Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Expy / ProfessionalWrestling

Go To

OR

Changed: 32

Removed: 15939

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%% Before adding examples, check the guidelines in the Expy cleanup thread (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13983140170A37263400) and make sure your example fits the criteria to qualify as an Expy. Don't just list minor or coincidental similarities. Also, explain why the character is an Expy - don't just say "X is an expy of Y" and leave it at that.

* [[Wrestling/AJLee Psycho!AJ]] is extremely similar to [[Wrestling/MickieJames Psycho!Mickie James]] from circa 2005. Both got rejected from their respective [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson love]] [[Wrestling/TrishStratus interests]] and acted erratically in retaliation while descending into insanity. Mickie took the the Women's Title from Trish at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}}'' while AJ strung along Daniel and two of his rivals, then-current WWE Champion Wrestling/CMPunk and [[Wrestling/TeamHellNo future tag team partner]] Wrestling/{{Kane}} for ''months''. The only really differences are how they reacted and the lesbian overtones of Mickie's storyline. One could deign to say that the main reason AJ became so popular is because her psycho character is extremely similar to Mickie's, who became popular for that character.
* Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio and Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield are both expies of [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]], in so far as being richer-than-thou characters who flaunt it in the face of the audience (given that a recession is always either around the corner or already in full swing, this always gets heat).
* Wrestling/BruiserBrody spawned several expies, particularly both Barbarians (Sionne Vailahi and Wrestling/JohnNord.)
** Nord went all out on the Brody imitation, particularly as the Berzerker in WWE, wearing the furry boots and doing the [[CatchPhrase "HUSS"]] chant.
** [[Wrestling/RingofHonor ROH]]'s Jimmy Jacobs was an expy of Brody AND Nord as "The Barbaric Berzerker."
** Wrestling/BrodieLee, less so after he got that scar on his head though
* Wrestling/ChrisBenoit was an expy of Wrestling/DynamiteKid.
** Wrestling/BryanDanielson began his career as an expy of one, the other, or possibly both before some DivergentCharacterEvolution.
** Davey Richards has also been viewed as an expy of Dynamite Kid.
* Wrestling/CMPunk's current heel turn makes him an expy of Wrestling/HarleyRace in the way of stating himself as the very best and how people MUST admit that they respect him. This is very similar to Race's heel run as "King" Harley Race where he told his opponents and detractors to bow and kneel before him. Whereas Race had Wrestling/BobbyHeenan, Punk has Wrestling/PaulHeyman. Punk even goes as far as trimming his beard much like how Race's looked and wearing colors matching Race's at the time.
* Cryme Tyme (Shad Gaspard & JTG) of the Gangstas (Wrestling/NewJack & Mustafa) in [[Wrestling/{{SMW}} Smoky Mountain Wrestling]] and Wrestling/{{ECW}}, though, because they worked for a [[{{Wrestling/WWE}} big-money worldwide promotion]] and not, originally, a small independent in eastern Tennessee, Cryme Tyme were PlayedForLaughs rather than to provoke racial anger, worked a more traditional in-ring style as opposed to the [[GarbageWrestler hardcore]] style of the Gangstas, and without the success. (New Jack & Mustafa were 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/e/smw/smw-t.html SMW Tag Team Champions]] and 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champions]]. As Shad Gaspard & the Neighborhoodie, they held the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/ovw/ovw-t.html OVW Southern Tag Team Titles]] in WWE's then-developmental promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling for two months.)
* Dave [=McLane=] will use similar character types repeatedly in his various promotions [=GLOW=], [=POWW=], and [=WOW=], which will in turn be used by whatever promotions that imitate them(ex:Wrestling/{{Wrestlicious}})
* ''Wrestling/DramaticDreamTeam'': Sanshiro Takagi himself is an Expy of Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, right down to having the same glass shattering sound that begins his entrance music.
* Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} was seen by many people as an expy of [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] due to his [[BaldOfAwesome bald head]] and similar outfit (basic black [[UnderwearOfPower trunks]] and boots), and how Wrestling/EricBischoff had famously told Austin that [[HilariousInHindsight a guy wearing such an outfit wasn't marketable.]] Goldberg's streak of [[SquashMatch squashes]] and the fact that he usually said very little, as opposed to Austin's usual involvement in 20-minute interviews, served to get him over and give him his own identity. Despite the appearance, Goldberg was much closer to 1980s ForeignWrestlingHeel [[Wrestling/NikitaKoloff "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff]], though what he was going for was a CaptainErsatz of Wrestling/DanSevern, which isn't so obvious because Goldberg looks ''nothing'' like him, no matter how closely he tries to copy his mannerisms.
** Goldberg seems to have gotten an expy of his own in Wrestling/{{Ryback}}, who shares his quiet intensity, short [[{{CatchPhrase}} catch phrase]], baldness, and goattee. Not that smarks would let anyone forget that.
* The Great Kabuki is an expy of Rey Urbano and himself spawned several expies, some of whom spawned expies of their own.
