Alternative Character Interpretation/Professional Wrestling


 * Evolution Schematic, a column at 411mania's wrestling site, is all about alternate character interpretations, specifically about finding the defining trait that serves as a wrestler's focus through all his Heel Face Turns, Face Heel Turns, gimmick changes, changes of employers, and other such nastiness.
 * Matt and Jeff Hardy. Depending on which degree of smark you are, one brother is potentially the future of the entire business, and the other shouldn't even be working the lowliest of indies shows. You can swap out whichever one you like.
 * Ever since the new incarnation of Extreme Championship Wrestling debuted, fans have criticized the third brand for being a nothing more than a pale imitation of its former namesake, even moreso after a gradual talent purge left Tommy Dreamer the sole ECW Original. However, some enjoy the new ECW for having the pure wrestling that Raw and Smackdown sometimes lack and its focus on making newer stars and elevating wrestlers that aren't ready for Raw or Smackdown. In fact, repeat that last sentence subbing WWF for Raw and WCW for Smackdown and you may have a decent show to watch every Tuesday that just fell victim to a PG mandate a lot earlier than the other two brands did but recently found its own niche. Taz, after leaving WWE, once said call it something else and it would a cool hour.
 * And after the early Executive Meddling by Sci Fi forced the WWE to add sci-fi elements to the show (failing miserably with a zombie wrestler), the Ent got creative with Kevin Thorn and Ariel, WWE's first vampire personas since Gangrel and the Brood. They even inserted them into brand's main feud between the ECW Originals and New Breed. Just too bad they didn't go with it.
 * Vince McMahon himself. Either he's one of the most brilliant showmen of all time and a man who should be hailed by all who would call themselves wrestling fans, or he's an imbecilic amoral scumbag who's only redeeming feature is that he knows to run with what's popular.
 * The Undertaker gets a lot of these, thanks to being Undead Druidic All-American Cowboy Biker, but the most popular one is, that during Ministry of Darkness era, he was Brainwashed and Crazy by Vince McMahon into believing he killed his parents and being more evil than ever before or after.