"Spooky" Gimmicks Belong In Wrestling

 

It's spooky season and attributes of horror, supernatural, and ghostly affairs are everywhere. The world of professional wrestling is no different,  no matter how "edgy" or realistic it's presented the sport is etched in gimmicks. Even as the industry and wrestling fans navigate to more realistic gimmicks, a good spooky gimmick or persona rooted in some weird shit is always appreticated, and can do wonders for a wrestler's career. These type of gimmicks have a place in professional wrestling.

It's something about the right presentation that makes spooky characters some of the best gimmicks in wrestling when done right. Often for it to be successful the wrestler behind the character has to put their all into the character. Many fans currently despise The Fiend gimmick, most of it probably due to match outcomes and how the character comes off. However, you cannot deny the presentation that comes with The Fiend. The Eater of Worlds persona, the terrifying mask, Firefly FunHouse, the red lights, the billowing smoke, the haunting music, and the lantern covered with Bray Wyatts face on it. The man behind the gimmick puts his all into the character, even when he portrayed a backwoods cult leader. The Firefly FunHouse could possibly use some tweaks to not come off as corny so much, but I think that's one intended purpose of the character. 

Father James Mitchell has built his career on the spooky/undead presentation. First as James VanderBerg in WCW, than as Sinister Minister in ECW where his talent was really unleashed before becoming Father James Mitchell in TNA. He often speaks in sanatanic cryptic talk and his undead realm segments on Impact Wrestling may not work for everyone, but it is effective in staying true to the character and presentation. He has managed other "spooky" wrestlers such as Abyss, Judas Mesias, Su Yung (who lives her gimmick), and Rellik along with his New Disciples.

Veteran wrestler Gangrel live's his gimmick getting real fangs, and his classic WWF entrance always set the tone with the ring of fire, red lights and spewing blood from his globet (post covid those type of acts are done). 

Papa Shango had it's corny elements but the Voo Doo practioner gimmick was perfect for it's era and is sorely missed. The vignettes in dark rooms full of candles and smoke, his drum heavy backwoods entrance music. Papa Shango was synyonymus with striking fear in his opponets. The Boogeyman is another character that lived his gimmick, even going as far as eating live worms. Not really a good wrestler, but when you heard The Boogeyman over the PA system you just may shit your pants.

The most successful supernatural gimmick is of course The Undertaker, a man who truly lived his gimmick never letting many into his personal life until his recent Last Ride documentary. He was so good that even when he reinvented himself as the American Bad Ass and reverted back, everyone still bought into the deadman gimmick without thinking twice about it. His dark priest Ministry of Darkness persona is one of my favorites of his and sadly ended too soon. The druids, the coffins, buried alive matches, the urn giving him powers, speaking in tongues, "magically" appearing and disappearing The Undertaker is the personification of a spooky gimmick that works. I'm not sure any other gimmick will ever top his from an overall presentation aspect.

In late '97 his brother Kane was introduced and their feud is a perfect example of what is needed for the gimmicks to work. They had a back story that treated them as flawed humans to accomodate the supernatural elements mixed in with sibling rivalry, some parental shenangins, guilt and other damaging issues for the two. When Kane unmasked years later there was a storyline reason for just how damaged his psyche really was.

In order for the gimmicks to work and audience to buy into the "supernatural" elements, we the audience have to care about the characters. They need a backstory through vignettes or promos to fully flesh out their character, and it has to be a novelty act. If a roster has fifteen spooky wrestlers running around it dilutes the supernatural element of the acts. It also helps when these characters are experts at playing mind games on their foe's. 

It can be done if the right care and effort is put into the characters, but there definitely is a place for these type of gimmicks in wrestling.