5 WWE Gimmicks Based On Real Killers (& The 1 Who Wanted To Meet His Copycat)

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Wrestling characters often draw inspiration from various sources – movies, music, comics, and more – influencing everything from their personalities and sayings to their costumes and entrance music. Sometimes, this inspiration even comes from real-life figures, including notorious criminals. Here are five WWE characters based on real killers, along with the surprising story of one killer who wanted to meet the wrestler who portrayed him, and why that meeting never took place.

5. Barry Windham

In 1996, Barry Windham introduced a new character, The Stalker, to the WWF. Like many wrestlers, he based this persona on a real person. The Stalker’s look – camouflage clothing and commando-style face paint – was inspired by the serial killer Richard Ramirez.

I remember when they started calling Ramirez ‘The Night Stalker’ – it was terrifying, hearing about him breaking into homes and committing those awful crimes back in 1984. When Windham started acting similarly, with those little video packages showing him ‘hunting’ opponents, people immediately made the connection. It was pretty obvious what they were going for. Thankfully, that whole creepy persona didn’t last long with Windham – it disappeared after a few months, and honestly, most fans were relieved when it did.

4. Joe Applebaumer

During the 2000s, wrestling audiences were captivated by a menacing character called Pogo, who was actually wrestler Joe Applebaumer. Applebaumer based the character on John Wayne Gacy, a notorious serial killer who performed as ‘Pogo the Clown’ while committing his crimes in the 1970s.

Applebaumer styled his wrestling persona with clown-like makeup and a menacing appearance that strongly resembled John Wayne Gacy’s infamous clown look. Combined with his aggressive in-ring style, this created a powerful and unsettling effect, despite never explicitly mentioning Gacy in his performances or attire.

3. Bob Orton Sr.

In the 1970s, Bob Orton Sr. famously based a wrestling character on the infamous Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac committed murders across California from 1968 to 1969, and a few years later, Orton Sr. adopted the name ‘The Zodiac’ as part of his wrestling persona, successfully captivating audiences.

Interestingly, even though the character’s name and the recent, upsetting real-life events were closely linked, fans quickly embraced the villainous persona. This allowed Orton Sr. to become a major champion during that period.

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin is easily one of WWE’s biggest stars, and the character was actually inspired by a real person. Austin drew inspiration from an HBO documentary about Richard Kuklinski, a Mafia hitman who confessed to over 100 murders.

After seeing the documentary, Austin adopted aspects of the Kuklinski story for his new wrestling character, like a piercing gaze, a solitary attitude, and a distrust of everyone. These traits were most noticeable when Stone Cold Steve Austin first appeared. However, the character eventually evolved into a rebellious underdog who cared more about winning and enjoying a beer than being a cold, calculating assassin – and that’s the version fans know and love best.

1. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt stood out in professional wrestling because his character was constantly changing. He repeatedly reinvented himself, always taking risks with each new version. Initially, Wyatt portrayed a cult leader – a role that seemed inspired, at least in part, by the infamous Charles Manson and his followers. Over time, his character evolved beyond that initial concept.

Former WWE writer Nick Manfredini shared on the Wrestling with Freddie podcast that the creative team subtly incorporated quotes and imagery from Marilyn Manson into Bray Wyatt’s on-screen appearances. Apparently, Manson noticed and expressed interest in meeting Wyatt, and this request was even discussed with WWE officials (according to Fightful).

Manfredini explained that the person they were referencing heavily influenced their work, much like Charles Manson. He admitted his online search history at the time was dominated by Manson and other cult leaders, meaning he’d consumed a lot of related content. They intentionally tried to incorporate elements from various sources related to Manson to create a specific aesthetic.

Manfredini shared an unusual story about Charles Manson and Bray Wyatt. Apparently, a former college teammate of Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) worked as a prison guard where Manson was incarcerated. This guard reportedly showed Manson Wyatt’s WWE promotional videos, and Manson became interested in meeting Wyatt. Manfredini insists this is true and that Mike Rotunda (Wyatt’s father) brought it to the attention of someone in WWE – possibly Hunter or Vince McMahon – but the idea was quickly dismissed.

Looking back, the idea was awful. Someone actually suggested filming a special with Charles Manson, but that was quickly shut down. Afterwards, I jokingly suggested that the next time we were in Northern California, we could disguise ourselves and just go meet him. I quickly realized how terrible that idea was, even though it would have made a good story. It seemed fun and strange at the time, but I understood that Bray Wyatt’s career would likely have been over if we’d actually done it, as he probably wouldn’t have been allowed on television again.

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2025-10-24 07:11