Road Warriors influence in Champions of the Galaxy

[riho4life]

I am always amazed how iconic and influential The Road Warriors are.

Of course Animal straight up copied Wez's look from Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, due to Ole Anderson idea. Hawk acted like Wez. They got over big off a relatively minor character (who did have a unique look*).

It's such an interesting quirk in history, and it has to do with Champions of the Galaxy to this day, as The Gladiators Of Aethra were inspired by them, facepaint and all.

Sting wouldn't be around today without copying that gimmick, and The Ultimate Warrior would have never been World Champion.

Also see The Powers of Pain. Demolition copied Lord Humongous from the same movie. I know Bruce Prichard and others insist they did not copy The Road Warriors, but they clearly had facepaint while Wez did not. At the very least they copied the same movie.

It's amazing how many people made so much money off that look, which has become entrenched so in our consciousness. Even the Dreadnaughts from G.I. Joe were inspired by Mad Max. 

I am half-musing if CotG would have gotten so big without that iconic Spike ad or without Brute and Massacre in 2087 for kids to wish fulfill being the Road Warriors.

*The mohawk hairstyle in the 70s and 80s were worn by punks, rebels, and toughs, inspired by the Iroquois. Interestingly enough, Harley Race thought The Ultimate Warrior was an "Indian". And it should be noted Native American Geronimo from Kinnikuman (M.U.S.C.L.E.) looks like the Ultimate Warrior but debuted years beforehand.

[Pete]

The Mad Max movies have to be the greatest influence on wrestling of any movie ever, except maybe the old Popeye cartoons (the Hulk-Up is descended from Blackjack Mulligan who descended from the comebacks of Jackie Fargo who directly lifted his comeback from Popeye). Not just all the gimmicks above but things like "Spin the Wheel / Make the Deal" as well, and Madd Maxx & Super Maxx in WWA/AWA.

[Bazzy]

That is who Brute & Massacre were based around ?

[TTX]

Animal and Hawk? For sure. Vanity was Ric Flair without the push and talent. Some others probably pulled at least generally from others if not exactly.

["Emperor Norton" (Mark T)]

Jun 18, 2023 5:36:30 GMT -5 TTX said:

Animal and Hawk? For sure. Vanity was Ric Flair without the push and talent. Some others probably pulled at least generally from others if not exactly.

.....

Throughout the history of pro wrestling up until the mid 1990s there were certain archetypes that were always present: the native American, the gentle giant, the patriot, the foreign menace, the ladies man, etc. All of these are represented in the original Champions Of The Galaxy in some form. The Road Warriors with the size and the haircuts and the face paint were the template an entirely new type came from and Brute and Massacre are definitely at least influenced by that.

[Pete]

Tom straight-up said on the old Ingersoll board or maybe the old Guestbook that Brute & Massacre = Hawk & Animal. Obviously not one-to-one, but "the GWF's version of the Road Warriors" was 100% the thought process.

[cotgfb]

On the Road Warriors DVD, Animal credits Hawk with the idea for their haircuts. He doesn't say where Hawk got the idea, probably Hawk never said, so it come have come from the movie. We can't ask him now. But the Gladiators had the same attitude as the Road Warriors, "kick butt and who cares what your name is".