10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (May 5)

3. Vince McMahon Put Raven In The Hardcore Division To Watch Him Fail

Raven WWE
WWE.com

A spell as loudmouth manager Johnny Polo during the early-1990's didn't bring success for Scott Levy in the WWF. It took a complete reinvention as Raven in ECW years later for Levy to start moving up the wrestling ladder, and he'd later continue his run in WCW.

Rejoining the WWF in 2000, Raven was placed in the Hardcore Title division and told Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard that this only happened because Vince McMahon had nothing else for him. Backstage, a passive McMahon even told Raven after the fact that he expected him to fail as a hardcore performer.

That can't have been easy to digest for Raven, because his boss was effectively telling him that he didn't put much thought into where his career was going. Defying the lack of attention writers paid his character, Raven excelled in the Hardcore division and carved a niche for himself by working entertaining matches against the likes of Kane and The Big Show.

None of this mattered to McMahon though. Raven's conversation with the boss revealed that Vince wasn't interested in pushing him.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.