Wrestlers, stop being guys in trunks and start being interesting!

Up until a few years ago, wrestling was full of larger-than-life gimmicks. Today, “gimmick” has almost become a dirty word. And that's a problem for a new generation of wrestlers.

Photo by John Noonan on Unsplash

If you didn't grow up in the 80s or 90s, you may not realize this, but: Wrestling used to bewild. We had wrestling cowboys, wrestling vampires, even an undead wrestling biker. And we loved it! Over the past few years, a lot of that has changed. Some of the top indie promotions now proudly proclaim themselves “gimmick-free”. I guess that has a better ring to it than, “We can’t figure out how to use original characters”. What many people in the business today don't realize is that it's the character work that sets a wrestler apart.

Madlevan (standing) and Yokai at Unlimited Wrestling: ICEBREAKER ‘24 (photo: Katja Hoffmann)

Just look at Madlevan and Yokai. Over the past two years, these two have become staples of Unlimited Wrestling. And they did it by embracing extreme, elaborate gimmicks.

Like so many, Madlevan (then known as Pahlevan Nima) started out having random matches with random people. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t really do anything for anybody. He then came up with the idea to have an epic losing streak that would eventually drive him crazy. That was the moment Madlevan was born. Nima began to carry around a hood that he talks to and also uses as a weapon. He started dancing around his opponents like a demented Rumpelstiltskin. He added new moves to his arsenal that he could hit on anyone at any time. He has become the weirdest, most intense version of himself – and people eat it up. Since making the change, Nima has won two championships in Unlimited.

‘The Demon' Yokai went undefeated for nearly two years, quickly cementing him as a force to be reckoned with. When the mysterious newcomer finally suffered his first loss it was a big deal – one that continues to affect the character to this day. In defeat, the once silent monster has become more human, more vulnerable and even more unpredictable. And we haven't even started diving into the lore and background of the character.

Know your role!

Does that mean you have to be a monster or a crazy person to succeed in wrestling? Of course not. Your character doesn't have to be over the top. You just need to figure out what makes you unique. You need to find a way to grab people's attention. As The Rock would say: You need to know your role.

Lexa Valo at Unlimited Wrestling: ICEBREAKER ‘24 (photo: Katja Hoffmann)

At Unlimited Wrestling, few understand that better than Lexa Valo. As I'm typing this, she has been the Unlimited Women's Champion for over six months.

If you’re a female wrestler in continental Europe, your goal for 2025 should be a match against Lexa Valo in Unlimited Wrestling. The fans will be behind you instantly, because Lexa has nuclear heat. They hate her arrogance. They hate her constant cheating. They hate the way she acts like she’s an unstoppable warrior queen. Most importantly, they’re desperate for someone to take the title off her. At this point, we could pit the cleaning lady against Lexa and people would go nuts for it – all because Lexa knows her role.

Why should I book you instead of the next guy?

Don't get me wrong. I’m not saying Unlimited is the only promotion that properly uses gimmicks. There's plenty of evidence to the contrary. Just look at Cara Noir. Look at Effy. Or Charles Crowley. Or Krule. Or Tate Mayfairs. There are many awesome characters to be found on the indies, and they're all thriving.

Indie sensation Effy at GCW in London in 2024 (photo: Victor Redman)

Unfortunately, a lot of workers no longer feel the need to figure out a gimmick. They walk out to the ring looking like WWE 2K create-a-wrestler templates, equipped with generic tough-guy promos and a move set that was cool in 2015. I hate to break it to you, but “I’m the best at wrestling” is not a character. It's a mission statement at best, and not a very original one at that.

If that's you, you've probably been told it's enough. It’s not. In fact, it's the bare minimum. If you really want to “make it” in wrestling, you need to stand out. You have to give me a reason why I should book you instead of the hundred other guys who slide into my DMs on a weekly basis.

Sure, those “gimmick-free” promotions might be hesitant to book you at first – but they’ll change their tune once their fans start demanding to see you. It may not happen overnight, but it's going to happen.

Having a gimmick (and understanding what makes it work) is not the cherry on the cake. It's an essential ingredient if you really want to make an impact. Maybe think about that before you order another pair of plain black trunks or agree to get squashed in a random undercard match for the twelfth time in a row. It's never to late to make a change. But you may have to make it.

He's not the best actor, but sometimes in wrestling, that doesn't matter. When you have enough heart and a weird enough face, you can reach the top of this industry.

Max Landis on Bryan Danielson, “Wrestling Isn’t Wrestling”