Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
The ‘If Factor’ are a series of articles that takes a look at real scenarios in pro wrestling that at one point or another were suggested, planned, considered…but did not get the green light to continue. What would the landscape of professional wrestling look like if these ideas came to fruition?
The If: Papa Shango Returns to the WWF During The Attitude Era
The character of the voodoo priest known as Papa Shango was played by wrestler Charles Wright in the WWF from 1992 until 1993. It was an over the top gimmick which saw Papa Shango use dark magic to make wrestlers vomit and bleed black goo. Despite the often cartoonish antics…Papa Shango was a beloved character by many fans.
Fast forward four years later and the WWF is going through a transformation of its own. Many of the outlandish gimmicks they were known for are being replaced with more adult themed content. The Attitude Era was just beginning. Out with the old and in with the new…except for the WWF wanting to restart the Papa Shango gimmick.
Charles Wright revealed that he was tasked with bringing back the voodoo character back with a more adult themed spin to it. No more goofy magic tricks, this version of Papa Shango would be more serious and far more dangerous than the previous edition. Jerry Lawler did the face paint design for the new Papa Shango. Wright did a photo shoot preparing for the re-debut of the character. Then one day, Vince McMahon calls Charles Wright into his office and lets him know the idea has been scrapped and Wright would be joining the Nation of Domination instead.
The reasoning behind the change of heart, was the plans to bring in Glenn Jacobs to portray the Undertaker’s brother Kane. The feeling in creative was that their simply was no room for two monster heel characters. What if Papa Shango 2.0 went through? What would he be like? Would it have worked?
