WWE has always been creative, which has resulted in a mixed response from the fans. There have been times when the WWE Universe has extremely liked something the company has been excited about for weeks. However, there have been some instances where the surprise was not exactly welcomed the way the Stamford-based promotion wanted. One such instance was the introduction of Gobbledy Gooker in 1990.
In the weeks leading up to the Survivor Series in 1990, WWE showed an egg waiting to be hatched on TV several times. At the time, there were several speculations on who it could be, and it was truly one of the most talked-about segments each week. Fans speculated it to be the debut of Ric Flair or The Undertaker but dealt with something less exciting at Survivor Series.
It was in Survivor Series 1990 when Mean Gene introduced the life-sized turkey getting hatched from the egg. As soon as Gobbledy Gooker was seen getting hatched, the crowd gave a solid negative reaction, which was covered by the commentators. The WWE Styled Mascot didn’t receive a hostile reception from the fans and was declared to be a disappointment upon its debut.
11/22/1990 – The fourth annual WWF Survivor Series took place on Thanksgiving Night in Hartford, Connecticut. This pay-per-view was least fondly remembered for the hatching of a giant egg which contained the ‘Gobbledy Gooker’ pic.twitter.com/GfbUdF0j87
— On this Day in Pro Wrestling History (@otdprowrestling) November 22, 2023
Hector Guerrero played the character Gobbledy Gooker and was seen in another backstage segment involving other WWE Superstars at the time. Vince McMahon wanted the turkey to be the mascot for his company, but as it turned out, it never got the response it needed. As a result, the character failed miserably and wasn’t seen in the WWE regularly, but he made some rare appearances.
Which Superstars have played the Gobbledy Gooker in WWE?
The Mascot was again seen at WrestleMania 17, played by Hector again in a gimmick Battle Royal. Xavier Woods and Jey Uso cosplayed the character in 2015, attacking each other’s teams. The Boogeyman also terrified other superstars in 2008 after turning into the Gobbledly Gooker. Even Maryse turned into a turkey, attacking several other women.
13 years ago today: @MaryseMizanin returned to #WWERaw, attacking @RealMelina pic.twitter.com/KYzCDSE20I
— Brie’s Acting Coach (@BACStratus_) November 23, 2022
In his most recent appearance, Drew Gulak cosplayed the character and won the 24/7 Championship. It was in Survivor Series 2020 when Gulak defeated R-Truth to win the 24/7 Championship in the kickoff show. Whether the mascot will make another appearance for the company is still a doubt; it hasn’t been successful in the WWE Universe over the years.