There's a lot of debate going on about the direction of WWE with the PG Era. Some believe it's holding the company back, while others prefer avoiding the overly crazy stuff of the Attitude or Ruthless Aggression Eras. Yet WWE can still push the envelope at times, some good and some bad, with some wild gimmicks. Related: Why The PG Era Is Good For WWE (& Why It's Bad)Some gimmicks are notable for how they seem to be throwbacks to an earlier era. Even if they still hold to the PG ratings, wrestlers can have some rather daring gimmicks that push the boundaries of what the PG Era usually does.
10 Lana
Lana has been pushing some boundaries for the PG era since her debut. From her boasting of "Russian greatness" while managing Rusev, to the complex romances with Dolph Ziggler, Lashley, and Liv Morgan, Lana has pulled of some risqué storylines.
She could wrestle well enough yet was more famous for her character work and attracting the attention of other wrestlers, male or female. While sadly gone from WWE now, Lana was a wrestler who was terrific in her time in the company as a throwback to Attitude Era women.
9 Summer Rae
Making her debut as Fandango's dance partner, Summer Rae integrated her dancing with some solid in-ring work. Summer was pushed into the complex feud with Lana, Rusev and Dolph Ziggler, flaunting herself as she tried to romance the men.
Related: 5 Former WWE Women Who Are Still In The Spotlight (And 5 Who Live Quiet Lives
While that was eventually dropped, Summer kept up her risqué looks and gimmick in various matches, and her return is likely to remind fans of what she could do both as a character and in the ring.
8 The Bella Twins
Something about identical twins is always pretty fun and Nikki and Brie Bella made it work better than anyone could expect. True, their act has always pushed boundaries, such as the feud with the infamous "I wish you'd died" line.There was also how they would try to seduce Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and other wrestlers.
Then there was Brie kissing AJ Lee so Nikki could win the Divas title. Of course, that's not mentioning their feud with Ronda Rousey or Nikki's time with John Cena. The Bellas are identical in how they were two of the most boundary-pushing ladies in WWE.
7 Maryse
Maryse has always had a great look, with her French-Canadian roots, while transforming into a legitimate star for WWE. Her ring work improved to earn her runs as Divas Champion, and she always loved showing off for the crowd.
Related: The Miz & Maryse's Relationship Told In Photos, Through The Years
She's kept it up with her marriage to The Miz as they enjoy being the couple fans love to loathe. Maryse gets into it with her heel acts, bragging about her and her husband being better than anyone in WWE, and the touch of elegance just makes the gimmick perfect for her.
6 Carmella
In NXT, Carmella started as Enzo Amore's "hairdresser". She was more a serious in-ring wrestler in WWE, including becoming the SmackDown Women's Champion, followed by her entertaining partnership with R-Truth.
Her recent makeover has put the focus on her vanity and her looks, with her "Untouchable" catchphrase. It's good and led to success with Zelina Vega as they won the Women's Tag Team titles. Carmella is a capable wrestler who's smart, matching that to some pretty risqué acts.
5 Liv Morgan
As soon as the Riott Squad debuted, Liv Morgan enjoyed presenting a wild style. That constant tongue flashing was a big sign, as well as her fun dress sense. She was good in the ring yet liked to rattle opponents with her style.
Related: Liv Morgan's Career Told In Photos Through The Years
That included briefly adopting a more risqué style for the awful triangle of Lana/Rusev/Lashley. Since then, Liv has shifted to a serious worker, including having some good matches with Becky Lynch.
4 Kelly Kelly
Even if it was toned down from her early ECW work, Kelly Kelly still based her gimmick on her looks. Her early bit in ECW was being an exhibitionist.
While that was cut back in the PG era, Kelly often showed off and showcased her attractive looks. She would earn a run as Divas Champ and was not too bad in the ring. Kelly Kelly seemed like a wrestler who enjoyed pushing the boundaries for the PG era in the right ways.
3 Dashing Cody Rhodes
While his AEW fame pushes his toughness, there was a time when Cody Rhodes was focused on his good looks. In between Legacy and becoming Intercontinental Champion, Cody began calling himself "Dashing," a ladies' man who would brag about how handsome he was.
Related: 10 Current Wrestlers Who Have Undergone The Most Gimmick Changes
There was constant flirting with the Divas and giving "grooming tips." The videos could be outlandish, showing himself off and Cody seemed to enjoy the role. At least he was more believable as a ladies' man than his father Dusty.
2 Eva Marie
WWE kept trying, but they could never get Eva Marie to improve in the ring or as a character. The striking red head stood out from the pack with her looks, but it was too bad her constant botches and bad promos ruined what promise the act had.
Eva Marie ended up being briefly rehired, and while she still hadn't improved as much as fans hoped, she did manage to keep her risqué character.
1 Toxic Attraction
Mandy Rose has always had an edge to her. She ramped it up in NXT with her darker hair and is now reigning as NXT Women's Champion. She's backed by Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, the current NXT Women's tag team champions.
The very name Toxic Attraction pushes their gimmick. Throw in bits like Mandy doing a promo in a hot tub and the closeness the trio have, and they very much live up to their name for WWE today.
