8 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE SmackDown From 2006
6. Tatanka’s Comeback Run Was So Random
... T-T-T-T-Ta-Ta-Tatanka (credit: Bobby Heenan)?
The 1990s star initially returned on the 1 August 2005 Raw as a one off opponent for Eugene, but then signed a full time contract later in the year and debuted on SmackDown in early-2006. The company's grand plan for Tatanka? Put him in one of the most random tag-teams of all time, of course. His union with Matt Hardy was a trip, man. What a clash of generations that was. 'New Generation' meets 'Attitude'.
Pretty much everyone expected Jeff to be Matt’s partner, then out came...Tatanka. Vince McMahon must've been into it, because he rubber stamped a win over none other than Booker T on the 3 March episode of SmackDown. Yes, the same year Book made money out of manure with the royal gimmick and had to feud with The Boogeyman, he was also staring at the lights for Tatanka.
Notably, everyone's favourite mullet-sporting comeback artist also did the honours for The Miz early on in Miz’s run in September ’06 before his latest deal expired in 2007. Tatanka enjoyed the experience and spoke positively about it in interviews afterwards. It was probably way better than even he'd expected it to be.
It's all so outrageous looking back though. Beating Booker T?! Wrestling a fresh-faced Miz?! Becoming a default member of Team Xtreme?! What was this madness? Imagine tuning into WWE for the first time in a few years only to see Tatanka march onto screens as a replacement for Jeff freakin' Hardy.
That wouldn't be the only bizarre decision made on SmackDown in '06.