WWE Turned Down Approach For Blue Meanie Video Game

Meanie was approached to star in his own version of Pepsiman.

Nov 7, 2021 November 7th, 2021

The Blue Meanie has revealed he was so very nearly the focus of a video game back in 2000.

Employed by the then-WWF at the time, Meanie was approached about lending his likeness to an American spin on the Pepsiman game. While he himself was clearly keen to sign on for this project, Vince McMahon's sports entertainment juggernaut put the kibosh to such plans as they refused Meanie permission to get involved with the game.

This all came to light after a Pepsiman sign was spotted in the crowd on this past Friday's AEW Rampage. For those not aware, Pepsiman is the name by which the devilishly delightful Danhausen refers to CM Punk.

Spotting this sign on Rampage, Blue Meanie was inspired to share his story.

True Story. In 2000 I had been approached about doing a video game based on the Blue Meanie that would be an American version of a Japanese game called Pepsi Man. I was all set to do it and was told by WWF I couldn't. I was released a couple months later. https://t.co/iJvEMXjkuD
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— Brian Heffron aka The Blue Meanie (@BlueMeanieBWO) November 6, 2021

Nah. It was early talks. Had a proposal sent to me. That's as far as it went. Once I was told I couldn't that was that
— Brian Heffron aka The Blue Meanie (@BlueMeanieBWO) November 6, 2021

Released on PlayStation in 1999, Pepsiman saw players control the titular character - the Japanese mascot for Pepsi - who was forever running and had countless obstacles thrown in his path. An extremely simple premise, the game proved hugely popular to the point that there were plans afoot to develop a US version of the release.

Sadly, that release never came, and more sadly for Blue Meanie, he was released by the WWF only a few months after he was approached about doing this video game.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.

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