** The first was Kendo Nagasaki(the one in Stampede, not the ''World Of Sport'' wrestler), who was followed by the Great Muta, Kwang the Ninja (Savio Vega in a mask), [[Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri]] (who used the mist but not the face paint) and "Tokyo Monster" Kahagas.
** TNA's Kiyoshi is an expy of Muta as well. Of course, some might say that TNA is an expy of WCW altogether.
*** Given who they have working there now (Hulk Hogan, Wrestling/EricBischoff, Ric Flair, etc.) that seems about right.
* Wrestling/JackSwagger is basically a whinier, lamer Wrestling/KurtAngle - both are formers amateur wrestlers that use the Ankle Lock as a finishing move, dress in the traditional singlet and are very very proud of their amateur acomplishments.
** Not to mention the usage of American patriotism in their gimmicks.
* [[Wrestling/JamesStorm Beer]] [[Wrestling/BobbyRoode Money Inc.]] is an expy of [[Wrestling/RonSimmons the]] [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield APA]], they even have [[Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} the same manager.]]
* Wrestling/{{Kane}} spawned Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s Abyss, who is a combination of Kane and [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind]].
* Mason Ryan not only looks very similar to Wrestling/{{Batista}}, but his role in the New Nexus is similar to the role Batista played when he was part of Evolution (namely, being [[TheBrute the largest, most physically imposing member]] of a four-man heel stable).
** Mason Ryan will get "Batista!" chants in some of the smarkier cities he wrestles in.
* For a period during 2010 and 2011, WWE tried turning Wrestling/MichaelCole into a new version of [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Vince [=McMahon=]]]'s "Mr. [=McMahon=]" character. Unfortunately, it failed spectacularly, mostly because [=McMahon=] actually was [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the boss of WW(F/E)]], while MichaelCole was simply an announcer. Thankfully, WWE ended the experiment at Over The Limit 2011, with Cole returning to his neutral [[TheChewToy Chew Toy]] announcer role on Raw the night after -- though he does still show a tendency to root for the {{heel}}s.
* Paul Heyman created Wrestling/MikeyWhipwreck as an expy of "The Wrestling School" Dropout Jim Mulkey, a character from the late 1980s-1990s New England promotion ICW/IWCCW.
** Mikey gained an expy of his own in Colin Delaney of WWE's mediocre version of ECW.
* What do you get when you cross the promotion dominating goals of the [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder nWo]] with the youth of the Natural Born Thrillers? Wrestling/TheNexus.
** Nowadays, it seems every new team that debuts just attacks random people for no real reason like the nWo. Just this past decade, we have had the aforementioned Nexus, the Corre, the Aces and Eights in TNA, Wrestling/TheShield, and now it seems the Wyatt Family will be the same.
* Wrestling/RandyOrton currently works as a [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] expy with a little bit of [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] thrown in as well.
** [[http://imgon.net/di-6KBQ.jpg And he's not afraid to show it]]
** YMMV, obviously, but most people seem to see Orton as "Stone Cold without the charisma". While in mid-late 2011, Wrestling/CMPunk seems to be doing a much better job with the "anti-establishment, badass, acts-like-a-heel [[AntiHero anti-face]]" character that Austin played.
* The Renegade was an Expy of [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior The Ultimate Warrior]], and a pretty [[BlessedWithSuck poor one at that.]] In fact, he was Wrestling/{{WCW}}'s THIRD attempt at creating their own version of UW.
** In 1991, WCW created "Heavy Metal" Van Hammer, essentially UW as a [[DreadfulMusician heavy metal guitarist who didn't or couldn't actually play.]] He'd bring his guitar to the ring and do AirGuitar. Despite a really good match with [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]] at ''WCW Clash of the Champions XVIII'' on January 21, 1992 and his real-life friendship with Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, he never accomplished much of anything, never winning a title in any promotion.
** In late 1993-1994, WCW introduced "Jungle" Jim Steele, essentially a cross between UW and Franchise/{{Tarzan}}. While his time in WCW didn't add up to much (he defeated the Equalizer [William Dannenhauer, best known as Wrestling/KevinSullivan's [[{{Kayfabe}} dyslexic]] [[UnrelatedBrothers brother]] Dave] at ''WCW [=SuperBrawl=] IV'' and never had a WCW PPV match again), he would go on to success in Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling and the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico under the names [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Wolf Hawkfield]] and the Lacrosse. He won the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-tv.html WWC Television Title]], the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/pr-h.html WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title]] and the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/asia-t.html All Japan Pro Wrestling All-Asian Tag Team Title]] with Johnny Smith.
** The Renegade went beyond being an [=Expy=] to an outright CaptainErsatz for UW, as videos were shown of him acting very much like UW, and he had similar facepaint, screamed, no-sold and was billed from PartsUnknown. He defeated Wrestling/ArnAnderson for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html WCW World Television Title]] at the ''Great American Bash'' in June 1995 and lost it to Diamond Dallas Page that September. He never got another push, being reduced to {{Jobber}} status. The man who Hulk Hogan had said would take "Hulkamania into the 21st Century" never got to see it. WCW released him in late 1998 and he committed suicide on February 23, 1999 at the age of 33.
* "Nature Boy" Wrestling/RicFlair was an expy of [[Wrestling/BuddyRogers "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers]].
