Big E Reveals What He Wanted His First Wrestling Gimmick To Be

Wrestling history is filled with a lot of lousy wrestling names and gimmicks. From Hugh Morous and General Hugh G. Rection (both of them were former NXT trainer Bill DeMott) to The Ding Dongs, Mantaur, and The Dynamic Dudes. Even Stone Cold Steve Austin was initially pitched to be “Fang McFrost.” Fortunately, most of those silly names are firmly in the past. But not that far in the past. And, contrary to what many think, the bad ideas don’t always come from the dreaded “Creative” team. Here is what Big E wanted his name to be when he first signed to WWE nine years ago.

Thankfully this didn’t happen. But I suspect Big E had the skills to make the most of it. Afterall, the Undertaker was a spooky mortician, and Kane was once an evil dentist named Issac Yankem. It doesn’t matter how bad a gimmick is, a good wrestler, when given a chance, can take anything and become famous and “over.” Too often fans blame a “gimmick” or silly story-line on killing a wrestler’s career. They believe that wrestlers have no power over their careers and everything is just thrust upon them. A thought process like this leaves too much in the hands of the creative team and makes the wrestlers seem like empty vessels. This tweet is proof that wrestlers have bad ideas and need the guidance of seasoned creative professionals sometimes.

But on the other side of the coin is the stated proof that when WWE lets wrestlers create their own stories, magic can happen. Big E went on to the form the New Day along with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. When WWE let them be themselves, the trio created the most beloved group in current WWE outside of the Shield.

What do you think? Would Mel Mann have been a good talent? Share your thoughts.