Pro wrestling characters are usually disposable and easy to understand. For example, The Miz is a self-obsessed coward who draws broad strokes with his mouth, then pees his pants when confronted. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre is a brave character with a never-say-die attitude, and fans can always count on him to face adversity head on.
Then there is this a lot.
Some gimmicks are much more disturbing once fans scratch beneath the surface of the rudimentary heel/babyface presentation and take a proper look at their origins. This list includes problem drug addicts, men who kill animals for fun, kidnap victims, children who just want to be loved, and many more.
If that’s not enough, then how about characters originally based on serial killers and guys scarred for life by real-life nuclear disasters? Yes, wrestling can be a pretty screwed up place when you look past the obvious and ignore the fact that WWE has changed some of these backstories over the years.
It’s hardly surprising that they did when the original inspirations/stories laid out for these workers were so damn disturbing. Prepare to be shocked and maybe see your favorites in a whole new light…
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
Watch Billy Kidman’s earliest moments in WCW and you’ll see the member of the Flock of Ravens clawing at his own body and staring blankly into the camera lens. Spokespeople like Tony Schiavone explained this behavior as Kidman being unclean or just needing a shower, but there was something more sinister at the root of it.
He was a troubled drug addict who Raven hoped to shelter away from the judgmental world and keep him alive. Who knew WCW could be this deep, huh? Consider this, though: Billy’s sloppy look, his dead eyes, and constant itching—he was always on the hunt for his next fix, seeking refuge among Raven’s band of misfits.
The company eventually completely removed that part of Kidman’s character. In fact, no real context was given as to why he cleaned up his appearance and stopped scratching. It just kind of…happened and nobody talked about Kidman: The Heroin Diaries again.
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