UNUSED IDEA: Leroy Power (Pro Wrestler)
An epic idea for a pro wrestling gimmick and storyline
I am a huge fan of Pro Wrestling, and from time to time I’ll daydream up my own ideas for wrestling gimmicks and storylines I’d like to see play out in venues like WWE, AEW and TNA Impact. I’m nowhere near capable of being in the pro wrestling business myself, but I believe compelling stories can be and have been told within that medium. So I’ll share all of my ideas with you guys, starting with this one.
Name: Leroy Power
Nickname: Brotherman #1
Finisher: Running Power Slam
Ring gear: just black sweatpants and wrestling boots. I envision a more bulky and muscular Jim Kelly.
Gimmick: He is a classic blaxploitation hero, dresses like Shaft when he isn't wrestling. His mission is to put a stop to the people pushing “that poison” to the community – (bka the WWE universe). And he is going to take the fight all the way to “the man.”
You hype him up with some blaxploitation vignettes showing him in action, with some classic 70's style music as his theme song. All his promos are in the cool jive talk of 70's action movies. Maybe he gets an endorsement to use “sucka” from Booker T.
After every victory he interrogates his opponent in the ring and asks who he works for and who sent him, the guy will always say “the man! The man sent me!”
After a couple months of building him up, people will be wondering who this mysterious “man” is. (and no, it’s not Becky Lynch). In a promo he will state his fight against the man is actually against a Mc-Man. Specifically, Shane McMahon. He will list all of Shane’s “crimes” against the WWE Universe, when Shane comes out and establishes his role as the villain, before sending a bunch of lower-card wrestlers to jump Leroy.
At that point, he will realize that he needs more firepower to beat the (Mc)man and his minions, so he will form a stable called The Underground which will consist of some midcard and undercard black wrestlers, and one “foxy” black female that will wear an afro. Just so they don't appear to be a Nation of Domination ripoff, he will offer membership to any wrestler, black or otherwise, “down for the cause and ready to take it to the (Mc)man!” but the others won’t join because they are afraid of the (Mc)Man’s power, or Shane sends somebody to take them out as soon as they offer to join.
The plan is to cut off the (Mc)Man's power structure by winning every WWE championship they can get, which will put them in the running for a World belt, a women's belt, a tag belt, and a midcard belt.
Of course, one member of the stable will be a double agent secretly working for Shane McMahon. Finding the traitor will be a storyline in and of itself. But this traitor will be the one that costs all of The Underground their championships, and Leroy decides the only way to win will be to take out the (Mc)Man directly.
It will all cumulate at Survivor series where Leroy Power and the Underground face Shane and his guys in a classic Survivor Series match. It will come down to Leroy vs Shane, with Leroy getting the victory, disbanding The Underground because their mission is complete, and then launching into a typical superhero speech at the end of the match.
Does this sound like a fun idea? I’ve got more where that came from. Subscribe and you’ll get more unused ideas from me every month!