His matches are worth checking out on Peacock and YouTube. Especially the one with Bret Hart.

The Berzerker

Real name: John Nord

WWE character rating: F

This was an awful gimmick. He was a Viking who walked around saying, “ Husk.” Like most people in the 1990s, he went up against the Undertaker. Unlike them, the Berserker was one of the first people to prove that the Undertaker could be hurt. Even if it took a shield and a sword, that counts. It didn’t lead to anything but becoming another victim of The Phoenom. The WWE (then WWF) wasn’t investing in a Viking character. Especially one who doesn’t talk. To top it off, his finishing move was throwing his opponent out of the ring. Can’t win a world title like that.

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