WWE: 5 Character gimmicks that were stretched beyond their welcome

In professional wrestling like WWE, a character gimmick is only effective for as long as the audience responds positively to it or doesn’t violently reject it. Several factors can contribute to gimmick fatigue. A problem is when something gets used so much that it gets stale. But, a character who simply doesn’t function due to a lack of growth or other factors is also problematic.

Some Superstars can endure this and even capitalize on it. Consider John Cena‘s entire career. On the other hand, Roman Reigns eventually reversed the gimmick script and created one of the greatest current personas and runs in history. There are notable examples in both promotions when comparing WWE and All Elite Wrestling. Even though the acts have grown boring, there is a bright spot for the next Superstars: they are skilled enough to switch things up and start moving in an interesting direction once again at a moment’s notice

Bray Wyatt

This is painful. The dedication to long-form storytelling that aligns with the philosophy of this new Triple H-led creative staff is great, and Bray Wyatt delivered one of the best returns in the annals of modern professional wrestling. Yet, the fan experience hasn’t exactly been fantastic. After his comeback, Wyatt has engaged in one officially sanctioned rivalry with L.A. Knight, the highlight of which was a peculiar Mountain Dew-sponsored Pitch Black Match at the Royal Rumble.

That was a startling contrast to Wyatt’s eerie persona. His characters and concepts are fantastic but aren’t translating well in the ring. The feud with Bobby Lashley now seems to be the plan for WWE WrestleMania. It’s not difficult to understand why some fans could yearn for the era of Wyatt’s hillbilly, spooky cult leader personas, even though he is one of the most intriguing performers working today.