** Flair would later get an expy of his own in "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel
* Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors were a ''huge'' smash hit in the 1980s, changing {{tag team}} wrestling forever. The various companies couldn't rip off their gimmick (that being "huge face-painted tough guys who smashed-up everyone and didn't care who they beat on") fast enough. The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and Wrestling/TheBarbarian) were formed to feud with the Warriors, and the WWF threw a couple of solid midcard performers together creating Wrestling/{{Demolition}}. All of these teams ended up feuding with each other at various times.
** Road Warriors expies the Blade Runners didn't have much success as a tag team but both members broke out to become major singles superstars: Wrestling/{{Sting}} and the Wrestling/UltimateWarrior.
** The Road Warriors themselves made an expy of their own named Power Warrior (Kensuke Sasaki) in Japan, who formed the Hell Raisers with Hawk when Animal was injured and later formed the Hell Warriors with Animal when Hawk passed away.
** The Ascension is an expy team of Demolition, the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors, ''and'' the Powers of Pain -- an asskicking team of large dudes who wear facepaint and come to the ring with intimidating gear. Following their main roster debut they repeatedly almost-{{lampshaded}} this -- they would mention all of these teams, but only in the context of "well-known and dominant tag teams ''the Ascension is better than''", without directly noting that they share many similarities with those teams.
** Meanwhile, Wrestling/{{Chikara}} has the Devastation Corporation, who are closely analogous to Demolition - including a johnny-come-lately third member. Unlike the other teams, they've even included the manager, with Sidney Bakabella doing his best imitation of "Precious" Paul Ellering. They also ended up ''facing'' Demolition in a match at one point (and lost)
* Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) perfected the underdog heartthrob pretty boy baby{{face}} team role in the 1980s and spawned several expies, most notably the Rockers (Wrestling/ShawnMichaels and Marty Jannetty) and, later, the Hardy Boyz ([[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt]] and [[Wrestling/JeffHardy Jeff]].)
* [[Wrestling/SuperstarBillyGraham "Superstar" Billy Graham]] is the direct influence of Wrestling/HulkHogan, Wrestling/ScottSteiner, and Wrestling/JesseVentura in image and mannerisms, which all three have alluded to in the past (Hogan in shoot interviews, Steiner by briefly using the name "Superstar", and Ventura by claiming Graham copied him!)
* Zeb Colter and Wrestling/JackSwagger essentially replayed Wrestling/SgtSlaughter's early 90's gimmick (used for a few months before he became an "Iraqi sympathizer" during the Gulf War). Slaughter targeted Tito Santana, Zeb and Swagger went after Alberto Del Rio, each basically claiming their opponent were in the United States illegally. And now Swagger even has a foreigner, [[Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli Antonio Cesaro]], as a partner, much as Slaughter eventually teamed with Col. Mustafa ([[Wrestling/TheIronSheik Iron Sheik]] repackaged as an Iraqi instead of an Iranian).
** Colter has a little bit of JBL in him as well, particularly doing the same anti-immigration angle that was done with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero with Alberto Del Rio. Ironic, considering Uncle Zebekiah was JBL's manager at one point.
** The Swagger-Cesaro team being called "The Real Americans" brings to mind the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA "Real American Heroes" Wrestling/JoeyRyan and Wrestling/KarlAnderson. For added bonus WWE group feuded with "Los Matadores" as the NWA group had with "Los Luchas".
* And TNA is doing expy versions of much older WWE characters. Orlando Jordan's playing with gay stereotypes bears a few similarities to Wrestling/{{Goldust}}. [[Wrestling/KenAnderson Mr. Anderson]] is the same type of loudmouth as Wrestling/TheMiz (who is an expy of Anderson back when he was Kennedy).
** Orlando Jordan is actually bisexual in real life. The gimmick was supposedly his idea, though who can say if he wanted it to be taken as far as or in the direction it was
* WWE and TNA have been having a little game of back and forth with the same types of characters. Granted, they're common tropes, but one tends to pop up a few weeks or months after the other, making it look more like a blatant combo of expy and FollowTheLeader. Some Examples:
** AlphaBitch: Vince's Devils, Wrestling/TheBeautifulPeople, Wrestling/{{LayCool}}, Dollhouse, the [[Wrestling/SummerRae SLay]][[Wrestling/{{Layla}} ers]].
** Annoying Foreigner: Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre and [[Wrestling/NigelMcGuinness Desmond Wolfe]].
** Arrogant Pretty Boy: "Dashing" Wrestling/CodyRhodes, Wrestling/ZackRyder, and Magnus.
-----

