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World Wrestling Entertainment/Characters/Brand Extension

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Lists the various WWE wrestlers active during the Brand Extension Era, from 2002 to 2011. Please limit associated tropes to that wrestler's time in the WWE.


A

Alberto Del Rio (Alberto Rodríguez) 2010-

"My name is Alberto Del Rio! But you...you already know that."

"It is my destiny..."

Alex Riley (Kevin Robert Kiley, Jr.) 2010-

  • The Apprentice / Battle Butler: To Miz, for a time.
  • Character Development: Probably unintentional, but Alex Riley's kayfabe history is actually very well done if you think about it. He goes from Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up in his NXT phase to getting his first big 'job' with the Miz, who turns out to be a Bad Boss and even bigger bully than Riley himself. Riley finally figures out what it's like to be on the wrong end of a Jerkass and eventually stands up to the bully, realizing the error of his own ways in the process. Again, probably unintentional, but pretty cool as well.
  • Demoted to Extra: Had a toe-to-toe feud with the Miz. Pinned him clean on PPV at one point. After their feud was over, he promptly disappeared almost entirely from Raw. He's regularly seen on Superstars and NXT.
  • The Dog Bites Back: After The Miz had failed yet again to retake the title from John Cena on Over The Limit, he called Riley a useless bungler who has been actively responsible for his every failure over the past few months. After a few humiliating slaps, he then fires Riley, to which Riley responds by beating the everloving hell out of the Miz, destroying his suit, and leaving the ring to thunderous cheering.
    • TWICE!
  • Jerk Jock: Dubbed himself "The Varsity Villain" on NXT, and ran around wearing a letterman jacket. Definitely played the part, as well.
  • The Runner Up Takes It All: By the way things are going for Riley, he may very well end up more successful in the WWE than the NXT season 2 winner Kaval, who is already released. Even more ironic since his former mentor also qualifies for this trope through Tough Enough season 4.
  • Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: Seems to have picked up his mentor's gift for wearing a good suit.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: As a heel.
  • Underwear of Power


B

Batista (David Michael Bautista, Jr.) 2002-2010

"That's my title, and coming this Sunday, I'll be taking it back!"
"Basketballs don't hold grudges!"
"Weapons aren't only encouraged. They're allowed."

Bobby Lashley (Franklin Roberto "Bobby" Lashley) 2005-2008

Brock Lesnar (Brock Edward Lesnar) 2002-2004, 2012

Brodus Clay (George Murdoch), 2010-

  • Acrofatic: 350+ pounds and can still preform high cross body slams.
  • Ambiguously Bi the Way: Seems pretty cool with his pair of female backup dancers. But there's something to be said for the fact that anytime one of his opponents has attempted to put him in a hold, his response has been (despite his strength) to gyrate his hips and thrust his pelvis until the guy got so uncomfortable he had to let him go.
  • Big Fun: As the Funkasaurus.
  • Boring but Practical: And running splash might be one of the more boring (technically speaking) finishers in the WWE to date, but there's something to be said for jumping and throwing all near-four hundred pounds of yourself onto an opponent's chest. And that 'something said' is usually a 3-count.
  • The Brute: A Genre Savvy subversion.
  • Captain Ersatz: Of King Hippo, of all things. The Miz was quick to point this out when forced to fight him.
  • Calling Your Attacks: "SHEEE-plex, baby!"
  • Dance Battler
  • Death From Above: His finisher is a running splash to a downed opponent. Let's put that into perspective - a guy that's about 375 pounds goes airborne and lands on the chest of whatever poor sap happens to be fighting him that day. Ouch.
  • Four Moves Of Doom: In the early goings of his career on WWE, his matches have ended with a sequence of: Running Headbutt, Exploder Suplex, Corner Splash, and then his Finishing Move.
  • Friend to All Children: As a face. His wins tend to end with about a half dozen or more kids dancing alongside him and the backup girls in the ring.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar / Don't Explain the Joke: His finishing move (a leaping cross body) was called, "Ah, Funk It". Yeah. Let's see how long that name sticks in the PG Era.
    • Double Subverted. After about a week, they changed the finisher name again. Now it's called "What The Funk?"...which is, if anything, even less subtle than the first one.
    • He no longer uses the crossbody, having traded it for an as-of-yet unnamed splash.
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: Worked as a body guard for Snoop Dogg.
  • Incoming Ham: At most, there are a handful of entrances on WWE's main roster that bring the hog like Brodus Clay's...and, since he's been on TV for less than a month, that's saying a lot.
  • Kiai: SHHHHHEEEEEAAAA.
  • Large Ham: Emphasis on the "large"...and the "ham."
  • Lightning Bruiser: Moves around the ring way faster than should be allowed for a man of his size and build.
  • Meaningful Name: The original name for his finisher was called the "Fall of Humanity." As mentioned before, it's a running high cross body done by a 360-pound man. Do the math on that one.
  • Parts Unknown: Planet Funk
  • Reality Subtext: His debut to WWE TV, while still on NXT, saw him as a bodyguard, which was one of his well-known
  • Recycled Soundtrack: Brodus' face theme, "Somebody Call My Momma", was briefly used in WWE eight years earlier by Ernest "The Cat" Miller. Unfortunately for Brodus, Tazz is no longer around to sing along to the song.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: His motivation as a heel.
  • Shout-Out: Took the name Brodus Clay as one to the man he once guarded, Calvin Cordozar Broadus...otherwise known as Snoop Dogg.
  • Stout Strength
  • What Could Have Been: Subverted. Originally, he was to debut as a monster heel, injuring jobbers and putting them in his personal 'Hall of Pain.' WWE liked the idea...but the gimmick went to Mark Henry instead.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: After been Put on a Bus, due to sustaining an injury while attempting to help Alberto Del Rio win the World Heavyweight Title, he started having Squash Matches on Superstars and then finally getting a promo that he was coming to Raw. Only to have Laurinaitis calling him on a weekly basis telling him, he'll be having a match the next week ... that is until January 9, 2012 when he came back as the Funkasaurus.


