10 WWE Attempts To Capitalise On Popular Culture

Who is a bigger pop culture icon than the Cola-guzzling Santa Claus? At In Your House 5: Season’s Beatings, Savio Vega, dressed in a biker vest and Christmas hat, helped Jolly St. Nick hand out wrestling merchandise to kids in the crowd. ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase came out shortly after to put a stop to such merry proceedings, and it was revealed that DiBiase had seemingly bought Santa, who turned on Vega and beat the baubles out of him.

While it’s not necessarily to the quality of a Hulk Hogan/ Ultimate Warrior showdown, the Christmas skit was more watchable then the Christmas spirit felt at Armageddon 2006, in which Santa, presenting a ‘Naughty or Nice Divas' Contest’, stripped, revealing the comedy character Big Dick Johnson, who did the conga in a thong (some things are better left in the Network’s Vault). Regrettably, with 1995 being 1995, what was a one-off Christmas reference on the December pay-per-view carried on, as Xanta Claus, originating from the South Pole and wearing a red and black costume, introduced himself to the world on the next week’s Superstars.

The gimmick lasted for a few weeks and was never seen again, and may well have been created purely so that Vince McMahon could make Jim Ross list off the reasons for Xanta Claus’ malevolence on the spot, which an uncomfortable JR did to the very best of his ability, citing Xanta’s very obvious dislike of children…

Xanta was DiBiase’s last malicious protégé before introducing The Ringmaster, who would go on to slightly bigger things. Shortly after in ECW, 'Chair Swinging Freak' Balls Mahoney made his debut and looked like he had seen it all (including the South Pole).