to:

%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%% Before adding examples, check the guidelines in the Expy cleanup thread (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13983140170A37263400) and make sure your example fits the criteria to qualify as an Expy. Don't just list minor or coincidental similarities. Also, explain why the character is an Expy - don't just say "X is an expy of Y" and leave it at that.

* [[Wrestling/AJLee Psycho!AJ]] is extremely similar to [[Wrestling/MickieJames Psycho!Mickie James]] from circa 2005. Both got rejected from their respective [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson love]] [[Wrestling/TrishStratus interests]] and acted erratically in retaliation while descending into insanity. Mickie took the the Women's Title from Trish at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}}'' while AJ strung along Daniel and two of his rivals, then-current WWE Champion Wrestling/CMPunk and [[Wrestling/TeamHellNo future tag team partner]] Wrestling/{{Kane}} for ''months''. The only really differences are how they reacted and the lesbian overtones of Mickie's storyline. One could deign to say that the main reason AJ became so popular is because her psycho character is extremely similar to Mickie's, who became popular for that character.
* Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio and Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield are both expies of [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]], in so far as being richer-than-thou characters who flaunt it in the face of the audience (given that a recession is always either around the corner or already in full swing, this always gets heat).
* Wrestling/BruiserBrody spawned several expies, particularly both Barbarians (Sionne Vailahi and Wrestling/JohnNord.)
** Nord went all out on the Brody imitation, particularly as the Berzerker in WWE, wearing the furry boots and doing the [[CatchPhrase "HUSS"]] chant.
** [[Wrestling/RingofHonor ROH]]'s Jimmy Jacobs was an expy of Brody AND Nord as "The Barbaric Berzerker."
** Wrestling/BrodieLee, less so after he got that scar on his head though
* Wrestling/ChrisBenoit was an expy of Wrestling/DynamiteKid.
** Wrestling/BryanDanielson began his career as an expy of one, the other, or possibly both before some DivergentCharacterEvolution.
** Davey Richards has also been viewed as an expy of Dynamite Kid.
* Wrestling/CMPunk's current heel turn makes him an expy of Wrestling/HarleyRace in the way of stating himself as the very best and how people MUST admit that they respect him. This is very similar to Race's heel run as "King" Harley Race where he told his opponents and detractors to bow and kneel before him. Whereas Race had Wrestling/BobbyHeenan, Punk has Wrestling/PaulHeyman. Punk even goes as far as trimming his beard much like how Race's looked and wearing colors matching Race's at the time.
* Cryme Tyme (Shad Gaspard & JTG) of the Gangstas (Wrestling/NewJack & Mustafa) in [[Wrestling/{{SMW}} Smoky Mountain Wrestling]] and Wrestling/{{ECW}}, though, because they worked for a [[{{Wrestling/WWE}} big-money worldwide promotion]] and not, originally, a small independent in eastern Tennessee, Cryme Tyme were PlayedForLaughs rather than to provoke racial anger, worked a more traditional in-ring style as opposed to the [[GarbageWrestler hardcore]] style of the Gangstas, and without the success. (New Jack & Mustafa were 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/e/smw/smw-t.html SMW Tag Team Champions]] and 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Champions]]. As Shad Gaspard & the Neighborhoodie, they held the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/ovw/ovw-t.html OVW Southern Tag Team Titles]] in WWE's then-developmental promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling for two months.)
* Dave [=McLane=] will use similar character types repeatedly in his various promotions [=GLOW=], [=POWW=], and [=WOW=], which will in turn be used by whatever promotions that imitate them(ex:Wrestling/{{Wrestlicious}})
* ''Wrestling/DramaticDreamTeam'': Sanshiro Takagi himself is an Expy of Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, right down to having the same glass shattering sound that begins his entrance music.
* Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} was seen by many people as an expy of [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] due to his [[BaldOfAwesome bald head]] and similar outfit (basic black [[UnderwearOfPower trunks]] and boots), and how Wrestling/EricBischoff had famously told Austin that [[HilariousInHindsight a guy wearing such an outfit wasn't marketable.]] Goldberg's streak of [[SquashMatch squashes]] and the fact that he usually said very little, as opposed to Austin's usual involvement in 20-minute interviews, served to get him over and give him his own identity. Despite the appearance, Goldberg was much closer to 1980s ForeignWrestlingHeel [[Wrestling/NikitaKoloff "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff]], though what he was going for was a CaptainErsatz of Wrestling/DanSevern, which isn't so obvious because Goldberg looks ''nothing'' like him, no matter how closely he tries to copy his mannerisms.
** Goldberg seems to have gotten an expy of his own in Wrestling/{{Ryback}}, who shares his quiet intensity, short [[{{CatchPhrase}} catch phrase]], baldness, and goattee. Not that smarks would let anyone forget that.
* The Great Kabuki is an expy of Rey Urbano and himself spawned several expies, some of whom spawned expies of their own.
