One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY WWE WrestleMania

24. WrestleMania 18 | Christian Drew Backstage Heat

Christian DDP
WWE

Infamously, at WrestleMania 18, Edge and Booker T fought over the right to appear in a Japanese shampoo commercial. 

Emblematic of the ex-soap opera writer slop introduced to programming by Stephanie McMahon, it was both a terrible storyline in and of itself, and a bleak omen of the frivolity that would infest the promotion over the next two decades. As lame as it was, it wasn’t some disgusting affront to the pure art of professional wrestling. Tonally, it wasn’t even that at odds with the WWF of 2002. Ostensible top heel Chris Jericho played a dog-walking doofus, while the New World Order played dumb about their motives without radiating any sense of menace. There was no gravity to any of it. You’d think there would be no standards amongst the “boys”. You’d be wrong. 

According to the March 11, 2002 Observer, there was heat on Christian and Diamond Dallas Page. The boys in the locker room, seemingly under the impression that they were doing stuff worthy of 1986 JCP, thought that storyline was a singular disgrace. It was bobbins, of course - Christian’s forced smile was excruciatingly unfunny physical comedy - but it was no worse than the main event programme. Triple H was so intent on being a scary badass that his storyline ex-wife was accidentally re-cast as his daughter. Remember when Stephanie shrieked “Triple H is gonna kill me!” when Jericho ran over Lucy?

Christian caught heat as a result of his friendship with prominent writer Brian Gewirtz. The boys thought he was the teacher’s pet. 

You know who else got a spot on the ‘Mania card because they were connected…?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!