WWE: The 50 Most Flamboyant Characters in Wrestling History

Wrestling is more than two men or women getting in a ring and performing.

It's style. Maybe its grace. Maybe it's something outlandish and over the top. Maybe it's something like Rick Rude having to wear a dress for a month like he did over 20 years ago after losing a match to Jerry Lawler.

Wrestlers have the ability to take a character and make you believe he or she is the most outrageous thing going today. And if they are not successful, they can change it in a heartbeat.

It is the flamboyance of the character that makes us want to see more.

Whether it is Gorgeous George or "Stunning" Steve Austin or even someone like The Miz or R-Truth today, characters have a boldness to them that keeps us attracted to them.

This is 50 of the most flamboyant characters of all time. It does not necessarily depict current characters because someone like The Miz or R-Truth or an Austin Aires are still new to the wrestling scene. It is the characters of yesterday who have created the buzz for those today to follow.

X-Pac

For a guy who came into this business underweight and raw and white as a ghost, Sean Waltman made a name for himself with his skill in the ring and his mouth out of it.

As a member of Degeneration X, he really got into his own character and providd some great rants on the microphone.

Waltman was a decent signles competitor who needed a push from a group like that of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, etc.

He was decent in WCW, but not as over the top as he was in WWE.

The Grand Wizard

He was the manager of some of the greats in the WWF, including the likes of Mr. Fuji, Stan Stasiak and Super star Billy Graham.

He was the classic heel manager and his clothing and style (or lack there of) was enough for him to make a statement.

He set the tone for managers like Jim Cornette and Paul Heyman after him.

The Ultimate Warrior

His flamboyance was in how he came to the ring, shook the ropes and danced around. He wasn't much of a showman in the ring.

Putting the belt on him by Vince McMahon showed a few things to the wrestling community. First, no one at the time could draw like Hulk Hogan. Second, Warrior was not a good choice as champion.

And most of all, he would have a short shelf life as a champion in any promotion.

Vince McMahon

Is there any other man in sports entertainment who exemplifies arrogance, flamboyance and greed like the chairman of the board.

McMahon's character is true to life in that people see him as a SOB. His ability to piss people off and have them come back for more.

His flamboyance about his money, his power and his stance in the business is a testament to how he has grown the product to a international dynasty.

Jesse Ventura

How this man became Governer is beyond me. But it is cool that he tried to fix government.

Ventura was the epitome of flamboyance in his time in the AWA and later the WWF. Big colors, lavish style and a big vocabulary.

In the ring, he was just as over the top. His star was made for professional wrestling.

Val Venis

Hello Ladies! The self-proclaimed porn star.

He would come to the ring as God's gift to women. And he swore he had been involved with some of the hottest women in the adult film industry.

Venis once held the Intercontinental Title, but he was truly a midcarder at best.

Like all bad moves, his flame flickered and went out as his popularity faded.

Shawn Michaels

The "Heartbreak Kid" was adored by everyone even in his heel status.

His entrances to the ring were just as dramatic as his in ring performance which still carried over to today.

There has never been a wrestler to bring about such emotion upon entry to the ring.

And his shtick has never gotten old.

Ted DiBiase

This one needs no real explanation.

Anyone who is willing to throw money at anyone or anything to get what they want deserves to be on this list.

Remember, anyone has a price.

Scott Steiner

OK, if you can pry yourself away from looking at the picture...

Steiner is a freak of nature who is a good technical wrestler who also come to the ring acting like a Greek God.

He is a narcissist who loves his muscles and thinks he is the best thing since wrestling existed.

His interviews and shoots are awful and his rants are classic about nothing.

A true oxymoron of the sport.

Sherri Martel

There may have been better female wrestlers in the business, but none have been as flamboyant and exotic as Sherri.

Whether it was in the AWA, WWF or WCW, Sherri has carved a path of destruction and broken hearts nationwide.

She held the women's title in the AWA and turned her attention to Shawn Michaels in the 1980s in the WWF.