C

Carlito (Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colon, Jr.) 2004-2010

Chris Masters (Christopher Todd Mordetzky) 2005-2007, 2009-2011

CM Punk (Phillip Jack Brooks) 2006-

Cody Rhodes (Cody Runnels) 2007-

Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers) 2007-


D

Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) 2010-

  • Big Yes: Following his heel turn he would shout Yes! Yes! Yes!, whenever he won. Also whenever he makes his entrance.
  • Badass Beard
  • Badass Normal
  • But Not Too White
  • Chick Magnet: First the Bellas, then Gail Kim, then AJ.
  • The Everyman: His current gimmick, he's a laidback normal looking technical wrestler surrounded by a pack of crazy people.
  • Expy: He started as one of Chris Benoit and Dynamite Kid.
    • Kurt Angle ever since turning heel due to his technical skill and referring to himself as a role model oblivious to the fans booing.
  • Granola Guy: a vegan socialist.
  • Face Heel Turn: Followinghim winning the World Heavyweight title
  • Perma-Stubble
  • Put on a Bus: After The Nexus attacked he was was the only one who was remorseful and wouldn't be part of the group[1], but returned in time for Summer Slam as part of Cena's team.
  • Sobriquet:
    • On the indies, he was known as "the American Dragon." Although it has not been used on WWE TV yet[when?], WWE did secure a trademark on the name.
    • Even though WWE hasn't used it yet, we know they definitely aren't shying away from the idea based on the evidence that Bryan has dragons on his ring gear.
      • As of 2011, he's been referred to as "The American Dragon". During his February match with the Miz.
  • Underwear of Power
  • Weak but Skilled

David Otunga (David Daniel Otunga Sr) 2010-

Dolph Ziggler (Nick Nemeth) 2005, 2006, 2008-

  • Arch Enemy: He and Kofi Kingston have feuded over the mid card titles almost nonstop.
  • Boring but Practical: His finishing move, the Sleeper Hold is a very effective and pretty simple move, but it just doesn't look that cool. In a WWE Magazine letter column, he defends this by saying it's much more versatile than some of his previous finishers.
  • Canon Discontinuity: You mean this guy used to be Chavo "Kerwin White" Guerrero's caddy? And they don't bring up his time in the Spirit Squad either.
  • Card-Carrying Villain: It says "#Heel" on his tights.
  • Catch Phrase: "Hi, I'm Dolph Ziggler." (Lasted until he used "I Am Perfection" for the first time.)
  • Deadpan Snarker: On NXT season 4. During challenges and matches he's not involved in (as an active wrestler at least), he has a tendency to grab a mic and mock whatever is going on.
  • Dye Hard: See below.
  • Expy: Of Mr. Perfect, primarily due to his theme song. Oh, if only he could do the Perfect Plex.
    • Some say of Billy Gunn. He's got the hair and the moveset.
    • His slicked back bleach blond hair also makes him look a little like a younger Ric Flair.
  • The Fighting Narcissist: "I am perfection!".
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: Chavo "Kerwin White" Guerrero's former caddy and the only former member of the Spirit Squad still employed.
  • Hidden Depths: Fluent in American Sign Language.
  • Hot-Blooded: Which really bites him in the ass in matches, his Fatal Flaw is the ease he gets frustrated by failure.
    • Holy crap, when his NXT Rookie Byron Saxton got eliminated, Dolph was channeling Ric Flair levels of hot blooded craziness.
  • Important Haircut: Right after the start of his first run on WWE Monday Night Raw.
    • And again after his return to Raw.
  • Likes Older Women
  • Old Shame: Used to be a member of Spirit Squad, and Chavo Guerrero's caddy.
  • Screaming Warrior
  • Weak but Skilled: Is a smaller wrestler that relies a lot more on his speed and legit talent then throwing people around.

