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About This Quiz
Do you know which wrestler fought as Mr. America, or the Repo Man? Remember who went by the nickname Oz, or Blue Blazer or Papa Shango? Test your '90s wrestling IQ with this quiz!
The 1980s is often referred to as the golden age of wrestling, so it's no surprise that countless aspiring stars were eager to break into the sport by the time the '90s rolled around. Of course, being a star of the ring is not just as simple as stepping into the ring and beating up your opponent. In fact, wrestling success has almost as much to do with personality and star power as it does with being able to hit your opponent with a chair.
To stand out from the pack, many wrestlers need a gimmick. This could be a nickname, costume or persona that grabs the public's attention and helps the wrestler win fans and fame.
While some of these gimmicks led to huge success, others didn't exactly pan out, and others were downright insulting -- GI Bro or The Mountie, anyone?
While gimmicks and personas may seem like fads, some other greatest names in the sport, including John Cena, Hulk Hogan and Triple H once fought under some pretty bizarre nicknames. See how many of these gimmicks you can match to the correct wrestler with this quiz!
Booker T
The Godfather
Raven
Jorge Gonzalez
Argentinian actor and basketball player Jorge Gonzalez fought with WCW as El Gigante before coming to the WWF in 1993 as Giant Gonzalez. He wore a King Kong-style suit in the ring, complete with faux muscles and plenty of extra body hair.
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2 Cold Scorpio
You might know Charles Scaggs by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio, but for a few years between 1994 and 1996, he went by Flash Funk. Donning suits split to the navel, with fur coats and wide-brimmed hats as accessories, he played a pimp who established major feuds with fighters like Taz and Shane Douglas.
Buff Bagwell
Owen Hart
Kane
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Juan Rivera
The WWF took Juan Rivera's Puerto Rican heritage to a whole new level between 1993 and 1995, when Rivera played the role of Kwang. As Kwang, Rivera basically adopted every martial arts stereotype known to man. He later formed his own team and wrestled as Savio Vega.
Randy Savage
Ron Reis
Kevin Nash
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Hulk Hogan
Smash
Mike Rotunda
Mike Rotunda made a splash in the WWF in 1991 as Irwin R. Schyster -- better known as IRS. He played the role of a former tax collector who fought wrestlers to get them to pay their debts. When the threat of an audit wouldn't cut it, he pulled out his signature finishing move -- the Write Off.
John Nord
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Raven
Ultimate Warrior
Steve Austin
The Godfather
Charles Wright became well known among fans as The Godfather, but he took on a slightly different persona when he made his debut in 1992. As voodoo witch doctor Papa Shango, Wright carried a skull, wore skull-faced makeup and cast spells on his opponents in the ring.
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Randy Savage
Owen Hart
Owen Hart entered the WWF as the Blue Angel in the late '80s, then tried out a gimmick as the Blue Blazer. He lost the mask to El Canek in a battle in 1991, effectively ending the gimmick.
Ron Reis
Kane
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Matt Osborne
Matt Osborne debuted as Doink the Clown in 1992. Initially, he simply served as a bit of comic relief, tripping up the wrestlers and playing with the audience. At one point, he managed to get in on the action in a battle against Randy Savage on "Monday Night Raw."
Booker T
Owen Hart
The Ultimate Warrior
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Balls Mahoney
Randy Savage
Paul Neu
Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash started in wrestling in 1990 as The Master Blaster. The next year, he was repackaged as Oz -- as in, the great and powerful wizard. After suffering a lot of losses, he came back the next year as Vinnie Vegas.
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Hulk Hogan
Raven
Scott Levy was best known for the ring name Raven, but in 1993, he played the role of Johnny Polo. As Polo, he played a spoiled rich preppy kid who served as a manager outside the ring. By 1994, he had dropped the gimmick and settled into the roll of Raven.
2 Cold Scorpio
Smash
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John Nord
The Godfather
Steve Austin
Triple H
Triple H was born Paul Michael Levesque. Playing off of the name, he fought in the WCW in 1994 as rich Frenchman Jean Paul Levesque, who was known for a finishing move called the Pedigree. Unfortunately, he didn't speak French, so he was forced to fake a French-Canadian accent for the role.
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Randy Savage
Ron Reis
John Tenta
John Tenta transitioned from a career as a sumo wrestler in Japan to a turn in the WWF as Earthquake in the '80s. When he made a comeback in 1998, he had lost a lot of weight, so he ditched the Earthquake role and became Golga -- a character who was inexplicably obsessed with "South Park."
