Brian Damage
A gimmick is something that is intended to hook the attention of fans to a wrestler. They may be outrageous or steeped more in reality. Whatever the case may be, some have succeeded and many others have failed. The Gimmick Table takes a look at the origins of some of your favorite and not-so-favorite gimmicks of professional wrestlers.
Today we browse the gimmick of Corporal Kirchner
Mike Penzel was working as enhancement talent for the WWF back in 1984 under the name of RT Reynolds. WWF higher ups were impressed with his ability inside the ring and considered offering him an opportunity to work with the promotion on a full-time basis. That opportunity occurred when Sgt. Slaughter and Vince McMahon had a falling out and Slaughter left the company.
Under the recommendation of Penzel’s friend Hulk Hogan, Penzel was offered a full-time gig with the WWF. Hogan had mentioned to Vince that Penzel was a former soldier in the United States Army. McMahon saw an opportunity to replace Slaughter with another patriotic, military character in Penzel. It was during a creative meeting with Vince in Stamford, Connecticut, that Vince asked Penzel about his background and military service. Penzel revealed he was a former paratrooper with the 82nd airborne and Vince’s eyes lit up.
Vince asked Penzel if he would be interested in becoming a military-based character similar to Sgt. Slaughter and Penzel without hesitation accepted the offer. McMahon asked Penzel what his rank in the Army was and Penzel told him he made corporal. According to Penzel, he said Vince immediately gave him the ring name of Corporal Kirchner. Vince asked him to cut his long hair and shave his beard. He then sent Penzel down to Florida with a film crew to record several vignettes to get fans familiarized with his character.
Penzel said he didn’t want to be a clone of the drill sergeant that Slaughter’s gimmick was and wanted to be more like Sylvester Stallone’s character John Rambo in the movies. Cpl. Kirchner feuded with Nikolai Volkov and the Iron Sheik for most of his initial run. Penzel was suspended for drug use in 1987 and instead of returning to the company after the end of the suspension decided to quit the WWF in 1987.
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Kyle Prescott
Also possibly the only guy to have his death announced twice by WWE, in 2006 incorrectly and in 2021 when he passed at 64.
Luke
Superstar Billy Graham.
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Yeah, I think Gorilla Monsoon wrote about Billy Graham’s death in a newspaper article in the 1980’s if not mistaken.
Luke
Read the new book yet?
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Not yet, but it’s definitely on my to do list.