Gimmick Infringement

8.10.19: (Sports): WWE has always been in the business of recycling, whether it be entrance music, gimmicks or finishing moves. Indeed, what’s old is, somehow, always presented as new. That’s certainly true in 2019, where the finishing moves from the superstars of yesteryear, such as the Stone Cold Stunner and the Mandible claw, are being adopted by today’s current roster of talent. Even a major storyline on the television in the past weeks seems eerily familiar to that of one which dominated the screen late in the year 2000. Not to mention that the Robert Roode gimmick is a throw-back to the great Ravishing Rick Rude. In this episode of Coming to the Ring, journalist Flood the Drummer (@floodthedrummer) and author Richard Taylor (@TrulyTaylorMade), two life-long wrestling fans, analyze this cyclical pro-wrestling trend and its impact on the television product and viewers’ perceptions. ©2019