** The first was Kendo Nagasaki(the one in Stampede, not the ''World Of Sport'' wrestler), who was followed by the Great Muta, Kwang the Ninja (Savio Vega in a mask), [[Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri]] (who used the mist but not the face paint) and "Tokyo Monster" Kahagas.
** TNA's Kiyoshi is an expy of Muta as well. Of course, some might say that TNA is an expy of WCW altogether.
*** Given who they have working there now (Hulk Hogan, Wrestling/EricBischoff, Ric Flair, etc.) that seems about right.
* Wrestling/JackSwagger is basically a whinier, lamer Wrestling/KurtAngle - both are formers amateur wrestlers that use the Ankle Lock as a finishing move, dress in the traditional singlet and are very very proud of their amateur acomplishments.
** Not to mention the usage of American patriotism in their gimmicks.
* [[Wrestling/JamesStorm Beer]] [[Wrestling/BobbyRoode Money Inc.]] is an expy of [[Wrestling/RonSimmons the]] [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield APA]], they even have [[Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} the same manager.]]
* Wrestling/{{Kane}} spawned Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s Abyss, who is a combination of Kane and [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind]].
* Mason Ryan not only looks very similar to Wrestling/{{Batista}}, but his role in the New Nexus is similar to the role Batista played when he was part of Evolution (namely, being [[TheBrute the largest, most physically imposing member]] of a four-man heel stable).
** Mason Ryan will get "Batista!" chants in some of the smarkier cities he wrestles in.
* For a period during 2010 and 2011, WWE tried turning Wrestling/MichaelCole into a new version of [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Vince [=McMahon=]]]'s "Mr. [=McMahon=]" character. Unfortunately, it failed spectacularly, mostly because [=McMahon=] actually was [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the boss of WW(F/E)]], while MichaelCole was simply an announcer. Thankfully, WWE ended the experiment at Over The Limit 2011, with Cole returning to his neutral [[TheChewToy Chew Toy]] announcer role on Raw the night after -- though he does still show a tendency to root for the {{heel}}s.
* Paul Heyman created Wrestling/MikeyWhipwreck as an expy of "The Wrestling School" Dropout Jim Mulkey, a character from the late 1980s-1990s New England promotion ICW/IWCCW.
** Mikey gained an expy of his own in Colin Delaney of WWE's mediocre version of ECW.
* What do you get when you cross the promotion dominating goals of the [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder nWo]] with the youth of the Natural Born Thrillers? Wrestling/TheNexus.
** Nowadays, it seems every new team that debuts just attacks random people for no real reason like the nWo. Just this past decade, we have had the aforementioned Nexus, the Corre, the Aces and Eights in TNA, Wrestling/TheShield, and now it seems the Wyatt Family will be the same.
* Wrestling/RandyOrton currently works as a [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] expy with a little bit of [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] thrown in as well.
** [[http://imgon.net/di-6KBQ.jpg And he's not afraid to show it]]
** YMMV, obviously, but most people seem to see Orton as "Stone Cold without the charisma". While in mid-late 2011, Wrestling/CMPunk seems to be doing a much better job with the "anti-establishment, badass, acts-like-a-heel [[AntiHero anti-face]]" character that Austin played.
* The Renegade was an Expy of [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior The Ultimate Warrior]], and a pretty [[BlessedWithSuck poor one at that.]] In fact, he was Wrestling/{{WCW}}'s THIRD attempt at creating their own version of UW.
** In 1991, WCW created "Heavy Metal" Van Hammer, essentially UW as a [[DreadfulMusician heavy metal guitarist who didn't or couldn't actually play.]] He'd bring his guitar to the ring and do AirGuitar. Despite a really good match with [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]] at ''WCW Clash of the Champions XVIII'' on January 21, 1992 and his real-life friendship with Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, he never accomplished much of anything, never winning a title in any promotion.
** In late 1993-1994, WCW introduced "Jungle" Jim Steele, essentially a cross between UW and Franchise/{{Tarzan}}. While his time in WCW didn't add up to much (he defeated the Equalizer [William Dannenhauer, best known as Wrestling/KevinSullivan's [[{{Kayfabe}} dyslexic]] [[UnrelatedBrothers brother]] Dave] at ''WCW [=SuperBrawl=] IV'' and never had a WCW PPV match again), he would go on to success in Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling and the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico under the names [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Wolf Hawkfield]] and the Lacrosse. He won the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-tv.html WWC Television Title]], the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/pr-h.html WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title]] and the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/asia-t.html All Japan Pro Wrestling All-Asian Tag Team Title]] with Johnny Smith.
** The Renegade went beyond being an [=Expy=] to an outright CaptainErsatz for UW, as videos were shown of him acting very much like UW, and he had similar facepaint, screamed, no-sold and was billed from PartsUnknown. He defeated Wrestling/ArnAnderson for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html WCW World Television Title]] at the ''Great American Bash'' in June 1995 and lost it to Diamond Dallas Page that September. He never got another push, being reduced to {{Jobber}} status. The man who Hulk Hogan had said would take "Hulkamania into the 21st Century" never got to see it. WCW released him in late 1998 and he committed suicide on February 23, 1999 at the age of 33.
* "Nature Boy" Wrestling/RicFlair was an expy of [[Wrestling/BuddyRogers "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers]].
