9 Most Desperate WWE Responses To Low Ratings
1. Impostor Syndrome
The fake Razor Ramon/Diesel debacle is frequently misunderstood as WWE's attempt to convince fans that, hey, your favourite stars never left, honest. It wasn't - but it was still rooted in mendacity.
WWE's ratings were already in the proverbial lav in the summer of 1996, not helped by the departure to WCW of the two gimmicks' original incarnates, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. The 'New Generation', as much promise as it had, simply wasn't working. They needed their stars back - and they'd have them; It was just a case of telling the audience to squint.
Despite the fact the pair were tied into juicy WCW contracts, WWE's Jim Ross nevertheless promised fans that Diesel and Razor Ramon would soon be back on screens. And sure enough, they were. Apparently, Atlanta hadn't treated them kindly.
Squeezing into the duos' old outfits were journeyman Rick Bognar and a pre-house fire Glenn Jacobs, barely passing as lookalikes, let alone the real McCoy. The story was part of a wider design to turn Jim Ross heel, as he attempted to undermine his bosses by reviving the dead gimmicks. It certainly drew heat - but mostly by fans furious they'd been hoodwinked by such bare-faced lies. Anyone who'd tuned back in were soon tuning back out.