50 Fascinating Facts About WWE in The 1980s
10. Tony Atlas Was Paid $2,000 Not To Work WrestleMania
Tony Atlas might be one of the only people in history to earn a payday not to work WrestleMania. The guys who were supposed to work an eight man tag at 'Mania X in 1994 (IRS, The Headshrinkers, Rick Martel and Jeff Jarrett vs. 1–2–3 Kid, Sparky Plugg, Tatanka and The Smoking Gunns) joined him just shy of a full decade later - their match was cancelled due to time constraints. In short, a ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon went long.
That wasn't what happened to Atlas. He once told CBS he was backstage getting pumped up and ready to stare at the lights for King Kong Bundy when Arnold Skaaland pulled Tony aside and told him the news. Vince had decided to replace Atlas with journeyman SD Jones and spare Tony the job. Skaaland assured Tony that McMahon would still honour their agreement and pay him for the show.
The WWF came through on that, and Atlas bagged $2,000 for doing literally nothing. He didn't even stick around for the full night. Tony left the building two grand richer without lifting a finger, and he was presumably back at his hotel relaxing by the time the main event hit the ring. It's something else that Tony didn't bother checking out the first 'Mania, but that goes to show how this was just another booking for most wrestlers.
Atlas, like everyone else back then, didn't know that WrestleMania was going to blow up and become wrestling's biggest annual attraction. He was content with his payoff for the night, but it'd be fun to find out what he thought about losing to Bundy in the planned nine seconds.