** Flair would later get an expy of his own in "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel
* Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors were a ''huge'' smash hit in the 1980s, changing {{tag team}} wrestling forever. The various companies couldn't rip off their gimmick (that being "huge face-painted tough guys who smashed-up everyone and didn't care who they beat on") fast enough. The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and Wrestling/TheBarbarian) were formed to feud with the Warriors, and the WWF threw a couple of solid midcard performers together creating Wrestling/{{Demolition}}. All of these teams ended up feuding with each other at various times.
** Road Warriors expies the Blade Runners didn't have much success as a tag team but both members broke out to become major singles superstars: Wrestling/{{Sting}} and the Wrestling/UltimateWarrior.
** The Road Warriors themselves made an expy of their own named Power Warrior (Kensuke Sasaki) in Japan, who formed the Hell Raisers with Hawk when Animal was injured and later formed the Hell Warriors with Animal when Hawk passed away.
** The Ascension is an expy team of Demolition, the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors, ''and'' the Powers of Pain -- an asskicking team of large dudes who wear facepaint and come to the ring with intimidating gear. Following their main roster debut they repeatedly almost-{{lampshaded}} this -- they would mention all of these teams, but only in the context of "well-known and dominant tag teams ''the Ascension is better than''", without directly noting that they share many similarities with those teams.
** Meanwhile, Wrestling/{{Chikara}} has the Devastation Corporation, who are closely analogous to Demolition - including a johnny-come-lately third member. Unlike the other teams, they've even included the manager, with Sidney Bakabella doing his best imitation of "Precious" Paul Ellering. They also ended up ''facing'' Demolition in a match at one point (and lost)
* Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) perfected the underdog heartthrob pretty boy baby{{face}} team role in the 1980s and spawned several expies, most notably the Rockers (Wrestling/ShawnMichaels and Marty Jannetty) and, later, the Hardy Boyz ([[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt]] and [[Wrestling/JeffHardy Jeff]].)
* [[Wrestling/SuperstarBillyGraham "Superstar" Billy Graham]] is the direct influence of Wrestling/HulkHogan, Wrestling/ScottSteiner, and Wrestling/JesseVentura in image and mannerisms, which all three have alluded to in the past (Hogan in shoot interviews, Steiner by briefly using the name "Superstar", and Ventura by claiming Graham copied him!)
* Zeb Colter and Wrestling/JackSwagger essentially replayed Wrestling/SgtSlaughter's early 90's gimmick (used for a few months before he became an "Iraqi sympathizer" during the Gulf War). Slaughter targeted Tito Santana, Zeb and Swagger went after Alberto Del Rio, each basically claiming their opponent were in the United States illegally. And now Swagger even has a foreigner, [[Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli Antonio Cesaro]], as a partner, much as Slaughter eventually teamed with Col. Mustafa ([[Wrestling/TheIronSheik Iron Sheik]] repackaged as an Iraqi instead of an Iranian).
** Colter has a little bit of JBL in him as well, particularly doing the same anti-immigration angle that was done with Wrestling/EddieGuerrero with Alberto Del Rio. Ironic, considering Uncle Zebekiah was JBL's manager at one point.
** The Swagger-Cesaro team being called "The Real Americans" brings to mind the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA "Real American Heroes" Wrestling/JoeyRyan and Wrestling/KarlAnderson. For added bonus WWE group feuded with "Los Matadores" as the NWA group had with "Los Luchas".
* And TNA is doing expy versions of much older WWE characters. Orlando Jordan's playing with gay stereotypes bears a few similarities to Wrestling/{{Goldust}}. [[Wrestling/KenAnderson Mr. Anderson]] is the same type of loudmouth as Wrestling/TheMiz (who is an expy of Anderson back when he was Kennedy).
** Orlando Jordan is actually bisexual in real life. The gimmick was supposedly his idea, though who can say if he wanted it to be taken as far as or in the direction it was
* WWE and TNA have been having a little game of back and forth with the same types of characters. Granted, they're common tropes, but one tends to pop up a few weeks or months after the other, making it look more like a blatant combo of expy and FollowTheLeader. Some Examples:
** AlphaBitch: Vince's Devils, Wrestling/TheBeautifulPeople, Wrestling/{{LayCool}}, Dollhouse, the [[Wrestling/SummerRae SLay]][[Wrestling/{{Layla}} ers]].
** Annoying Foreigner: Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre and [[Wrestling/NigelMcGuinness Desmond Wolfe]].
** Arrogant Pretty Boy: "Dashing" Wrestling/CodyRhodes, Wrestling/ZackRyder, and Magnus.
-----
[[redirect:Expy/ProWrestling]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* The Great Kabuki spawned several expies, some of whom spawned expies of their own.