A true gem or state of confusion.

Scotty Too Hotty

I do not know what to make of this guy.

As a tag team partner of Brian Christopher, they had a good run in the WWE.

As a singles competitor, he is just strange. The smile is too sinister for me and his ring entrance and his style in the squared circle screams arrogance and flamboyance for such a small wrestler.

Randy Savage

OH YEAH!!!

There aren't too many wrestlers who were more flamboyant in wresting than Randy Savage.

Bright colors, chaotic style, drama at every turn. He was a walking soap opera. And the fans loved every minute of it.

It could be argued that Savage meant more to the WWF because of his antics than Hulk Hogan. And today, he would still be adored in the ring by his fans for his persona.

Adrian Adonis

He was a rough and tumble wrestler who had fame in the AWA and WWF. His two stints in WWF were instrumental in cementing his success.

"Adorable" Adrian Adonis was a wrestler who portrayed a gay wrestler in the business. But don't let the exterior fool you. When it came to wrestling, there were few who were as tough as Adonis.

He was also a tag team champion in the AWA with Jesse Ventura.

He had a segment on WWF called The Flower Shop.

He and Dick Murdoch captured the WWF World Tag Titles from Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas.

Adrian Street

As a youngster, I did not get his character.

As a teen, I thought it was odd.

As an adult, I thought it was brilliant.

He feuded with the best of them. The Welsh-born wrestler was a heel in Florida and across the country, prancing around the ring and giving everyone trouble.

Lou Albano

Good Bless Capt. Lou.

He was one of the best heel managers of all time, showing off his rubber bands and crazy clothing style and his flair for drama. Was manager of the Wild Samoans.

Was involved in the first Wrestlemania with Cyndi Lauper and Hulk Hogan to usher in the Rock & Wrestling Era.

He was one for the ages.

Austin Idol

Somehow, this guy thought Hulk Hogan stole his gimmick.

Idol was flashy, showy and full of himself. He was a mainstay in the Mid-South area and teamed with and feuded with Jerry Lawler, Tommy Rich, and Bill Dundee on a regular basis.

He had great mic skills and was considered a real deal in terms of talent for his time.

He never branched out of the southern part of the country.

Johnny B. Badd

He was a bad man.

The real life husband of WWF's Sable at the time, Marc Mero was a good performer with a Little Richard persona. Flamboyant as all get out. He won the US Title from Lex Luger once in WCW.

Also had Diamond Dallas Page's real wife, Kimberly as his valet.

How can a guy get that lucky with two hot women by his side?

Brother Love

The dude looked so red, he almost looked like a carrot.

His southern twang and his personality was perfect for the times.

His catch prase "I Love You" was enough to drive wrestlers nuts.

Brutus the Barber Beefcake

He owes all his success to his good friend, Hulk Hogan.

Ed Leslie was a man looking for a gimmick. He found one in a purple feminine outfit and a place in the WWF circus.

He was a good in ring performer. Wrestled with Greg Valentine for a bit and was a successful tag team until they broke up.

Spent time in WCW as the "Booty Man" before leaving the promotion.

Buff Bagwell

A pretty boy from Georgia who was a muscle-bound freak.

A decent ring performer who started out as a face and turned heel.

Had a great look to him and was more worried about how his biceps looked on camera than how he performed in the ring.

Chris Jericho

There are few wrestlers who have evolved after coming to the WWE like Chris Jericho.

As a heel or face, he is as flashy as they come. And with tremendous mic skills and a wrestling persona like no other, there are few who can match him toe to toe.

His in ring performance is as a good as his entrance to the ring.

A true talent gem for the WWE.

Jimmy Garvin

Flashy and always primping his fro.

Garvin was a great performer in Florida, Georgia and Texas.

His shelf life was extended to the Freebirds, where he and Michael Hayes took stock in making sure they were as flamboyant in the ring as they were in front of a camera shooting a promo.

Koko B. Ware

The Birdman was an original.

