Gimmick (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a gimmick broadly refers to a wrestler's in-ring persona, character, behaviour, attire, or other distinguishing traits while performing, which are typically designed to draw fan interest. Gimmicks often involve costumes, makeup, and catchphrases that the wrestler shouts at opponents or fans. Gimmicks are developed for good guys/heroes (babyfaces) or bad guys/villains (heel) depending on whether the wrestler is intended to be popular or hated by the audience. A tweener gimmick falls between the two extremes when a wrestler manifests both heel and face traits, such as Randy Orton's viper gimmick. A wrestler may use more than one gimmick over their career depending on the angle or the wrestling promotion they are working for.

Promotions may transfer a gimmick from one wrestler to another, occasionally taking advantage of a masked character, which allows the identity of the performer to be concealed. Razor Ramon was portrayed by both Scott Hall and Rick Bognar and Diesel was portrayed by Kevin Nash and then Glen Jacobs. Occasionally, a wrestler uses a gimmick as a tribute to another worker, such as Ric Flair's Nature Boy persona, which he took on as an homage to the original Nature Boy, Adrian Street. When a wrestler acts outside their gimmick, this is known as "breaking kayfabe", a term showing pro wrestling's linkages to theatre, where the terms "breaking the fourth wall" or "breaking character" are used; however, as wrestlers typically interact with a live audience under the pretense of engaging in a real combat sport, the concept of a fourth wall (a clear metaphorical boundary between reality and the fictional performance) is maintained to a lesser degree than in most forms of theatre.

Gimmicks are annually rated for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards by the publication's owner, professional wrestling journalists, and various industry insiders, such as Dave Meltzer, promoters, agents and performers, other journalists, historians, and fans. The two awards are given to the best and worst gimmick of that year.