Though Johnny B. Badd was arguably Marc Mero's most famous gimmick, it wasn't Mero who came up with the idea. It was, in fact, the creation of The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes.
At least, that's what Mero recently told host Jon Poz, in a recent interview with The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, to promote his new autobiography entitled 'Badd to Good: The Inspiring Story of a Wrestling Wildman.'
Mero wrestled in WCW from 1991 until 1996, even winning the World Television Championship on three separate occasions. Wrestling as Johnny B. Badd in WCW -- a character inspired by rock music legend Little Richard -- Mero became a pet project of Dusty Rhodes, who not only came up with the gimmick, but had to tell Mero who Little Richard was in the first place.
"I remember Dusty Rhodes said to me, 'Did anybody ever tell you, you look like Little Richard?' And I'm thinking, I thought he was talking about a wrestler. So I said, 'I don't know who a Little Richard is.' He goes, 'You don't know Little Richard? A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop, A-lop-bam-boom?' And I thought, 'Oh, the singer?' And he goes, 'Yeah.' And I said I never heard that before. He goes, 'Oh, I think I got a gimmick for you...Next thing I know, Terri Runnels...the makeup artist for WCW...I remember she put me in this chair and next thing you know, with the makeup and the eyeliner and everything, all of a sudden, she spins me around the chair, I'm going 'Oh my gosh, I look like Little Richard.' And that's how it took off," Mero said.
History, as they say, was made. And one of WCW's most notable gimmicks was created.
Johnny B. Badd was born and, as his catchphrase detailed, his goal was to "kick your booty, with [his] tooty fruity."
Nowadays, Mero has traded in his eyeliner and/or boxing gloves for a microphone. Mero works as a motivational speaker, and he uses his own experiences to speak to young people about their experiences. He's also written down those experiences in his new book.
Mero also spoke about Brawl for All, his proposed feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, and more.
Click here to see Mero recount the good -- and the Badd -- of his wrestling career.