to:

* The Great Kabuki is an expy of Rey Urbano and himself spawned several expies, some of whom spawned expies of their own.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Dave [=McLane=] will use similar character type repeatedly in his various promotions [=GLOW=], [=POWW=], and [=WOW=].

to:

* Dave [=McLane=] will use similar character type types repeatedly in his various promotions [=GLOW=], [=POWW=], and [=WOW=].[=WOW=], which will in turn be used by whatever promotions that imitate them(ex:Wrestling/{{Wrestlicious}})



* Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} was seen by many people as an expy of [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] due to his [[BaldOfAwesome bald head]] and similar outfit (basic black [[UnderwearOfPower trunks]] and boots), and how Wrestling/EricBischoff had famously told Austin that [[HilariousInHindsight a guy wearing such an outfit wasn't marketable.]] Goldberg's streak of [[SquashMatch squashes]] and the fact that he usually said very little, as opposed to Austin's usual involvement in 20-minute interviews, served to get him over and give him his own identity. Despite the appearance, Goldberg was much closer to 1980s ForeignWrestlingHeel [[Wrestling/NikitaKoloff "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff]].

to:

* Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} was seen by many people as an expy of [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] due to his [[BaldOfAwesome bald head]] and similar outfit (basic black [[UnderwearOfPower trunks]] and boots), and how Wrestling/EricBischoff had famously told Austin that [[HilariousInHindsight a guy wearing such an outfit wasn't marketable.]] Goldberg's streak of [[SquashMatch squashes]] and the fact that he usually said very little, as opposed to Austin's usual involvement in 20-minute interviews, served to get him over and give him his own identity. Despite the appearance, Goldberg was much closer to 1980s ForeignWrestlingHeel [[Wrestling/NikitaKoloff "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff]].Koloff]], though what he was going for was a CaptainErsatz of Wrestling/DanSevern, which isn't so obvious because Goldberg looks ''nothing'' like him, no matter how closely he tries to copy his mannerisms.



