Entertaining Wrestler Gimmicks (That Ended In The Worst Possible Way)

For most fans, pro wrestling isn’t just about watching staged fights with predetermined endings – it’s about being entertaining. Big companies like WWE have certainly made the E-word a bit fraught, but fans love an entertaining gimmick as much as they love an exciting match, and there have been loads of beloved gimmicks over the years.

But not every entertaining gimmick is allowed to run its course or lead to an exciting title win. In fact, there are a number that have come to an early ending in bad ways, be it due to questionable booking or real-life circumstances. Let’s take a look at 10 of these gimmicks that ended in the most unfortunate way possible.

Stardust Was A Fun Diversion For Cody Rhodes

Too Bad It Never Led To Anything

When Cody Rhodes began to question himself as a worthy tag team partner for his brother Goldust, the younger Rhodes reinvented himself as Stardust, a cosmic little freak to match his brother’s energy. While it’s looked back on as a misuse of Cody, it was a fun gimmick at the time – at least at first. As Stardust was set to turn on Goldust, fans were clamoring for a big brother vs. brother feud, but only one bout materialized, a disappointing effort at Fastlane. From there, Stardust was grouped with fellow cast-offs The Ascension, working the undercard until Cody finally got out of WWE and reinvented himself as a main eventer.

Ever-Rise Were A Low-Key Highlight For NXT Fans

They Developed A Great Gimmick Just Before Their Release

Before “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker were a regular (kayfabe) annoyance on AEW television, they were in NXT as the tag team Ever-Rise. Initially vanilla babyfaces, Matt Martel and Chase Parker – as they were known – started to develop an annoying heel gimmick not unlike that of their AEW personas, complete with a talk show segment. Just as they were getting TV time with the gimmick, both men were abruptly released in 2021, though they obviously landed on their feet in the aftermath.

Damien Mizdow Was The Miz’s Stunt Double

Mizdow Was Massively Over With Fans

Initially “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses,” the haughty heel Damien Sandow eventually dumbed himself down to become The Miz’s personal stunt double. From there, magic ensued, with Mizdow emulating Miz’s moves at ringside during matches, including the bumps – and fans noticed.

A sidekick getting more popular than the heel he’s backing up is a great formula for a feud, and this one was no different. However, aside from a major encounter in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31, WWE never really delivered anything satisfying between the two, and Sandow eventually became a Macho Man impersonator.

Velveteen Dream Seemed Destined For Greatness

Real Life Got In The Way

NXT introduced loads of goofy gimmicks for the past decade or so, and one of the most surprising was that of Velveteen Dream, where Tough Enough contestant Patrick Clark worked a Prince-inspired gimmick. Clark was a solid if non-flashy wrestler in an era heavy on “workrate” guys, but became one of the most popular performers on the show thanks to his charismatically spacey portrayal of Velveteen Dream. But in 2020, allegations of grooming and other misconduct soured fans on the character. Before long, WWE turned Dream heel, took him off TV, and quietly released him.

RK-Bro Was A Great Odd Couple Gimmick

The Team Ended Due To Randy Orton’s Injury & Matt Riddle’s Release

While there’s certainly criticism to be made of tag teams made up of thrown-together singles guys, sometimes it produces entertaining results, such as RK-Bro. It all comes down to personality: Randy Orton was the stoic veteran with no discernible sense of humor while Matt Riddle was a comedy stoner with MMA bona fides. Their “odd couple” partnership proved beneficial to both men, but RK-Bro pretty much came to an end in 2022 once Randy Orton was out with a back injury. From there, Riddle got released from WWE in 2023, putting a definitive end to their entertaining tag team.

Doink Was Recast With A Different Wrestler

A Babyface Turn Didn’t Help, Either

It’s tough to imagine a more misunderstood gimmick than Doink. When he initially appeared in WWE’s New Generation Era, Doink was a villainous clown playing cruel pranks on the babyfaces, and had a solid journeyman in Matt Borne behind the face paint. The death of Doink’s gimmick was two-fold however – Borne’s personal issues resulted in him getting replaced, and a face turn made him a goofy, kid-friendly act. That one-two punch certainly ensured that Doink would be regarded as yet another typically regrettable WWE gimmick character in the decades that followed.

Breezango Were A Highlight On SmackDown Live

WWE Never Really Pulled The Trigger On Them

Fashion model Tyler Breeze and ballroom dancer Fandango had little to go off of but a portmanteau tag team name when they were paired up in 2016. Dubbed Breezango, the two heels increased the comedy, dressing in ridiculous costumes and starring in a recurring backstage skit called The Fashion Files that parodied TV shows like Law & Order and even Twin Peaks. Fans were clamoring for a big win that never came, and the arguably best thing happening on SmackDown at the time eventually ended up back in NXT, doing their best before they were unceremoniously released in 2021.

Glacier Was An Unappreciated Mortal Kombat Knockoff

Glacier Sold His Gear To Kaz Hayashi

In 1996, WCW opted to cash in on the Mortal Kombat craze with Glacier, a Sub-Zero knockoff who battled original bad guy gimmicks with names like Mortis and Wrath in the same ring that, say, the Steiner Brothers existed in. It wasn’t particularly popular when it hapepned, but time has been very kind to it.

Unfortunately, WCW rolled out this expensive gimmick while the New World Order was changing the game, and Glacier’s weird little universe paled in comparison to the gritty, kayfabe bending nWo storyline. Glacier descended to jobber status, and later sold his gear (in kayfabe) to Kaz Hayashi.

Enzo Amore & Big Cass Were Massively Over

Their Breakup Was Ridiculously Premature

Another NXT standout, the tag team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass seemed like a money duo — the diminutive Amore was the mouthpiece and had charisma for days, while seven-foot Cass was the muscle. Add onto that a shout-along entrance promo and the result seemed to be main roster gold. Unfortunately, while the shtick was popular, it only managed to last about a year on the main roster. By 2017, a series of mysterious attacks on Enzo resulted in Cass revealing he was the culprit, sparking a disappointing feud between the former friends. Both were out of the company by 2018.

Ultimate Warrior Was Set To Be Hulk Hogan’s Successor

Ego Seemed To Get In The Way Of Superstardom

Fans have never seen a rise and fall quite like that of The Ultimate Warrior. Signing with WWE in 1987, by 1990 Warrior was heir to the Hulk Hogan throne, defeating the Hulkster clean at WrestleMania 6 to crown not only a new WWE Champion, but also a new top star in the company. Unfortunately, Warrior’s ego appeared to get the way, and he left WWE in 1992. Various returns to the company yielded diminishing returns, and the career of the Ultimate Warrior ended in WCW in 1998, where he was defeated by Hogan in an infamously despised match.