Timeless Toni Storm & Other Wrestling Gimmicks Based Around Hollywood

The Hollywood gimmick in wrestling actually hasn’t been done nearly as much as fans might think. But those who have pulled it off – such as Timeless Toni Storm – each have their own spin on the idea. That makes for several different great variations of the same idea. As a Hollywood celebrity, you’re somehow better than the rest of the world.

You’re also slightly more eccentric and completely out of your mind compared to the wrestling fans. While it’s one of the easiest ways to get heel heat, these wrestlers became some of the most beloved just due to their dedication to the craft. For many of these guys in a world where kayfabe breaks all of the time now, they seldom, if ever, did.

Classy Freddie Blassie Was A Fantastic Performer

The Hollywood Fashion Plate

• Blassie’s career lasted fifty years (1935-1986)
• He eventually became a manager, even managing Hulk Hogan.
• Because of his friendship with Regis Philbin, he was one of wrestling’s first crossover stars.

One of the earliest crossover stars was mega heel, Classy Freddie Blassie. He was able to use several different personas across the territories and Japan. He was able to do something that can’t be done today – use audience perceptions and stereotypes against them. It all helped to make Blassie the greatest heel of his time. In his later years, he’d manage some of the best heels of the Golden Era, like The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff to the tag team titles.

Logan Paul’s A New Type Of Hollywood Star

Love Him Or Hate Him, Everyone Has An Opinion About Logan Paul

• Logan Paul became famous as a YouTube star.
• He has also promoted himself in boxing matches.
• Trainers like Shawn Michaels have praised Paul’s growth in the ring.

While he’s not “from Hollywood,” Logan Paul is definitely the Hollywood type of heel gimmick. From the moment he arrived, and the fans soured on him, Logan Paul soaked in those boos.

He plays up the smarmy better-than-everyone prick who everyone wants to punch in the face. That level of heat is hard in today’s wrestling world and Paul plays it up as naturally as his skills in the ring.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan Built This Industry

The Biggest Babyface Of All Time Became The Biggest Heel

• After having his leg broken by Hiro Matsuda, he still returned to train.
• Before Hulkamania, Hogan generally worked as a heel throughout the territories.
• He is still the industry’s biggest babyface and biggest heel of all time.

It’s hard to believe that it has been forty years since the Dawn of Hulkamania and the wrestling world, as we now know it to be, took shape. It was only a little over a decade later that the sentiment of Hulk being a babyface waned on fans. He revealed himself to be the third man and leader of the nWo. He immediately became Hollywood Hulk Hogan and would occasionally play up the fact that he had made a few “blockbusters” and was the god of wrestling.

The Rock Is The Most Electrifying Sports Entertainer

The WWE’s Newest Board Member Was Really Conceited Before Leaving For Hollywood

• The Rock’s grandfather, ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia got the family started in Hollywood too.
• Peter Maivia was in You Only Live Twice and did stunts for the movie.
• Sing-A-Long With The Rock became a memorable Raw segment during this time.

Over the years, there have been several very memorable and funny moments involving The Rock. They don’t get much higher on that list than Hollywood Rock and his sing-a-long night on Raw.

The Great One was at his most arrogant and smarmy here, and he knew it. The crowd also knew it and he still had them eating out of the palm of his hand, even as he insulted their basketball team.

The Hollywood Blondes Flair For The Gold

Pillman And Austin Make A Cult Classic

• Before teaming with Pillman, Austin was told he was going to work with Harley Race.
• Despite having no real direction, The Blondes were able to get themselves over.
• Their partnership in WCW was the backdrop for their feud in WWE.

Every so often in wrestling, two wrestlers have nothing significantly booked and get smushed together as make-shift tag team. Even rarer – that tag team hits big. Stunning Steve Austin and Flying Brian Pillman were out together as a team. Pillman was such a student of the game, he looked to the past for a team name and found ‘The Hollywood Blondes’. Not overtly acting better than the fans; the two brash young upstarts certainly acted better than their rivals, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.

The Miz Is A Franchise Player

The A-Lister Becomes The Marine

• After John Cena’s tour of duty of was over, The Miz was tapped to play The Marine.
• The A-Lister has starred in several movies since then.
• Miz trained with UPW before starting his Reality TV career.

While the crowd is behind him at the moment, The Miz is is one of those wrestlers that’s just easy to hate. He’s been easy to hate from the moment he started in WWE just by virtue of him being a Reality TV guy, even though he was training for the squared circle before Real World. That insufferable Hollywood style carried over when Miz and Morrison started The Dirt Sheet and really got going once Miz actually started to appear in movies.

Damien Sandow Joins The Miz

What A-Lister Doesn’t Have Their Own Stunt Double

• Damien Sandow trained under Killer Kowalski, the same legend who trained Triple H.
• He had two stints in WWE – the second one is, of course, one where he gained prominence.
• Sandow won Money In The Bank in 2013 but lost his cash-in to John Cena.

Perhaps the only instance where a Hollywood gimmick wasn’t a full fledged heel was Damien Sandow. Rechristened as Damien Mizdow, he was the “Stunt Double” for The Miz. He was constantly flipping around and bumping on either the ring apron or the floor during Miz’s matches.

Andy Kaufman Messes With Memphis

“I’m From Hollywood”

• The actual Hollywood star presented Vincent J. McMahon with the idea. The elder McMahon refused.
• Through his friendship with Bill Apter, Kaufman was able to reach out to Jerry Jarrett.
• The David Letterman segment is one of the most frequently played videos in wrestling.

As a life-long wrestling fan, Andy Kaufman wanted to get in on the aft in the worst possible way. Once he did, he was able to work everyone – the crowds in Memphis, and even his cast mates on Taxi. Tony Danza really wanted to fight Jerry Lawler. But when Andy came to Memphis to teach the uncouth masses how to use soap, everyone in The City Of Kings wanted to throttle him.

Goldust’s Bizarre Antics Stand The Test Of Time

A Far Cry From The American Dream

• Dustin had to look up the word “androgynous” when Vince first pitched Goldust to him.
• Goldust’s then-wife, Marlena, was brought in as “Goldust’s Director.”
• Vince Russo can be credited with a lot of early Goldust vignettes.

While seemingly all Cody Rhodes can do is talk about the legend of Dusty, Dustin went to the far reaches of wrestling gimmickry and pulled out Goldust.

He arrived looking like a giant Oscar statue with a wig on. The original vignettes featured him quoting famous movies to try and mess with his opponent’s heads. But when he started the androgynous explicit stuff, that’s when the fans wanted to see his head removed from his body.

Timeless Toni Storm Is Ready For Her Close-Up

A Star Was Born When Toni Lost Her Mind

• Despite not even being 30, Toni is a 15 year veteran.
• In real life, she is married to Juice Robinson.
• She was ranked 16 in ESPN’s Best Wrestlers Under 30 for 2023.

Whether it’s because Timeless is the first actual gimmick character the AEW Women’s division has had. Or it’s because most fans truly appreciate what Toni Storm is doing – Timeless Toni Storm is one of the best reasons to watch AEW these days. For anyone who has actually seen films like “Sunset Boulevard,” it makes her portrayal that much better.