10 Times Wrestler's Ring Attire Was A Tribute To A Legend
Wrestlers have inspired other wrestlers as long as the business has been around. Many of today's stars are emulating heroes from the Attitude Era who, in turn, imitated wrestlers of their own childhoods. This has been a familiar sight as workers are open to paying homage to their heroes. That includes dressing up in unique outfits meant to pay tribute to legends of the past.
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Note that this isn't dressing up for a Halloween show (the New Day as the Brood). Nor acts obviously meant as copies (Jay Lethal's "Macho Man" impression in TNA). These are times wrestlers paid an excellent tribute via their outfits to a legend of the past while still keeping their own style. These 10 outfits show how much a legend can inspire a newcomer, and it was nice of them to honor the legends right back.
10 CM Punk as Randy Savage, RAW 2011
CM Punk may not always have the nicest things to say about some past wrestling legends, but he does respect several. For a 2011 RAW show, Punk came out in bright pink tights marked with stars. That may seem an odd look until it was clear he was honoring the Macho Man Randy Savage.
While Punk has...issues...with various older wrestlers, he always gushed on Savage, so it's little wonder he would choose to honor him and live up to Savage's own individual style.
9 Pete Dunne as Vader, 2018
"The Bruiserweight" is known for a very stiff manner in the ring. That style fits Vader, often cited as one of the stiffest workers ever. When Vader passed away in 2018, Pete Dunne honored him by showing up in the same colored suit and the label "Bruiser Night" over "Vader Time."
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Honestly, it looked a little silly on Dunne's slighter frame, but it was still a great way for the U.K. Champion to pay tribute to a legend.
8 Candice LeRae as Shawn Michaels NXT May 2020
The Heartbreak Kid was always loved for his amazing style in the ring, and those famous chap pants were his showcase. Whether heel or face, Shawn Michaels always kept himself in style. Candice LeRae has a unique style of her own and showed it in May of 2020 on NXT.
For a special ladder match, LeRae emulated Michaels with gear harkening to his old "Boy Toy" days. Given his own ladder experience, Michaels was a good choice for LeRae to copy.
7 Bronson Reed as Bam Bam Bigelow, Takeover XXX
The "Beast from the East" may not have been a world champion outside of ECW. But he was loved for his unique style and that famous tattooed head. Bronson Reed was a fan and proved it by coming out in Bigelow's special flame-covered tights for the North American Title ladder match at TakeOver XXX.
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Reed cited himself as a major fan of Bigelow, and this was a fine way to honor one of wrestling's overlooked big men.
6 Zack Ryder as Warrior, Luger and Savage, Battleground 2016
Zacky Ryder had a good vibe in WWE, but he outdid himself here. For his U.S. Title match against Rusev at Battleground 2016, Ryder mixed various past patriotic wrestling images.
His red-white-and-blue coat was the same as Sting's from the 1990 Great American Bash, the pads and shorts were Lex Luger's from SummerSlam 1993, and the shades were the same as Randy Savage's from some 4th of July shows. Ryder lost the match, but he was a winner in the outfit.
5 The Young Bucks as The Rockers, ROH Final Battle 2018
Since their debut, Nick and Matt Jackson have been hailed for their astounding double-team moves, high-flying, and seamless teamwork. More than one reviewer has compared them to The Rockers, one of the best teams in WWE history. As it happens, the Jacksons were inspired by Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty.
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At Final Battle 2018, the Bucks came out in Rockers-themed gear, although they wouldn't say who was who. It's still a fine touch of arguably the best team of today honoring a classic one of the past.
4 Charlotte as Ric Flair, Multiple Times
At first, Charlotte Flair tried to be more her own person out of her famous father's shadow. But as her fame grew, Charlotte was soon emulating her dad in more than just ego and skill. Starting with WrestleMania 32, Charlotte would make fabulous entrances wearing her father's same robes, often accompanied by fireworks.
She even copied her dad's helicopter entrance for Mania 35. The robes are stylish but still useful for Charlotte honoring her dad as much as she can.
3 Sasha Banks as Eddie Guerrero, WrestleMania 32
For the epic Triple Threat match for the newly minted Women's Title at WrestleMania 32, "The Boss" put a spin on her usual style. Sasha Banks has always made it clear Eddie Guerrero was one of her biggest inspirations to get into wrestling.
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At this big Mania battle, she came out in the same style of tights Eddie had worn when beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title at No Way Out 2004. While she came up short in the battle, it was still a good touch by Sasha.
2 CM Punk As Bret Hart SummerSlam 2012
It's Punk again, this time honoring Bret Hart at SummerSlam 2012. Punk was defending the WWE Championship against both Big Show and John Cena, and his bright pink Hitman-inspired tights were fun to watch.
This tribute is even funnier given that not long after, Punk slapped Bret in an in-ring interview. Since then, the pair have had a minor public beef but this shows how Punk still respects the Hitman.
1 Bayley as Dusty Rhodes & Shawn Michaels, TakeOver Brooklyn I
This was a twofer for Bayley for her now-classic TakeOver Brooklyn match with Sasha Banks. The bright white-and-gold attire was a tribute to Shawn Michaels with his WrestleMania XII battle with Bret Hart.
But Bayley also came with a yellow-and-black headband and coat to pay tribute to the recently passed Dusty Rhodes. It turned out to be great as Bayley defeated Sasha for the title to emulate HBK even more.
