STW - The Godfather [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Welcome to Something to Wrestle with… Bruce Prichard!

Charles Wright - or Sir Charles or The Soultaker or Papa Shango or Kama Mustafa or The Godfather or The Good-Father - whatever you wanna call him, he’s the subject of our show this week!

Wright was born on May 16, 1961 in Palo Alto, CA and grew up in San Diego.

In his late teens he played basketball and later went to the University of Nevada where he  was an offensive tackle for the football team there.

He then started working in strip clubs and as a bodyguard and got into professional wrestling in 1989 when he was 28 years old. He was trained by Larry Sharpe at the Monster Factory, after being noticed by Scott Norton and other wrestlers, when tending to a bar close to where they were filming the Sylvester Stallone movie “Over the Top” in Las Vegas.

And he did have a unique look, being 6 ft 6 in. tall, around 330lbs, a mohawk, and tattoos completely covering both of his arms.

Larry Sharpe and the Monster Factory sure created a lot of stars did they not?

He started up in Memphis as “The Soultaker” - a name given to him based on one of the tattoos on his arm. He debuted on the October 14, 1989 TV show, with trainer Larry Sharpe as his manager and mouthpiece, defeating locals Tim Hall & Chris Frazier in a handicap match.

Just over a week later on October 23, 1989, Soultaker defeated Lawler for the USWA Unified World Title. Lawler would regain the title in a cage match 2 weeks later.

While in Memphis he would meet for the first time, and become friends with a guy using the name “Master of Pain” - better known of course as The Undertaker.

They apparently had a horrible match against each other as they were both super green, that they put them together briefly in 1990 as the “Death Express” with Taker now being called “The Punisher”. Taker then went to New Japan and to WCW as Mean Mark Callous thus ending the team.

When did you first hear of Charles Wright?

He would eventually work in New Japan, to Germany and Austria working for Otto Wanz.

Tell us about Otto Wanz Bruce. Did you know him? Was there ever a discussion for the WWF to work with his CWA promotion in Europe?

Wright went back to Soultaker in the Summer of 1991 and has a run briefly in Global.

Bruce, did you and Soultaker cross paths in Global, or did you just miss each other?

Wright got a few tryout matches in December 1991 for the WWF using the name “Sir Charles”.

It is said his close friend Taker got him the tryout - did Taker tell you about this big guy Soul Taker, when you were working as Taker’s manager the year before?

Wright has said in interviews that Vince immediately put him on the payroll, but Vince told him he had a “baby face” on a monster heel body.

So they wanted to come up with something to cover his face.

Thus, Papa Shango is born, a horror-style voodoo character and they would cover his “baby face” up with face paint. He would come to the ring wearing a black top hat, and with a skull that would billow out smoke, and had very dark eerie-music.

He debuted on WWF Superstars on February 8th, 1992 and defeated Dale “don’t call him Dusty” Wolfe. You’re not in the company - but what did you think of the gimmick when you first saw it?

Was this something that you saw and thought right away - man I wish I was in creative with Vince & Pat right now working on this?

He was thrust right into the main event scene at WrestleMania VIII, interfering in the Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice main event, or as the story goes he was supposed to - but apparently missed his cue and was late getting to the ring.

To improvise, Sid kicked out of Hogan's leg drop that Shango was supposed to break up, and Sid’s manager Harvey Wippleman would interfere to cause the DQ finish.

Shango then makes it to the ring when the match is already over, Hogan is double-teamed and the Ultimate Warrior returns and makes the save.

Warrior was then supposed to feud with Sid after Mania, but Sid was fired after failing a drugs test, and Shango was inserted into the feud with Warrior instead.

He memorably puts a curse on the Warrior, causing him to collapse off the ring apron to the floor, holding his stomach. They then show on TV, Warrior vomiting backstage on the medic helping him, and on Chief Jay Strongbow.

Another time he caused black goo to drip out of the Warrior’s forehead during an interview, and would set his opponent’s feet on fire before a match.

I know you weren’t there for any of this Bruce yet, but I’m sure you were aware of it going on, what were your thoughts as an outsider at the time on the Papa Shango character?

Warrior and Shango are the main event on one half of the house shows in the summer of 92 (the other being Savage vs Flair), but they never have a televised blow off to the feud.