In Texas, he was a member of the PYT Express with Norvell Austin.

In the WWF, we has a flashy man with a parrot.

And a crowd favorite.

Buddy Landell

He thought he was the real "Nature Boy".

Ric Flair made him think differently real quick.

Was a good wrestler in the northwest territory. And came to WCW to start a feud with Flair.

We see who is truly the "REAL" Nature Boy.

Jerry Lawler

He still wrestles.

Lawler has held major titles all over the country and was an AWA world title holder. He was flashy but was all business in the ring.

His current feuds with Michael Cole and wrestlers like Jack Swagger are a little hard to watch, but he still is the "King" and could still rule Memphis is he so chose to do so.

Van Hammer

Short shelf life in WCW.

Played off the popularity of Van Halen (Van Haggar). Long blond locks and a heavy metal look.

He was a midcarder and was not much of a wrestler at that.

He faded just like WCW.

Jimmy Hart

He was a little man with a big mouth. And wore the ugliest and loudest coats in wrestling.

Started out in Memphis chasing Jerry Lawler and then became the manager of the Hart Foundation in WWF.

Never at a loss for words or making a statement, he joined forces with Hulk Hogan in WCW and helped usher in the new era with Hulk's move to the rival company.

Honky Tonk Man

If there was ever a man who took a gimmick and got the most out of it, it was the Honky Tonk Man.

Claimed the Intercontinental Title from Ricky Steamboat and had a successful career.

Flashy, loud and calculated. He was a good fit for the 80s WWF.

Jeff Jarrett

Oh My!

He is flash. He is style. And he is as obnoxious as they come.

Jarrett grew up in the business with his father, Jerry Jarrett and helped build Memphis Jerry Lawler.

Went to WCW and feuded with the likes of Steve McMichael. He and Debra went to WWF and had some success.

His real mark in the business was the creation of TNA and still performs there today.

Lita

She was not as "expressive" when she was starting out in WWE, but she grew into her part.

More of a risk taker and more flashy when she left the Hardy Brothers (mainly Matt) and had an affair with Edge.

Her heel side allowed her to do things we would have never expected, but boy did we enjoy watching it.

And she still looked hot doing it.

Jim Cornette

Loud, obnoxious and oh so feminine at times. He cried like a baby and yelled for his mama.

Cornette is a wrestling success story and one of the most respected men in the business.

Starting out he was outrageous, outlandish and full of ....

He wore loud clothing, tried to throw himself into every situation and created dramatic pause everywhere.

Eddie Gilbert

There will never be another wrestler like Eddie.

So flashy and had a high opinion of himself.

But then again, he could do that with a woman like Missy Hyatt on his arm.

He ruled the south in terms of there was no one who worked harder at perfecting his craft.

Edge

His career was cut way too short.

Left when he was on top of the game.

A flashy and trendy wrestler who used his athleticism to get far in the WWE.

He is a product of the times and he and his friend Christian and his woman, Lita used that to their advantage in a very good way.

Freddie Blassie

He was such an icon in the ring as a wrestler and was instrumental in helping to set the table for what became Hulkamania.

He was a heel manager who thought everyone was a "pencil neck geek" and managed the likes of George "The Animal" Steele before Hulk Hogan took over the then WWF.

Gino Hernandez

A high society-type. Or so he claimed.

Hernandez was young, good looking and a good in ring performer. Died way too soon and was compromised by demons.

He was a good worker in the southwest and in Texas while feuding with Chris Adams against the Von Erichs in the mid 80s.

Eddie Mansfield

He makes the list because of one thing and one thing only- he told on the business that he worked for.

He was a "believe in me" guy and when 20/20 did the story on wrestling in the early 80's, Mansfield stepped up and admitted the truth.

At the time, he was flamboyant enough to admit the truth and subsequently, he was blackballed for it.

Big stones to admit the truth, but not a good idea at the time.

