Adrian Adonis question

[Guest JMA]

Does anyone know the exact time that Adrian Adonis changed from tough guy to effeminate cross dresser in the WWF? How did the change occur; was the change gradual or fast?

[cawthon777]

WWF @ Poughkeepsie, NY - Mid-Hudson Civic Center - December 17, 1985

Championship Wrestling taping:

 

1/11/86 - included Adrian Adonis & Jimmy Hart as guests of the Piper's Pit in which Adonis unveiled the 'Adorable' gimmick

 

I think they mentioned Adonis as "Adorable" a few weeks earlier during a match but that was the debut of the actual gimmick. So, I suppose in that way it was somewhat gradual.

[MillenniumMan831]

He was actually "Adorable" in his 12/85 MSG match against Lanny Poffo. However, Alfred Hayes sold it as if it was the 1st time he's ever seen the gimmick and it wasn't quite as blunt as it would be in 1986. IIRC, he was wearing some mascara and a scarf and making some effiminate comments on his way to the ring but he was still wearing the black tights.

[Guest bigm350]

Was he given the 'Adorable' gimmick as some sort of punishment? What was the deal behind it?

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

He dressed with some "gay esque" leather as far back as his tag title run with Murdoch

[Slickster]

"Blew your gimmick, mate!"

[Vern Gagne]

Was he given the 'Adorable' gimmick as some sort of punishment? What was the deal behind it?

Wasn't it because Adonis gained a ton of weight, and became out of shape?

[cawthon777]

Basically.

[1234-5678]

Anyone aware of the reason he gained all that weight after being a pretty good worker and in shape? Booze? Cause he went from like 260 to 360 in a heartbeat.

[strummer]

I don't think Vince ever thought Adonis would get as over as he did, as a gimmick that was supposed to be punishment ended up in a high midcard feud with the 2nd/3rd most hype at WM 3. After the money match with Piper, Adonis was let go, and briefly went to the AWA before passing away in a car accident.

[chuck415]

"Blew your gimmick, mate!"

Fuckin A

I nearly shit my pants when i seen that!

[nl5xsk1]

If memory serves, Adonis spent a while carrying a briefcase with "Relax with Trudy" written on it for a while before he came out on Piper's Pit. I remember there being all sorts of "what's in the briefcase?!?" babble by the announcers while he carried it to the ring. Finally it was announced that his gay side was in the briefcase, and that is what he announced on the Pit.

 

And since he was straight in reality ... why did he keep the gay gimmick when he went to the AWA? It's not like it was such a money gimmick that he needed to keep it.

[Jericholic82]

Ineteresting thing, my ex-neighbor's uncle was Adrian Adonis. Well her aunt was married to him. Told me stories of his funeral and Piper spoke at it. Her other aunt apparantly dated Piper for awhile. The neighbor moved away over 4 years ago so I cant ask more

[Jericholic82]

So is Adrian then the first "gay" wrestler. I mean Goldust acted weird but never claimed to be gay. and billy and chuck turned out to be acting like that for publicity.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Was he given the 'Adorable' gimmick as some sort of punishment? What was the deal behind it?

Wasn't it because Adonis gained a ton of weight, and became out of shape?

It was kind of an odd situation. He started getting overweight and they gave him the gimmick and then it got a lot worse.

 

Just look at Wrestlemania II and III. He easily packed on a 100 lbs. during that timeframe.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

So is Adrian then the first "gay" wrestler. I mean Goldust acted weird but never claimed to be gay. and billy and chuck turned out to be acting like that for publicity.

No, Gorgeous George was doing that decades before Adonis.

[Jericholic82]

So is Adrian then the first "gay" wrestler. I mean Goldust acted weird but never claimed to be gay. and billy and chuck turned out to be acting like that for publicity.

No, Gorgeous George was doing that decades before Adonis.

well i know about george, but what I meant was adrian was basically "coming out" on tv, i dont think george was ever supposed to be gay

[Masked Man of Mystery]

I'm not so sure GG was ever supposed to be gay as much as he was very, very arrogant and more like Ric Flair(ie he could bring the goods if needed to, but he'd rather win the easy way and make himself feel superior by screwing with people). At least that's what I get from reading about the character. Effeminate yes, but more in a sort of metrosexual way than oh, say Rico

Edited April 8, 2005 by Masked Man of Mystery

[Jericholic82]

good points

[Guest Trivia247]

So is Adrian then the first "gay" wrestler. I mean Goldust acted weird but never claimed to be gay. and billy and chuck turned out to be acting like that for publicity.

well tthere was Adrian Street out there in the other promotions during that early 80's time as well

[Guest JMA]

I would've LOVED to see Adrian Street in the WWF during the eighties. He could've had a series of bloody matches against Savage.

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

So is Adrian then the first "gay" wrestler. I mean Goldust acted weird but never claimed to be gay. and billy and chuck turned out to be acting like that for publicity.

well tthere was Adrian Street out there in the other promotions during that early 80's time as well

Street was not playing gay...it was a mind games gimmick. His wife was his valet.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'm not so sure GG was ever supposed to be gay as much as he was very, very arrogant and more like Ric Flair(ie he could bring the goods if needed to, but he'd rather win the easy way and make himself feel superior by screwing with people). At least that's what I get from reading about the character. Effeminate yes, but more in a sort of metrosexual way than oh, say Rico

He was as close to being homosexual that a wrestling character could get during that timeframe. There were very subtile undertones about him. You were supposed to think of him as being gay.

[Black Lushus]

was Johnny B. Badd ever thought of as gay or just simply fruity-ish?

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

"I'm so pretty I cshould've been born a girl"

 

He put kisses on his KO'd opponents

[Jericholic82]

Id say Johnny was latentnly gay, as opposed to Adonis, who was apprantly blatanly gay (carrying a suitcase and inferring that its his secret side makes me think that he was supposed to be gay, though since I wasnt watching wrestling at the time due to being only about 3 years old at the time the gimmick started)

 

 

You have to wonder why there has never been a babyface gay character, well besides Rico but he had a girlfriend so it doesnt count really.

 

 

Why does gay=bad guy?

[ChrisMWaters]

I dunno if Johnny was gay or not.

 

When I started watching WCW...he was trying to steal Kimberly away from DDP.

[Some Guy]

They changed his gimmick quite a bit by that time. When he debuted he an even more flamboyant version of Little Richard and one would have to think that he was a little light in the loafers. By 96 he was pretty much the same character that he played in WWF. WCW started to "straighten" him out in 93-94 after he turned face.

[Jericholic82]

They changed his gimmick quite a bit by that time. When he debuted he an even more flamboyant version of Little Richard and one would have to think that he was a little light in the loafers. By 96 he was pretty much the same character that he played in WWF. WCW started to "straighten" him out in 93-94 after he turned face.

Yea that pretty well covers it. But despite that fact he still continued to wear really gay outfits. Like at Spring Stampede 94 when he wore what Useless Moron useless moron Scott Keith reffered to as a "gay cowboy" outfit.