Kane
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Smash
Steve Austin
Steve Austin spent a year fighting as The Ringmaster in 1995. The next year, he picked a moniker inspired by serial killer Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski, and became Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Owen Hart
The Godfather
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Hardcore Holly
Robert Howard gained fame as Hardcore Holly, but spent some time in the WWE in 1994 wrestling as NASCAR driver Sparky Plugg. By 1996, he was fighting as Bob "Spark Plug" Holly, and within two years, he had taken on the familiar moniker of Hardcore.
Hulk Hogan
The Godfather
Martin Wright
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Tommy Lister
Randy Savage
John Nord
Paul Diamond
Thomas Boric was a pro soccer player before joined the WWF in 1992 as Max Moon. In the role, he wore an ultra-weird circuit board suit -- and a jet pack. A few years later, he had dropped the gimmick and chosen the ring name Paul Diamond.
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Triple H
The Godfather
Goldust
PJ Polaco
You probably recognize PJ Polaco as Justin Credible, but in 1994, he tried out a gimmick persona. He was Aldo Montoya, the Portuguese Man O' War, who frightened his opponents by wearing four sweat bands on each wrist!
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Smash
Barry Darsow spent some time working in car repossession, so it's no surprise that he fought as the Repo Man character from 1991 to 1993. In the role, he carried a tow rope and used it to tie up his opponents. He later dropped the persona and took on the ring name Smash.
Mike Halac
Paul Diamond
Kevin Nash
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Booker T
Robert Huffman fought with the Western Wrestling Alliance as the Gulf War was raging, so it's little surprise he tried out the role of a real wrestling hero called GI Bro. Later, he and his brother fought as the Harlem Heat, and he soon found fame as Booker T.
Robert Kellum
Randy Savage
Hulk Hogan
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Paul Neu
Buff Bagwell
Ultimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior -- real name James Hellwig -- was one of the most beloved wrestling stars of the '90s. When he started out in the '80s, he played a character named Blade Runner Rock, complete with a New Wave look that included spiked hair and black eye makeup.
Balls Mahoney
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Triple H
2 Cold Scorpio
Tony Atlas
Tony White found fame as Tony Atlas, but he is remembered now for a short stint in a truly bizarre gimmick. After a tough battle with addiction, Atlas returned to the WWF in 1990 as Saba Simba -- a tribal leader sporting a massive African headdress and a native shield and spear.
Ultimate Warrior
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John Nord
John Tenta
Raven
Phillip Theis
Phillip Theis fought under the name Damien Demento from 1992 to 1993. Sporting a crazy outfit made from fur and teeth, he claimed to originate from "The Outer Reaches of Your Mind."
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Randy Savage
Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell looked like a character straight out of a romance novel when he fought with the Global Wrestling Federation in 1991. As The Handsome Stranger, Bagwell wore a Lone Ranger mask over his eyes as he handed out roses to female fans.
Paul Neu
Kevin Nash
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Triple H
2 Cold Scorpio
Kane
Kane eventually became a huge name in the wrestling world, but even he had to resort to a gimmick to get his foot in the door. In 1995, he played Isaac Yankem, DDS, a wrestling dentist who wore scrubs, and used a horrible drilling noise as his signature sound.
Owen Hart
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Randy Savage
Before he was a Macho Man, even Randy Savage had to be willing to try out some new roles to find his spot in pro wrestling. In the '70s, he made his debut as The Spider, a gimmick based somewhat on Marvel's Spiderman.
Ultimate Warrior
Undertaker
Robert Kellum
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Booker T
Randy Savage
Goldust
Dustin Runnels is best remembered today as Goldust, but in 1999 he played the creepy character S7ven. In the role, he donned a white mask and black leather outfit. A spooky clip of him in the costume had him standing outside a child's window -- so it's little surprise the bit was nixed.
Kane
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2 Cold Scorpio
Hulk Hogan
John Nord
Hector Guerrero
One of wrestling's biggest gimmicks was also one of its biggest flops. After a mysterious egg began appearing at various events, a 6-foot tall turkey called the Gobbledy Gooker made his debut, with Hector Guerrero inside the suit. Though the Gooker fell out of favor pretty fast, the night of his debut was also the night the Undertaker made his debut, so the event wasn't a total loss.
