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The Gimmick Table: The Origin of The Stalker

Posted: Jul 10th 2024 By: Brian Damage - RingTheDamnBell.Wordpress.com

A gimmick is something that is intended to hook the attention of fans to a wrestler. They may be outrageous or steeped more in reality, whatever the case may be…some have succeeded and many others have failed. The Gimmick Table takes a look at the origins of some of your favorite and not so favorite gimmicks of professional wrestlers.

Today we browse the gimmick of The Stalker

In 1996, Barry Windham had reached out to JJ Dillon, who was working with the World Wrestling Federation about getting a job with the company. Dillon was able to arrange a meeting with himself, Bruce Prichard and Vince McMahon. Windham had already been with the company on a couple of occasions winning tag team gold with partner Mike Rotunda and again as the Widowmaker. He was also recognized as a former NWA world champion. Despite all of that, Vince McMahon wanted to re-imagine who Barry Windham would be in the WWF.

During their meeting, McMahon asked Barry what he liked to do in his spare time. Windham talked about simply living on his ranch in Georgia and enjoying to fish and hunt. That led Vince to come up with a character based on that lifestyle with the volume turned all the way up. Windham would be a survivalist, who lived deep in the woods and stalked his prey…in the wrestling ring. Hence, the gimmick of ‘The Stalker’ was born.

Bruce Prichard was put in charge of the gimmick and creating his signature look and producing vignettes to introduce his new character. Camouflage and face paint were added to the Stalker’s look which Windham admitted he hated. Windham believed in facial expressions were a huge part in pro wrestling and was not a fan of covering his face in paint. He was also told initially, that the Stalker would debut as a heel. That was changed by Vince at the last minute, who thought the gimmick was better suited as a babyface. Eventually, the Stalker gimmick was phased out due to Barry Windham tinkering with the character on house shows. Windham would ditch the face paint and start wearing cowboy boots instead of combat boots. According to Windham, McMahon got insulted and fired him…thus ending the Stalker gimmick in the WWF.