It’s pretty much just quietly dropped as Warrior is inserted into the title picture with Savage leading up to SummerSlam at Wembley, and forming the Ultimate Maniacs with Randy Savage when you returned to the company after SummerSlam.

Shango defeated El Matador at SummerSlam in Wembley, but it was not part of the PPV broadcast, and was shown on Prime Time a few weeks later.

When you return to the company do you have ideas for what the character can do or can be?

He gets a few shots at Bret Hart when Bret became WWF Champion in October, including the Nov. 92 Saturday Night’s Main Event on FOX, but loses cleanly to the Sharpshooter.

When Nailz is fired in December 1992, Shango is put in as the emergency replacement for all of Nailz’s originally scheduled house show matches with Undertaker.

Shango then lasts about 30 seconds in the 1993 Royal Rumble match, entering at #3, although he was injured and was the reason he wasn’t in long.

Did Shango just lose all his steam at this point?

Shango loses to El Matador in the dark match of WrestleMania IX, and isn’t doing much on TV besides one off matches with the likes of Typhoon, Kamala and Jim Duggan.

He does get a run with the USWA Title again though during WWF’s crossover with the USWA in the Spring and Summer of 93, defeating Lawler for the title on May 3rd and losing it to Owen Hart on June 21st. Are you just looking to have him do something?

Shango was a member of the roster until October 1993, with his final matches on the WWF tour of Israel and Europe that month.

Did you ever try and push to do anything with Shango in 1993?

What do you remember about the circumstances of him leaving the WWF at the time?

Wright has said in interviews he was going through a pretty rough divorce at the time and Taker was the one who suggested he should go home for a while.

Shango does work a few indy shows in late 93 and throughout 94, still using the Papa Shango gimmick, and even goes back to work some shows with Otto Wanz in Europe.

At the end of 1994, we began to see vignettes for “Kama The Supreme Fighting Machine” on WWF TV. He is essentially presented as a shoot fighter / boxer all rolled into one, and is coming to run through the WWF as his next endeavor.

Who’s idea was this gimmick, and the name Kama?

He is immediately paired with Ted DiBiase in the Million $ Corporation, and at WrestleMania XI would steal the Undertaker’s urn from Paul Bearer and said he would melt it down into a bling necklace - which he did.

Was Kama and DiBiase a bad fit? Should he have brought his own entity?

He then had a major role in the 1995 King of the Ring tournament. He surprisingly goes to a time-limit draw with Shawn Michaels, and then costs Taker his match vs Mabel. What did Vince see in this character that was different than Shango?

Taker would then defeat Kama in a casket match at SummerSlam 95, and not long afterwards was taken off television to only work house shows, before a final appearance in the 1996 Royal Rumble match.

He would quietly disappear from the company again shortly afterwards.

Were there some big plans for Kama and the gimmick originally that just didn’t materialize? Do you recall why he was taken off TV?

We should talk about in 1995 - the formation of the Bone Street Krew (BSK). A backstage crew of guys who got on really well and would hang out a lot, including “throwing bones” (dominoes), which is how their name came about.

The members over different periods of time were Undertaker, Godfather, Rikishi, Yokozuna, the Godwinns, Paul Bearer, Mr Fuji, Savio Vega and Crush. What were they like backstage? Was it akin to a motorcycle club?

Was BSK or the Kliq first? Did you ever see any issues between the two groups?

There’s rumor and innuendo that he had verbally agreed to join WCW in 1996 as the enforcer for the nWo, but was talked out of it by Ron Simmons, and Vincent (Virgil) got the spot instead.

Did you ever hear this, Bruce?

Besides a couple of indy appearances in mid 96, Kama didn't wrestle at all until returning to WWF on the June 16, 1997 edition of Raw to join the Nation, and actually pinned the Undertaker in the tag match that night.

There was some discussion of bringing back an updated Papa Shango character instead here, was there not Bruce?

Who was pushing for the character to be brought back and why didn’t it happen?

So instead he’s now known as “Kama Mustafa” and the new Nation of Domination were Faarooq leading, Kama, D’Lo Brown and briefly Ahmed Johnson. Why the transition to the Nation?

Pinning Taker is a big fucking deal is it not? I mean his first time in the new gimmick - with the new group - and he’s pinning Taker. Taker would do anything to get him over do I have that right?

