Extreme Cases of Wrestlers Protecting Their Gimmicks

Description

Wrestlers are very proud of the personas they embrace. The most devoted will even stay in character in public. These wrestlers went above and beyond to preserve kayfabe and sacrificed much to live their gimmicks, even when it meant putting themselves in harm’s way! Keeping Kayfabe: Wrestlers Who Protected Their Gimmicks in Public Kayfabe is a term used in professional wrestling referring to the preservation of the scripted nature of the sport. It is an essential part of wrestling and has been around since its inception. To maintain the illusion, wrestlers must follow a set of rules to keep their characters protected when in public. Nowadays, kayfabe is occasionally broken on television to advance storylines, explain prolonged absences (often due to legitimate injury or wellness policy suspensions), pay tribute to other wrestlers, and sometimes for comedic effect with the delivery of insider humor. However, many legends have gone above and beyond to play their character’s roles on and off camera for years. Here is eleven such examples. 1. Russian Renovation: Nikita Koloff and Ivan Koloff A definitive evil Russian gimmick, Nikita Koloff was one of the most popular stars of the mid-late 1980s.