PWP Nation’s Zak Fellows examines the “hall of fame” career of ‘The Godfather,’ Charles Wright.
Scouted by wrestlers and recommended to train under Larry Sharpe, Charles Wright joined the United States Wrestling Association in 1989 under the mantle of the Soultaker and very quickly made an impact. Touring New Japan and wrestling for the USWA he would defeat Jerry Lawler in October of 1989 to become the USWA Unified Champion. But, his most notable days were still ahead of him.
The Soultaker would be recommended to the WWE by the Undertaker and in 1992 he would take on his new persona: The Voodoo Practitioner Papa Shango. Armed with his smoking skull head (I bet you want some context with that, eh?) and an eagerness to cast curses his feud with the Ultimate Warrior was… odd to say the least. Per the working agreement with the USWA Wright would win the USWA Unified Title for a second time as well.
In 1994 Wright would return after a short absence as Kama Mustafa, the Supreme Fighting Machine, later shortened to Kama and from then on would become involved with two factions: Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Corporation, for which he would become embroiled in his team mate’s feud with the Undertaker and most memorably, the Nation of Domination.
Some may know him as the Soultaker, Papa Shango, Kama Mustafa or even Sir Charles, although I doubt that last one, but Charles Wright achieved his greatest successes and notoriety as the Godfather, a pimp and conductor of the “Ho-Train” that emerged as a popular face of the WWE’s Attitude Era. Becoming the Godfather within the Rock’s “cool” Nation of Domination he would branch out on his own after the breakdown of the group he had the name but not the selling point that was what happened next.
Thus enters the Ho-Train. Surrounding himself with local girls, dubbed the hoes, the Godfather would bribe his opponents with promises of girls to gain wins. Fans LOVED the Godfather and his popularity was rewarded when in April 1999 he defeated Goldust to become the Intercontinental Champion. However, in the midst of his several tag team runs, controversy from the real world, not that thing The Miz was in, emerged surrounding the character.
The Parents Television Council became that era’s sworn enemy due to the violent and sex fuelled product that the WWE had been putting out during the Attitude Era and so, WWE does the right thing by mocking them with a paper thin disguise. The Godfather would become one of the Right to Censor’s first members taking on the name of ‘The Goodfather’ where he would win the World Tag Team Championship with Bull Buchanan.
Since then, The Godfather has made several one off appearances, still receiving acknowledgement and positive reception that he had established in his prime and thus, will be joining the WWE Hall of Fame on the night before WrestleMania 32.
So, what is the Godfather’s legacy?
Now, despite his very apparent success as a personality, people will probably scoff at the idea of having him in the Hall of Fame for the usual reasons why wrestling fans are normally against an induction. Because he is in and someone more ‘deserving’ isn’t, it puts him in the same class as names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan (he is still a Hall of Famer no matter how much WWE tries to say otherwise) and any other reason people have developed into their own hatred of the Hall.
And granted while the Godfather’s accomplishments to the majority audience may pale in comparison to some others his popularity during arguably WWE’s hottest and most successful period is nothing to take lightly. Wrestler’s become popular for different reasons: It could be because they are putting on the best matches every single night like your Bret Hart’s, they could have such immeasurable charisma and be larger than life like your Ric Flair’s or they can have a character that is memorable and people love to see matches be damned like Koko B.Ware.
The Godfather to me falls under the third category. He’s a character centric wrestler: an individual who people remember for his character as opposed to his in ring skill, not to say he was flat out terrible in the ring though, and who’s success was spawned from the popularity of said character. His in ring skill can be influenced by what points the character is intended to put across, much like Kamala, Doink the Clown and Bray Wyatt.
And this is ultimately the example that the Godfather can set to wrestlers in training as bizarre as it sounds. So lesson for the day kids is if you have lacking wrestling ability and you feel as if you need something to distract the audience from it what do you do? You create a character that people can get behind; develop the skills that are needed to put that character over like speaking or appearance and BOOM! Instantly memorable.
And we will see the Ho-Train ride into the American Airlines Center as the conductor steps up and takes his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. Congratulations Godfather: Pimpin ain’t gonna get any easier, so at least be acknowledged for this.
[Zak Fellows rather not leave a comment about pimpin’ … oops]
You notice that the Voiceover guy for the Hall of Fame never said Ho Train? Very disappointing.
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