Ahmed would get kicked out, and was replaced by Rocky Maivia in August. Mark Henry would later join the group in December 97 but Kama is just a body is he not? Was it his work that held him back or just the fact that the Rock had just taken over?

Faarooq would later get kicked out and The Rock would take over as the leader. Owen Hart then would join up for the final incarnation of the Nation.

What was your favorite Nation group, Bruce?

Slowly through 1998, Kama would start to be referred to as The Godfather. Does Godfather himself pitch this idea to change up his character or how do you remember it coming about?

Did Vince get the transition? Like did he know what a pimp was?

He would go to the ring with a cigar and hat, referring to himself as a pimp, and on July 27th would start bringing with him a different group of women - the Ho Train if you will - to ringside with him.

Where did Godfather get the ho’s from each week, Bruce?

Any fear about calling these women ho’s and any push back at all?

How does the gimmick all come together - and who’s idea was the women?

Godfather ends up getting to the semi-finals of the Brawl for All that Summer, losing to eventual winner Bart Gunn. I have a feeling Godfather was one of the first to sign up when hearing about this concept?

When the Nation disbanded in the fall of 1998, Godfather became a lot more colorful with pretty much a different costume each week.

This is also when he started with all the memorable catchphrases, and even offering the ladies to his opponent before each match - and some would take him up on it. Was Godfather a part of these conversations - offering ideas - or was this full on creative?

It can’t be emphasized enough just how over The Godfather character was during the Attitude era. Once that music started up, the pop was huge and the crowd caught on to his catchphrases immediately, and doing the “Ho Train” - a running splash into the corner as one of his signature moves. Godfather - in lack of a better term - got it didn’t he?

What are some of your favorite Godfather stories during this time?

Godfather would go on to win the IC Title in April 1999, defeating Goldust.

He was supposed to lose the title to Owen at the Over the Edge PPV, and unfortunately we know what happened that night.

So he loses the title to Jeff Jarrett 2 nights later instead.

The IC title was always known as the workers title - but this was obviously about how over he was and not what he could do in the ring am I right?

The Godfather character keeps on rolling. They even did a “Ho Train” match (as opposed to a lumberjack match) when Raw was at the Georgia Dome in October 99.

Some well known female wrestlers even made their WWF debuts as a Godfather ho - Lita and Victoria. That’s…quite the entrance isn’t it?

Godfather’s biggest win was probably in a non-title match over WWF Champion HHH on a Smackdown in March 2000 thanks to interference from The Big Show. He was the perfect midcard guy wasn’t he? Could get a believable win - not really lose anything by losing - what say you?

As we mention Smackdown here and the WWF now having a show on network TV, there were a lot of problems were there not Bruce with sponsors dropping out, and complaints from the PTC in particular about certain characters, right?

What do you remember about decisions having to be made on dropping characters or severely toning them down during this period?

The Godfather then became The Good-Father in July of 2000, after losing a match to Bull Buchanan of the Right To Censor group headed by Steven Richards, with the stipulation he would have to give up pimping if he lost.

What do you remember Wright’s reaction to all of this?

He has said in later years it was the least enjoyable time of his career and he almost quit over it.

While The Good-Father and Bull Buchanan did briefly hold the Tag Titles, the group was disbanded shortly after WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001.

With the influx of talent from the Invasion we didn’t really see much of Wright after this. Did he just fall by the way side or do you think the RTC poisoned him so much he had to go away and learn a new hold?

A toned down version of The Godfather character briefly made a comeback starting at the 2002 Royal Rumble. But the ho’s were now always referred to as just his “escort service”.

Godfather was eventually released at the end of 2002 and essentially retired for several years, making occasional wrestling appearances on the indies starting in 2007, including using the name “Pimp Fatha”

He had a very good 2-3 year run did he not?

Godfather has made several one off cameo appearances back in WWE over the years. Was he always one of the favorite characters to have something come up for if it was convincing Viscera to dump Lillian Garcia or trying to convince Teddy Long & Ron Simmons at Teddy’s wedding to go back to the old party days?

He was a participant in the 2013 Royal Rumble, but was immediately thrown out by Dolph Ziggler.

He was on hand for Undertaker’s retirement ceremony at Survivor Series 2020.

He was inducted into the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame by the APA. Well deserved?

He moved back to Vegas and would run and manage the Cheetah’s Strip Club for many years before selling it in 2019…what do you think is Charles’ legacy at the end of the day?