Vader’s debut in WWE in 1996 was highly anticipated, but his initial run was marred by an immediate absence following the Royal Rumble. Bruce Prichard has shed light on the circumstances surrounding Vader’s arrival, revealing that the big man was dealing with a significant injury that the company was unaware of until the contracts were signed.
“We got damaged goods, and he didn’t tell us till after he was signed,” Prichard said on Something to Wrestle With. The discovery of the injury forced WWE to alter their plans for the “Mastodon” right out of the gate. Faced with a new signing who needed surgery, the creative team decided to maximize his impact before he had to take time off.
“And it was like, ‘Okay, well, you got to have the surgery anyway. So let’s go out, make a splash, and let’s, let’s do this and give a reason. Give you a debut. Give you an impactful debut, and then give a reason for you to go away,'” Prichard explained. This strategy led to Vader’s dominant showing at the Royal Rumble and the subsequent angle that wrote him off television to address his health issues.
Prichard also touched on the difficulties of presenting Vader in WWE compared to his work elsewhere. “During that time, you’re trying to create a big monster baby face in Ahmed [Johnson] and he [Vader] didn’t look like the guy that would, that would do a lot of stuff,” Prichard noted, discussing the contrasting styles of big men in the company at the time. “It was part of safety for Ahmed and safety for who he was working with.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. Subscribe to Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard on YouTube and all podcast platforms.