Drew McIntyre (Drew Galloway) 2009-


E

Ezekiel Jackson (Rycklon Stephens) 2008-


F

Finlay (David Finlay) 2006-2011


G

Goldberg (William Scott "Bill" Goldberg) 2003-2004

The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) 2006-


H

Heath Slater (Heath Miller) 2010-


J

Jack Swagger (Jacob "Jake" Hager) 2008-

John Cena (John Felix Anthony Cena, Jr.) 2002-

John Morrison (John Randall Hennigan) 2004-2011

Justin Gabriel (Paul Lloyd Jr.) 2010-


K

Kaval (Brandon Silvestry) 2010

"Call me a rookie, find out what I'm packing, cause I'm the only reason for some Total Nonstop Action."

Ken Kennedy (Ken Anderson) 2005-2009

Kofi Kingston (Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah) 2008-


M

Michael McGillicutty (Joseph Curtis "Joe" Hennig) 2010-

The Miz (Michael "Mike" Mizanin) 2006-

Montel Vontavious Porter (Alvin Burke, Jr.) 2006-2010

  • Ascended Meme: For a long time, the Wrestlecrap message board would routinely insist that what WWE needed was a character based on obnoxious football prima donna Terrell Owens. That wish was finally granted with MVP.
    • Then subverted when MVP turned face, becoming much more like the good-guy, inspirational kind of athlete from a tough background.
  • Fan Nickname: The Power Ranger, thanks to his rather unorthodox outfit (which he wore to cover up a Malcolm X tattoo). JBL spared no expense in mocking him for it in his debut.
  • Fun with Acronyms: MVP.
  • Jerkass (Heel)
  • Jerk Jock (Heel)
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold (Face)
  • Latex Space Suit
  • The Napoleon (Heel)
  • Put on a Bus: Asked for his release because he didn't like how he was being booked. Proceeded to head for Japan.
  • Real Life Writes the Plot: Being an ex-con limits some of his travel options.
  • Small Name, Big Ego

Muhammad Hassan (Mark Copani) 2004-2005

  • But Not Too Foreign: Was portrayed as an Arab-American.
  • Enemy Mine: His entry into the 2005 Royal Rumble caused this, with all eight men (Consisting of both Faces and Heels) in the ring stopping what they were doing & waiting for him to get to the ring, before everyone attacked him.
  • Evil Foreigner: Subverted. But that didn't stop the "USA" chants.
  • Fake Nationality: Mostly. He's half Italian with some traces of Jordanian-Palestinian.
  • Mistaken for Terrorist
  • Real Life Writes the Plot / Screwed by the Network / What Could Have Been: Was originally set to defeat Undertaker in a number one contender's match and eventually face then-Champion Batista in a title match at SummerSlam 2005. However, after the Smackdown controversy caused from the infamous Undertaker/Daivari match, UPN demanded Hassan to be removed from Smackdown. So, his match with The Undertaker at the Great American Bash was used to write out his character. His career never recovered, and it took years before he would attend anything wrestling-related again.
  • Tall, Dark and Handsome
  • Villain Has a Point: During his term, his arguments about how Americans were treating Arabs were shocking valid when one pays attention to them very carefully.

