10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE SmackDown From 2005
4. The Palmer Cannon Experiment Was Weird
Psst! Remember this guy?
WWE brought in a journeyman pro called Brian Mailhot (as opposed to Brian Hotmail, who would've been a wrestling postman during the mid-90s for sure) to play the role of Palmer Cannon. Those initials were not accidental; PC, get it? He was ostensibly a retread of Cyrus (AEW's Don Callis) from the old ECW days.
In other words, he was there from UPN to monitor what GM Teddy Long was putting on SmackDown in the wake of the Muhammad Hassan controversy. It was a jab at the network for criticising what Vince McMahon wanted to put on his programming. On-air, Cannon was responsible for such thrill rides as The Boogeyman, the ill-fated “Juniors Division” and a tag-team literally called The Dicks.
Looking back, it's weird to watch WWE willingly throw crap on-screen and blame it on a kayfabe character. They’d pretty much do the same with ‘Constable’ Baron Corbin in 2019, then the McMahon family absolved themselves of any sins. Fans didn't buy it then, and they didn't buy it in 2005 when ol' Palmer was grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of ruining Long's day yet again.
Only Boogeyman stuck around as a lasting concern from the PC experiment. The quasi-authority figure was sort of similar to the old Right To Censor group in presentation, but had this unlikeable 'dorky dad who thinks he's hip' swagger about him on top of that. Come to think of it, why didn't they just amalgamate multiple Steven Richards gimmicks by calling Cannon 'Big Stevie Cool'?!
A missed opportunity that would've raked in millions. Millions!