Where are the nerdy gimmicks?

[JC4Life37]

The consensus on this forum is that we all like Damien Sandow to some measure.

I vividly recall many of WWE fan nation being businessmen ...

I don't mean nerdy as in Santino/Ricardo... I mean nerdy as in computer genius, cats that plot things out


Punk (even Y2J) comes close, but a guy who wears glasses and a slight physical awkwardness is ideal... are college nerdy types impervious to being wrestling because it seems WWE's audience is full of them

 

[Stopspot]

Kassius Ohno was rocking the fat rim glasses for a while down in NXT, but his gimmick is/was knockout artist so that's kind of out the window.

Sami Zayn is the cool type of nerdy I guess and he's one of the most popular guys in NXT easily.

 

[JC4Life37]

Kassius Ohno was rocking the fat rim glasses for a while down in NXT, but his gimmick is/was knockout artist so that's kind of out the window.

Sami Zayn is the cool type of nerdy I guess and he's one of the most popular guys in NXT easily.

Exactly... what I'm really interested in seeing is a cat with a extremely high IQ that's a bit Machiavellian... think Stewie from Family guy... but, you know, a wrestler

 

[Stopspot]

I don't really think those kind of characters work in the long run. Most mastermind characters would have to play the heel role, which equals eventually getting comeuppance. Aka a good guy thwarting his plans. Which would turn him from mastermind to cartoon villain ala Doctor Claw.

 

[Lockard 23]

Exactly... what I'm really interested in seeing is a cat with a extremely high IQ that's a bit Machiavellian... think Stewie from Family guy... but, you know, a wrestler

I think the mastermind/evil genius sort of persona works best as a manager or an authority figure character, ala Mr. McMahon. The kind of guy who can recruit the best wrestlers to his managerial services or play people against each other and whatnot. It's a lot harder for a wrestler to play this kind of role. Ted Dibiase could with the way he bought people off (like bribing Sapphire to leave Dusty Rhodes or paying off Akeem to give him his #30 spot in the Rumble) but that was more about having money to throw around and less about intellect.

 

[Saylor]

John Cena is one with his cool jokes.

Spoiler

 

[Roi]

Actually AJ used to have this nerdy/girl next door gimmick in NXT season3. Whenever she turns face, she should bring back that gimmick.

 

[leojay]

I'm surprised people want this. If they were to bring in a full on nerdy gimmick and give it spotlight attention, I can only imagine how cringeworthy it'll be. Just think of the commentary giving his/her backstory. Holy fuck.

That has got to be the last gimmick I want in wrestling.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Bryan is still a nerd IMO. Maybe dweeb is the better term.

 

[louissiscool]

I can't imagine many nerds really getting into the actual physical side of the sport and personally i think it is better when wrestlers stay closer to there own personality hence SCSA being a tough texan bad ass and triple h being a dick so if a nerd steps up and becomes a wrestler thats fine but if he doesn't dont make anyone pretend to be one.

 

[Cloud]

Wouldnt even class Sandow as nerdy. Just intellectual and feeling his superiority because of that. Punk is nerdy in a way quoting fantastic four and with a pepsi tatt.

 

[JC4Life37]

I hear ya KLockard... but I enjoyed Wade Barrett's 2010 in its totality and to extend that character and build him rather than tear him down would have been remarkable... i agree on the premise of nerds not being fit for wrestling, but then we had Eugene

Dust makes a solid argument.... but when when guys like Miz aren't believable wrestlers, they require more brains than brawn


I believe we're seeing a slight influx of brain over brawn in the 'E' nowadays...but I'd be a fan of taking it one step further cause its obvious brawny cats with no brain at all look like Sheamus.... um yeeeah... Sheamus

 

[Swift]

Kassius Ohno was rocking the fat rim glasses for a while down in NXT, but his gimmick is/was knockout artist so that's kind of out the window.

Sami Zayn is the cool type of nerdy I guess and he's one of the most popular guys in NXT easily.

They look more like hipsters than nerds. Trust me I'd know.

 

[victor kwon]

I honestly don't see a gimmick like that making sense.

First of all, any full-on gimmick is always going to be somewhat cringe-worthy... I mean, just look at Fandango.

Then, if we're talking about a "physically awkward" wrestler, how could he even pull off moves? People don't want to cheer for a wrestler who looks like he's gonna botch shit.

Closest thing I could think of being a "nerdy" wrestler is The Hurricane. And that worked fine. Oh unless we wanna count The Dudley Boys. idk.

 

[Irwin R. Schyster]

I think the mastermind/evil genius sort of persona works best as a manager or an authority figure character, ala Mr. McMahon. The kind of guy who can recruit the best wrestlers to his managerial services or play people against each other and whatnot. It's a lot harder for a wrestler to play this kind of role. Ted Dibiase could with the way he bought people off (like bribing Sapphire to leave Dusty Rhodes or paying off Akeem to give him his #30 spot in the Rumble) but that was more about having money to throw around and less about intellect.

Good post, I was actually going to say just about the same thing. Manager roles are the best for this sort of thing.

To me, Bobby the Brain Heenan was the evil genius type. GOAT manager for life.