Gorgeous George

His gimmick of prancing around and primping is used over and over today. Dusty Rhodes used some of his gimmick. Adrian Adonis, Adrian Street, Johny B. Badd. All of them used a little of George in their persona and it worked.

One of the first real wrestlers to bring wrestling to life.

And one of the greats to ever get in the ring.

The Godfather

Time to get on the "Ho Train". The Godfather was a larger than life character in the WWE who loved the ladies and would bring them to the ring with him.

He was a true mid card wrestler but with size and power and the look of his character, he had moderate success in the federation.

Goldust

Arrogance, showmanship, flashy. Whatever it was, Dustin Runnels used it to his advantage.

He so wanted to get out of the image of his father.

He wrestled in the WWE this year, and got into an angle with Ted DiBiase and Maryse.

He is still a favorite in the WWE and can still use his antics to entice the crowd and his opponents.

Michael Hayes

He was someone who really loved the wrestling scene.

A member of the Freebirds, he was a true showman in WCW and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

Known for his feuds with the Von Erichs, he used his southern roots and rock and roll music to go along with his over the top antics.

Rick Rude

When you look like that, you can afford to be that flamboyant.

He was most successful in the WWF, but had success in the NWA and WCW as well.

A great body and great performer.

He died at the age of 40, way before his time.

A true wrestler with the title "What Could Have Been".

Rick Martel

The former AWA champion was as arrogant as anyone during the Hulkamania era.

He believed in "arrogance".

A man who was a great performer in the ring lost a little bit of his shine when he joined the WWF.

Martel was one of the 10 best in ring performers in the 80s. He once wrestled Ric Flair to a 60-minute time limit draw.

Missy Hyatt

Oh My! She still looks hot.

No female may have been more flamboyant about their sexuality than Missy Hyatt. And she knew exactly what she was going.

God Bless Her.

Hyatt was the gold standard fro flamboyant sexuality in the 80s in the NWA and in Memphis.

And she probably could still do it today.

Ric Flair

The limo riding, jet flying...well you know the rest.

He was flamboyant and flaunted his women like they were prized possessions. One of them used to be the current Bonnie Steamboat.

Flair is the example of living the high life and what happens when you can be a star and as trendy and flashy as Flair was.

And to a small extent, he still exudes that flamboyance.

Pez Whatley

He was a middle card wrestler before becoming a member of Paul Jones' army. He came to the ring with a top hat and tails.

Feuded with Jimmy Valiant in the Carolinas.

Never really reached superstar status.

The New Age Outlaws

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of all ages: D-Generation X proudly brings to you (The World Wrestling Federation) TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THE WOOORLD! The Road Dogg Jesse James, The Bad Ass Billy Gunn, The New Age Outlaws!"

Enough said!

Sir Oliver Humperdink

To me he was freaky scary.

He ruled the state of Florida at the top heel manager of all time.

Feuded with the likes of Barry Windham, Jesse Barr, Lex Luger and Dusty Rhodes.

Those long red locks and his gift for gab were perfect for his flamboyant dress and heel characters in his stable.

Diamond Dallas Page

From commentator to manager to heel to face.

Page did it all in the business.

He was outrageous on the microphone and his persona was flashy and arrogant.

In the ring he was a favorite but stiff as a board and some of his antics were crowd pleasers but colleagues found him to be one cranky SOB because of his connection to Eric Bischoff.

Paul Bearer

Mysical, scary and brilliant all in one.

The former Percy Pringle has been a staple in WWE for years, playing angles with the Undertaker and Kane.

Always flamboyant in over acting his part, he adds great depth to the Brothers of Destruction.

Part of the Undertaker's mystique over the years can be attributed to Bearer.

Paul Orndorff

We end the list with Mr. Wonderful.

A great in ring performer. He could have been WWF champion and carried the company with many others.

Orndorff was success in the NWA, WWF and WCW. He held numerous regional championships and feuded with Hulk Hogan in the beginning of Hulkamania and faced him in Wrestlemania.