WWE fan-favorite Eugene quickly crept into the hearts of the audience and by copying the finishers of many of his favorite wrestlers, Eugene seemed to be a successful act. However, according to Jim Ross, the character had several issues that ultimately hindered any momentum NickDinsmore, the man behind the persona, could drum up.
"Timing is everything," Ross explained during an episode of his "Grilling JR" podcast. "He did have all the intangibles: he could work, he was reliable, was entertaining, had a good personality, but his gimmick as Eugene was a little weak." Ross further added that the "Eugene" gimmick wasn't layered, despite how hard Dinsmore worked to do everything he could to get his character over. "His character, the Eugene character, did have a ceiling: it was not taken seriously and because it wasn't taken seriously by the audience, it wasn't taken seriously by Vince."
In the past, Dinsmore has addressed claims that "Eugene" was an offensive portrayal, and stated that he's personally never had anyone approach him and suggest this, neither while he was signed to WWE nor during modern times. Furthermore, Dinsmore disagrees with the online consensus that WWE couldn't "get away" with portraying a "Eugene" character today. Dinsmore also praised both Vince McMahon and Triple H for the way they handled his booking as well as for their efforts in getting him over during their television segments and matches together.
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