Long before The Boogeyman, there was Papa Shango. Charles Wright (no relation to Marty) was recommended to Vince McMahon by The Undertaker, and he ended up playing a similar supernatural character in the promotion. As time would tell, Shango didn't have the lengthiest of runs in the company, but he is still remembered to this day. Debuting in 1992, there was just something compelling about the character. Papa Shango was a witch doctor who possessed opponents, it was classic early-90's WWF drama. Looking like something pulled out of a nightmare, the wrestler had ghoulish face paint and carried a smoking skull to the ring with him. The look was based off of Baron Samedi, a Haitian practitioner of Voodoo. Known as 'The Master Of The Dead', Samedi was ripe for influence, and Wright used a lot of nuances associated with the Loa. Infamously, Papa Shango caused The Ultimate Warrior to start convulsing. From there, Warrior started vomiting, due to possession techniques the shaman had used on jobbers during his very first appearances. A huge man with big muscles and eye-catching tattoos, Wright should have experienced more success under the gimmick. Strangely, even though it was gone by 1993, Papa Shango still has an enduring legacy.
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.
