In his autobiography, Bret Hart recalls the first time Vince McMahon laid eyes on Tom Magee. Without even seeing him wrestle, McMahon decreed Magee his next World Champion and an immediate successor to Hulk Hogan. Of course, given the fact that few have heard of him, that didn't happen. Tom Magee was the walking definition of a bodybuilder who didn't take to pro wrestling with ease. Impressive to look at, the guy struggled through his debut match against Hart. The Canadian remarks that he worked hard to make Magee look good, but it was impossible to do anything worthwhile with him. Green and stiff, the muscle man was someone the then-WWF gradually lost interest in. By the time The Ultimate Warrior made his debut, McMahon had forgotten about Tom Magee. Even though he was employed by the promotion for 4 years, Magee wasn't a regular. By the time 1988 rolled around, he rarely wrestled, and never actually made a Pay-Per-View appearance. For someone the company were so hot on, it's incredible that Magee wasn't simply shoved into the spotlight.
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.