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Juan Rivera
John Tenta
Dale Torborg
Pro baseball player Dale Torborg played the role of the KISS Demon in 1998.The character was modeled after Gene Simmons, and was supposed to be the first in a KISS-inspired wrestling team called the Warriors of KISS. Sadly, things didn't work out and the idea was dropped.
Steve Austin
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Kevin Nash
2 Cold Scorpio
Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan is arguably the most famous wrestler of all time, so a tiny red, white and blue mask couldn't hide him from his fans -- especially since it left his trademark mustache totally uncovered. When he was "forced to sit out his contract," Hogan returned as the mysterious Mr. America, and even took a lie detector test to prove he wasn't the Hulkster.
Triple H
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Mike Rotunda
Owen Hart
Phillip Theis
Brady Boone
Dean Peters gained wrestling fame as Brady Boone, but before that, he was Battle Kat. He took on the role in 1990, where he used gymnastics moves to show off his cat-like reflexes in the ring. By 1993, he had dropped the persona and settled into the name Brady Boone.
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Kevin Nash
Ron Reis
Ron Reis had a memorable 1995 WCW debut as the Yeti -- a character who was frozen in a black of ice and emerged covered in bandages like a mummy. By 1996, he was using the name Big Ron Studd, and by 1998, he settled on the ring name Reese.
Randy Savage
Juan Rivera
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Mike Halac
Mike Halac wrestled under the name Tank, but also played a character named Mantaur in 1995. Wearing a fuzzy bull costume on the upper half of his body, he trampled his opponents and mooed at them. By the end of the year, he had dropped the gimmick and was fighting as Bruiser Mastino.
2 Cold Scorpio
Hulk Hogan
Jorge Gonzalez
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Randy Savage
Owen Hart
Balls Mahoney
Balls Mahoney -- real name Jonathan Rechner -- took a 1995 WWF run as Xanta Claus. Playing the evil South Pole-dwelling twin of Santa, he stole presents rather than gifting them, and sported a red and black suit.
Paul Neu
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Robert Kellum
Undertaker
Ultimate Warrior
Raymond Lloyd
The Mortal Kombat franchise was hot in the '90s, so it's no surprise that the wrestling world wanted to cash in. Raymond Lloyd debuted as the Kombat-inspired Glacier in 1996. When he entered the ring for the first time, he did so under a sea of laser lights and falling snow.
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John Tenta
Tommy Lister
Tommy Lister starred in the 1989 film "No Holds Barred" with the Hulk himself. Afterward, he showed up in the ring as Zeus, the human wrecking machine and had an ongoing feud with Hogan.
Randy Savage
Kane
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Glenn Gilbertti
Glenn Gilbertti showed up in the WCW in 1995 as the '70s-inspired Disco Inferno. As he played a character inspired by Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever," the crowd would chant "Disco sucks!"
The Godfather
Raven
Hulk Hogan
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Triple H
2 Cold Scorpio
Paul Neu
Paul Neu was responsible for one of the worst wrestling gimmicks of the '90s. As PN News, he sported a sideways hat and gold chain, and would spit out rap lyrics before he got down to the business of wrestling.
Brady Boone
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John Nord
John Nord debuted as The Berserker in 1991. He sported a horned Viking helmet, tunic, shield and sword -- which he used at one point during a match to stab The Undertaker.
Smash
Kane
Hulk Hogan
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Undertaker
Ultimate Warrior
Randy Savage
Jacques Rougeau
Canadian wrestler Jacques Rougeau showed up in the WWF in 1991 as The Mountie, a corrupt Canadian law enforcement officer who always gets his man. The act was so criticized that Rougeau was not permitted to use the gimmick when wrestling in his home country.
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Brady Boone
Triple H
Ed Ferrara
Ed Ferrara's Oklahoma character was a direct parody of announcer Jim Ross. The gimmick made Ferrara plenty of enemies, especially because it included making fun of Ross' disability.
Steve Austin
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Hulk Hogan
Martin Wright
Martin Wright took on one of the grossest wrestling gimmicks of the '90s when he appeared as The Boogeyman. To play the insane role, he spat out nursery rhymes, smashed clocks, and ate handfuls of live worms.
Randy Savage
Triple H
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Paul Neu
Kevin Hart
Juan Rivera
Robert Kellum
Robert Kellum made it into pro wrestling for one big reason -- he was a relative of early wrestling legend Gorgeous George. His character The Maestro -- who led an imaginary symphony in the ring -- was fairly short-lived.
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