The 2005-2007 Awesome WWE Gimmick Appreciation Thread
 

In my fit of nostalgia over the past few days, I've realized that this may be my favorite era for gimmicks and accompanying theme music ever. While I'm sure there's a two year span in the 90's that people may be able to bring up as competition, it's not even close for me. Just look at the amazingness that was produced in the short span between '05 and '07

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Maybe my favorite theme ever. SO GOOD for the gimmick too. I loved these guys. And Cliff Compton NEEDS to be re-signed. He had the potential alone to be something special. I miss these guys so much. :(

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OH! :love:

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And of course...

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Also debuting during this time period, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Shelton Benjamin's mom, The Highlanders... and on top of all that, Muhammad Hassan debuted in December of 2004.

2005-2007... a golden era. Discuss.

And I'm realizing that tag division was SPECTACULAR as well.

Also, of the 20 people I mentioned in this post, ONE is still employed by the WWE. JTG...

Actually 2/21 if you count Kerwin White's caddy. (Which on second thought, I do.)

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I'm Robbie *strokes beard

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I forgot about Cade and Murdoch: Old School Cowboy Heels!

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Nunzio and Vito

They really could have done something with the tag division back in this time period if they cared to.

And since I failed to mention it in the first post: Cherry's tits

It was almost a throwback to 93-95 where the WWE was chocked with day job gimmicks.

Im a huge fan of all of this. Deuce and Domino are gold, and I wish it worked out differently. I think there is room in any era for a fun gimmick.

What about Paul Birchalls Pirate Gimmick? Swinging in on a rope? BRILLIANT.

The more I'm thinking back to this, the more I'm wondering why this wasn't considered at the time to be one of the best tag divisions of all time.

Or was it considered that and I just don't remember?

Didn't the greatness of the tag team division started to fizzle out during the end of this period?

I love when old school gimmicks come out in modern day.

Its a form of self parody almost, and I fucking love it.

Santino is all we have now.

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:'(

depends who you ask. It was NOWHERE near as good as the EnC, Dudley, Hardy peak (add the Radicals and others to that group, NAO inlcuded)

That wasnt that great, it was just far better in comparison.

Umaga!

Overall, 2005-2007 is one of my least favorite periods in WWE. Only time I've legitimately considered not watching anymore.

I remember when the Smackdown brand was tearing the house down with their tag team division. The Guerrero's, Angle/Beniot, Edge/Rey, Bashams, etc.

Even then, just based on number of teams. That era rested on the Edge and Christian, Dudleys and Hardys matches. While obviously for actual matches, that and many other eras blow this one out of the water, I think as far as number of great teams, this has got to be considered.

Without a doubt

Also, the way Armando Alejandro Estrada would say "THEE SA-MO-AN BULLDOSER!" was great.

Hurricane and Rosey....Tajiri and Regal...I actually enjoyed their run.

And of course the Spirit Squad!

The only thing that I will say was awful during that period was the recycled fail of Legion of Doom...Don't get me started on Animal and Heindenrich!

I feel that Umaga was the best example of this type of gimmick working really well in today's environment. It was a great, simple, old school gimmick that, even though it felt out of place (at least to me), at the same time it really wasn't.

His last theme was shit, though. With the jungle noises. Lost a lot of its "oomph".

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Guy beating the shit out of people, no matter how ridiculous the gimmick, tends to work.

This era was awesome. JBL's reign of terror was amazing. One full year of the virgin smarks crying in their basements.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...00px-SDean.jpg

http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.co...r/rosey/03.jpg

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"My name es Armando Alejandro Estrada" > "My name es Alberto del Rio"

What? Most smarks loved JBL.

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Thought most of the tag teams from this era were awful in fact even though it wasn't an original gimmick per say I though La Resistance (Grenier & Dupree) was easily one of the better ones too bad they were pushed to the moon so quickly only to eventually fizzle into obscurity when they decided to throw Conway into the mix and made them French Canadian all of a sudden as if it made a difference.

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JBL's workrate was not smark approved.

Also, William Regal and Dave Taylor's short WWE run was during this time.

Ultra mega asshole heel outweighs workrate, though.

