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 That 70’s Guy
Mike Awesome made his WCW debut in April of 2000. By July of that same year, Awesome was given the gimmick of ‘The Fat Chick Thrilla.’ According to Awesome, he believed the gimmick was created right after the Hulk Hogan/Vince Russo incident at Bash at the Beach in July. Awesome felt that Vince Russo was looking to punish anyone he felt had any connection/relationship with Hogan.
Awesome said Hulk’s nephew Horace Hogan was released and he was given the fat chick gimmick as punishment in hopes he would quit the company. Awesome thought he wasn’t fired because there was such a big deal made from him signing with WCW initially. After a couple of months, Awesome remembered Russo walking up to him backstage and pitching a gimmick change to a wrestler that was stuck in the1980’s. According to Russo, Awesome wore a lot of vintage clothing from that era and that sparked the idea for the gimmick.
Russo didn’t seem to remember how an ’80’s type wrestler morphed into a 1970’s wrestler, but the belief was inspired by the U.S. hit sitcom ‘That 70’s Show.’ While Mike Awesome was not enamored with either gimmick given to him, he was more than willing to do it to keep his job with the promotion. That 70’s Guy was complete with a feathered haircut, a vintage bus that he used for his entrances, 70’s attire and given an interview segment called ‘The Lava Lamp Lounge.’
That 70’s Guy gimmick was ultimately dropped after nearly 4 months. Vince Russo said he created characters for a TV show and not professional wrestling. Russo claimed he was not aware of Awesome’s career before joining WCW.
You can read other Gimmick Table entries here