** The first was Kendo Nagasaki, who was followed by the Great Muta, Kwang the Ninja (Savio Vega in a mask), [[Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri]] (who used the mist but not the face paint) and "Tokyo Monster" Kahagas.

to:

** The first was Kendo Nagasaki, Nagasaki(the one in Stampede, not the ''World Of Sport'' wrestler), who was followed by the Great Muta, Kwang the Ninja (Savio Vega in a mask), [[Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri]] (who used the mist but not the face paint) and "Tokyo Monster" Kahagas.



* Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors were a ''huge'' smash hit in the 1980s, changing tag team wrestling forever. The various companies couldn't rip off their gimmick (that being "huge face-painted tough guys who smashed-up everyone and didn't care who they beat on") fast enough. The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and Wrestling/TheBarbarian) were formed to feud with the Warriors, and the WWF threw a couple of solid midcard performers together creating Wrestling/{{Demolition}}. All of these teams ended up feuding with each other at various times.

to:

* Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors were a ''huge'' smash hit in the 1980s, changing tag team {{tag team}} wrestling forever. The various companies couldn't rip off their gimmick (that being "huge face-painted tough guys who smashed-up everyone and didn't care who they beat on") fast enough. The Powers of Pain (The Warlord and Wrestling/TheBarbarian) were formed to feud with the Warriors, and the WWF threw a couple of solid midcard performers together creating Wrestling/{{Demolition}}. All of these teams ended up feuding with each other at various times.



* Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) perfected the underdog heartthrob pretty boy babyface team role in the 1980s and spawned several expies, most notably the Rockers (Wrestling/ShawnMichaels and Marty Jannetty) and, later, the Hardy Boyz ([[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt]] and [[Wrestling/JeffHardy Jeff]].)

to:

* Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) perfected the underdog heartthrob pretty boy babyface baby{{face}} team role in the 1980s and spawned several expies, most notably the Rockers (Wrestling/ShawnMichaels and Marty Jannetty) and, later, the Hardy Boyz ([[Wrestling/MattHardy Matt]] and [[Wrestling/JeffHardy Jeff]].)



** Colter has a little bit of JBL in him as well, particularly doing the same anti-immigration angle that was done with Eddie Guerrero with Alberto Del Rio. Ironic, considering Uncle Zebekiah was JBL's manager at one point.
* And TNA is doing expy versions of much older WWE characters. Orlando Jordan's playing with gay stereotypes bears a few similarities to Wrestling/{{Goldust}}. Mr. Anderson is the same type of loudmouth as Wrestling/TheMiz (who is an expy of Anderson back when he was Kennedy).

to:

** Colter has a little bit of JBL in him as well, particularly doing the same anti-immigration angle that was done with Eddie Guerrero Wrestling/EddieGuerrero with Alberto Del Rio. Ironic, considering Uncle Zebekiah was JBL's manager at one point.
** The Swagger-Cesaro team being called "The Real Americans" brings to mind the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA "Real American Heroes" Wrestling/JoeyRyan and Wrestling/KarlAnderson. For added bonus WWE group feuded with "Los Matadores" as the NWA group had with "Los Luchas".
* And TNA is doing expy versions of much older WWE characters. Orlando Jordan's playing with gay stereotypes bears a few similarities to Wrestling/{{Goldust}}. [[Wrestling/KenAnderson Mr. Anderson Anderson]] is the same type of loudmouth as Wrestling/TheMiz (who is an expy of Anderson back when he was Kennedy).



** AlphaBitch: Vince's Devils, Wrestling/TheBeautifulPeople, Wrestling/{{LayCool}}, and now, the [[Wrestling/SummerRae SLay]][[Wrestling/{{Layla}} ers]].

to:

** AlphaBitch: Vince's Devils, Wrestling/TheBeautifulPeople, Wrestling/{{LayCool}}, and now, Dollhouse, the [[Wrestling/SummerRae SLay]][[Wrestling/{{Layla}} ers]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Annoying Foreigner: Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre and Desmond Wolfe
** Arrogant Pretty Boy: "Dashing" Wrestling/CodyRhodes, Wrestling/ZackRyder, and Magnus

to:

** Annoying Foreigner: Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre and [[Wrestling/NigelMcGuinness Desmond Wolfe
Wolfe]].
** Arrogant Pretty Boy: "Dashing" Wrestling/CodyRhodes, Wrestling/ZackRyder, and MagnusMagnus.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None



to:

%% Before adding examples, check the guidelines in the Expy cleanup thread (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13983140170A37263400) and make sure your example fits the criteria to qualify as an Expy. Don't just list minor or coincidental similarities. Also, explain why the character is an Expy - don't just say "X is an expy of Y" and leave it at that.

Top