R

Randy Orton (Randal "Randy" Keith Orton) 2002-

Rey Mysterio, Jr. (Oscar Gutierrez) 2002-

  • Badass Spaniard
  • Cool Mask
  • Determinator
  • Even the Guys Want Him: If you can name one semi-regular tag partner he's ever had that didn't snuggle, kiss, and hug him at every available chance, I'd love to hear it.
  • Fragile Speedster
  • Game-Breaking Injury: Has been having problems with his knees for years.
  • Hot Dad
  • I Have the High Ground
  • Kid Appeal Character
  • Legacy Character: To clarify, Rey originally wrestled as Rey Mysterio, Jr. (or Rey Mistero Jr if you want to be a little more accurate). The original Rey Mysterio was his uncle. Jr was unmasked during WCW however, WWE wanted him with his mask. Luchadore traditions are pretty strict about strict about putting a mask back on so to get around that, Jr asked and got permission to wrestle as simply Rey Mysterio in WWE. That is, Rey Mysterio, Jr. was unmasked but Rey Mysterio never was.
    • Fridge Brilliance: He's not stealing his uncle's identity. Rey Mysterio, and Rey Misterio are two different characters.
  • Location Theme Naming: The West Coast Pop is obviously named from the West Coast of the US, while the 619 is the area code of San Diego, CA (which is part of the West Coast), Rey's hometown.
  • Masked Luchador: DUH!
  • Older Than They Look
  • Omniglot: Maybe not in real life, but he seems to be able to easily converse with everyone else on the roster, up to and including a mute leprechaun and a giant who can barely even speak his own language.
  • Pint-Sized Powerhouse

R-Truth (Ronald "Ron" Killings) 1999-2000, 2008-

I Want My Son Back!


S

Santino Marella (Anthony Carelli) 2007-

Sheamus (Stephen Farrelly) 2009-


T

Ted Dibiase (Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr.) 2008-

Tyler Reks (Gabriel Allan Tuft) 2009-

Tyson Kidd (Theodore James "T.J." Wilson) 2009-


U

Umaga (Edward "Eddie" Solofa Fatu) 2002-2003, 2005-2009


W

Wade Barrett (Stuart Alexander Bennett) 2010-

  • A Father to His Men: Seemed to genuinely care about the welfare of the other Nexus members initially, risking his own contract and title shot to secure contracts for them. This didn't last after their loss at Summerslam.
    • The latter part was named as the reason he was exiled from Nexus when he turned around and formed the Corre; making it too much about Wade when it was supposed to be about the group. Crosses over into Ring Psychology as while in Nexus, he'd make the other members put people on his shoulders for his finisher while with Corre, he does the whole thing himself.
  • Evil Brit
  • Fatal Flaw: It's All About Me has come back to bite him in the ass repeatedly.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: Feels completely justified doing what he did to get himself and the rest of the rookies contracts.
    • {Leitmotif} End of Days.
  • The Nexus: Was their leader. Then became the defacto leader/spokesperson for the Corre, an offshoot of the Nexus on Smackdown. That is, until his It's All About Me attitude took over, and the group disbanded because of it.
  • Mr. Fanservice
  • Noble Demon: He's even apologized for attacking John Cena and Bret Hart.
  • Smug Snake
  • Tall, Dark and Snarky
  • Underwear of Power


Y

Yoshi Tatsu (山本 尚史 Yamamoto Naofumi) 2009-


Z

Zach Gowen 2003-2004

Zack Ryder (Matthew Cardona) 2007-

  • Arch Enemy: Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Vickie Guerrero
  • Catch Phrase: "Woo woo woo!"
    • You know it.
    • From his internet show there's also "Take care, spike your hair."
    • "Are you serious, Bro?"
  • Odd Friendship: With Raw commentator for WWE Superstars Scott Stanford. Stanford's a middle-aged, Emmy winning sportscaster while Ryder's a young, Long Island guido. Yet Stanford regularly takes part in Ryder's internet show taking part in all of it'z zaniness and even threw out a couple of Zack Ryder references while doing highlights for a Yankees game on the New York news.
  • Plucky Comic Relief: The dude's basically Santino if he was from Long Island instead of Italy and slightly less ridiculous.
  • Those Two Guys: With Curt Hawkins, when they were associated with Edge.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Went from a funny Heel jobber to a credible Face United States Champion in less than a year, all thanks to his YouTube series which would either gotten him noticed or fired.
  • Running Gag: Lots in Z! True Long Island Story. His various turns of phrase with wrestling lingo, his own dad being a John Morrison fan instead of a Zack Ryder fan and every episode featuring a (usually very quick) shot of a Dolph Ziggler action figure.
  • Underwear of Power
  • Unrelated Brothers: With Curt Hawkins when they were known as the Major Brothers.
  1. ↑ He was fired after shoking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his tie and WWE felt it was too violent, so he was let go
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