{"id":103397,"date":"2021-10-31T10:00:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-31T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=103397"},"modified":"2021-10-30T10:25:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T14:25:46","slug":"isla-dawn-nails-supernatural-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/10\/31\/isla-dawn-nails-supernatural-character\/","title":{"rendered":"Isla Dawn Nails Trick With Supernatural Character"},"content":{"rendered":"

NXT UK<\/strong> superstar Isla Dawn<\/strong> has managed to succeed where many recently have failed by pulling off a supernatural gimmick. In this article, we look at how she has managed to create a supernatural yet relatable character and avoided mistakes made by other mystical wrestlers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Supernatural Persona of Isla Dawn<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Previous Supernatural Superstars\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Wrestling has long had a history of supernatural characters with none more successful than The Undertaker<\/strong>. \u201cThe Deadman\u201d refused to give interviews or pose with fans. He lived his gimmick and kept his mystique.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When his long-lost and presumed dead brother Kane<\/a><\/strong> made his debut in 1997, WWE<\/strong> knew how to write gripping and suspenseful stories. Man-monster seeking revenge for his brother nearly killing him in a fire wasn\u2019t too wild of a story for us to get into. We all fear our past coming back to haunt us. Kane was already a character many had spent years in fear of as a result of his likeness to Halloween\u2019s<\/em> Michael Myers<\/a>. Kane also lived his gimmick. He would leave the arena with his face covered and also didn’t give interviews. This led to constant wonder of what his face looked like. Sure, it was a story, but was he really disfigured? Were they actually brothers? The blurred lines helped us invest in Undertaker and Kane.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But in modern-day wrestling, mythical superstars have lacked depth or decent storylines. Time hasn\u2019t been invested to allow us to understand the motives of supernatural characters. The Boogeyman<\/strong> was nothing more than a joke. Bray Wyatt\u2019s The Fiend<\/strong>\u00a0was at first exciting and fresh. The gimmick should have worked but poor narrative and confusing booking resulted in less good than bad. Then, WWE tried to embody Alexa Bliss<\/strong> with whatever it was that The Fiend was<\/a>. Things got too over the top and people struggled to invest in the character.<\/span><\/p>\n

We also live in a time when most wrestlers – such as Bliss – break their gimmicks on social media. This fails to reinforce the supernatural abilities one possesses as believable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So it would make sense to conclude that supernatural characters won\u2019t work in 2021. But, in NXT UK, Isla Dawn has proved how supernatural characters can – and should – work today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dawn\u2019s Wiccan Heritage\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Firstly, like all great gimmicks, Dawn\u2019s is based in reality. We have never been told that Isla Dawn is a broomstick-flying witch that steals children. Instead, we are told that her family has a history of following the Wiccan faith. This isn\u2019t too hard to believe as there are said to be almost 100,000 followers of the faith in the United States and the United Kingdom. We aren\u2019t being forced to fear Dawn, but merely led to feel slightly unsettled by her heritage for practicing pagan witchcraft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing she has done has been too unbelievable. We\u2019ve seen her practicing tarot to look for guidance. Thousands of people attend conferences and conventions across the globe to study tarot, including the London Tarot Conference<\/a>, which runs every October. She has looked for guidance from a Ouija board. This is normal when you consider that, every Halloween since 1927, magicians have gathered in America and used similar tactics to try to contact the spirit of Harry Houdini.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The sinister @IslaDawn<\/a> is prepared to make a grave sacrifice to become the #NXTUK<\/a> Women\u2019s Champion. \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa @NXTUK<\/a>, 3 ET\/8 BST | @peacockTV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/m9gWyWjKkK<\/a><\/p>\n

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) May 6, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n