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

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

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.