WWE Vault Appreciation Thread

[Chico Torres]

Incredible work. I want to be in a job where there is a Teams meeting scheduled to review and sign off on the line up of a Papa Shango compilation.

[theringmaster]

22 hours ago, Chili said:

Fuck it, go on then!

 

Had a drink last night, one can lead to another and before I knew it, it was 1030pm on Wednesday, i'm drinking Jamesons and I'm watching Papa Shango. Those early matches and segments were brilliant, you could see how Vince felt he had the next big monster heel on his hands. 

[Chili]

2 hours ago, theringmaster said:

Had a drink last night, one can lead to another and before I knew it, it was 1030pm on Wednesday, i'm drinking Jamesons and I'm watching Papa Shango. Those early matches and segments were brilliant, you could see how Vince felt he had the next big monster heel on his hands. 

I love the match where the guys feet end up on fire. It wasn't bad until the Warrior feud which was just TOO stupid to take.

[Snitsky's back acne]

13 minutes ago, Chili said:

I love the match where the guys feet end up on fire. It wasn't bad until the Warrior feud which was just TOO stupid to take.

Yeah 10 year old me thought that was pretty cool. Also the one where the guys hand caught on fire. Papa Shango was scary. 

[wandshogun09]

The timing wasn’t right with Kane about to arrive as the new monster heel, but that planned Papa Shango reboot in 97 is one of the big ‘what ifs’ for me and a run I wish happened. A less cartoony version right in the early stages of the Attitude Era fascinates me.

[Chili]

42 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said:

The timing wasn’t right with Kane about to arrive as the new monster heel, but that planned Papa Shango reboot in 97 is one of the big ‘what ifs’ for me and a run I wish happened. A less cartoony version right in the early stages of the Attitude Era fascinates me.

I thought about that and then realised Russo was there so I'd be unsure if he accidentally struck some gold after McMahon would filter it, or just complete shite.

[Chico Torres]

In the Russo and post-Russo era Papa Shango would be popping up in HILARIOUS backstage skits like The Boogeyman, leaving anyone who interacts with him badly acting a bewildered face as the camera lingers on then too long.

[BomberPat]

Papa Shango in '97 would have been an either/or with Kane; I'm almost certain them deciding to run with Kane was why they made Charles Wright Kama Mustafa at short notice instead. I imagine, Russo-wise, we would have got much the same level of magic trickery and special effects and mad storylines that Kane got just Papa Shango doing them instead, and likely not having the same longevity.

I am surprised they never brought him in for comedy skits in the mid-2000s and onwards, though.

[wandshogun09]

12 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

Papa Shango in '97 would have been an either/or with Kane; I'm almost certain them deciding to run with Kane was why they made Charles Wright Kama Mustafa at short notice instead. I imagine, Russo-wise, we would have got much the same level of magic trickery and special effects and mad storylines that Kane got just Papa Shango doing them instead, and likely not having the same longevity.

The bold is the crux of it for me. As much as the idea of late 90s updated Papa Shango intrigues me, if he’d returned in 97 then I suspect he would’ve gone about as far as WrestleMania in 98 where Undertaker would’ve dealt with him in one match and that would’ve been that pretty much. Either he’d have disappeared to be repackaged in yet another gimmick or he’d have slid down the card and ended up pissing about with the Oddities on Sunday Night Heat or something. I just don’t think Charles Wright, in any gimmick, was ever gonna be more than midcard with maybe the occasional big match. 

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

The other what if curiosity with the Shango gimmick is how they’d have played it with Backlund’s heel turn in 94 as it was rumoured that had the turn failed to get over it was to be revealed that Papa had put a spell on Bob turning him crazy and Bret was going to be the big Babyface to save him

[The Reverend]

Apparently back in developmental Xavier Woods pitched an idea of him being 'Son of Shango' even creating vignettes for the character. Be interesting to see what he came up with.  

[SuperBacon]

20 minutes ago, The Reverend said:

Apparently back in developmental Xavier Woods pitched an idea of him being 'Son of Shango' even creating vignettes for the character. Be interesting to see what he came up with.  

That would've been fantastically shit. Gutted we didn't get it now.

[The Gaffer]

Had to make sure Saturn was still up there when I saw this! Nice bit of appreciation:

 

[Browser Brady]

On 10/31/2025 at 7:12 PM, The Gaffer said:

Had to make sure Saturn was still up there when I saw this! Nice bit of appreciation:

 

Really looking forward to this. Always thought he was great. 

[Rossman]

Anyone know much about this match WCW Vault put out the other day?

Rick Rude Vs Road Warrior Hawk for the WCW International Title at Clash of the Champions 25.

Only 9 minutes long, so I expected two Minnesota guys in a short brawl and finish. Thought it must be somewhat special if it's been picked to be uploaded.

The truth is, the first 5 and a half minutes is all posing and test of strength shtick. Then there's a few minutes of disjointed wrestling. Both end up outside, ref counts them out. End of match. Rude walks off, Hawk gets back in the ring.

Hawk had only been there for a month or so, because Animal was injured. But was immediately getting world title shots. And this wasn't main or semi main event. It was the opening match.

You can tell the commentators had no idea what was going on. How long the match was supposed to be or the finish. Jesse Ventura, said the top rope miss by Rude was a daring move early in the match. Then they both went to the outside and got counted out.