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Plus JBL won the title from Deadie Guerrero who was smark jerk off material.

Fourfifty was a huge fan of JBL though.

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who remembers these guys?

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All I can remember of them is their constant matches with London and Kendrick

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TNA could do Gunner vs Gunner! When the Gunners Explode!

Not initially.

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Sadly I do thing I remember most was JBL claiming McCool was his next Missus lol.

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More Simon Dean!

the Birth of the Rated R Superstar!
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JUNIORS! Super Porky!

Never understood why they released Brent Albright had so much potential.

Holy shit, I forgot about Benoit 2.0. His theme even sounded like a modernized version of Benoit's WCW theme.

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http://www.wrestlehut.org/images/9/9...-LikesFeet.gif

Fawk the Airbourne version this was one of my favorite original Jim Johnston themes ever.

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Idol Stevens is actually the current FCW Champion and has been working dark matches lately

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hmmm...

Too bad his run lasted longer with that character rather than this one:

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Still don't know why Terkay was released. He covered Vince's big man fetish and he actually had some skills to go along with it.

2006 is clearly the worst year..2007 things started getting respectable..

Well it was an opporunity that gave Elijah Burke the chance to blossom and have a great WWE run...oh wait a minute.

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dont remember Krissy Vaine at all

Wikipedia sayz:

On the September 28, 2007 episode of SmackDown!, Eubanks made her WWE debut as a heel by attacking Torrie Wilson after Wilson lost a match to Victoria. On October 10, both Eubanks and her boyfriend Ryan O'Reilly left WWE due to health issues with both of their families.

Yeah, I was reading the youtube comments..she was gonna be Torries big sister..and she ended up wrecking Torrie's back up real bad in that beatdown.

probably why I dont remember her lol

Gymini look like giant Howard Finkels.

Actually, they looked like giant Cabbage Patch Kids.

guy on the left looks like Bill Goldberg

guy on the right looks like Big Gilberg

That was a pretty bad ass debut for a "diva".

Though she is dressed like Whore Santa.

I see no problem with that.

No mention of The Con Man yet?

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I feel like Eugene and Matt Striker showed up around this era, too.

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Matt Striker debuted in mid 2005 - 2006 I believe.

Man, Palmer Cannon was awesome

Viscera was pretty funny for a while, and I loved Chris Masters during his initial debut. Also, Kurt Angle's mean streak during his brief ECW run was awesome (or when he started wearing the gumshield).

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How have we not mentioned this team yet?
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Side Note,
:lol: I think I might use that as my Avatar. Dont judge me, I believe we all have alittle Snitsky in all of us.

TNA would make them brothers. Identical twins who could change out and the ref couldnt tell the diffrence. Strangely enough Both "Gunners" have been NWA World Heavyweight Champs.

Brent Albright was the goods in ROH

Man, Kurt Angle's ECW theme was so freaking great. Aside from the terrible loop at the beginning, that is.

I loved the ECW Kurt Angle!

Kurts last match in WWE/ECW was at a house show here that I went to, back when they thought it was a good idea to do ECW only house shows. It was on August 14th and they released him on the 25th. I feel pretty cool to have seen him beat Danny Doring in like 30 seconds lol.

Damn, I miss Kurt in ECW. WWE in general, really.

Angle in ECW with Heyman booking... given more time it could have taken him to the next tier of household wrestling names.

But let's not dwell on the sad things...

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He's yer boy. YEEE-HAWW!

:rofl: at anything from ECW becoming a household name.

JBL sucks

Yes because it's not like CM Punk started there or anything.

It is also not like CM Punk is actually a household name or something. Or that his current success has anything at all to do with ECW.

Also, JBL was Awesome. Shut up.

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Or........

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Apparently someone has high standards for what constitutes a "household name" within the realm of pro wrestling.

Surely a "household name" is one that transcends wrestling altogether. Hogan is a household name. Rock, Austin, Warrior, Bret maybe.

Punk is debatable given the "mainstream" coverage that his "worked shoot" got in the summer.

MTV did a whole top ten on Punk, so he's well on his way

The phrase is overused to the point where it no longer has any meaning.

#hyperbolenevergoesoutofstyle