WWE's Biggest Booking DISASTER Every Year (1986-2026)
31. Cosplay Razor Ramon & Diesel (1996)
Confusion reigned as Jim Ross claimed on air he was set to bring Diesel and Razor Ramon back to the WWF in late-1996. How could that be when Kevin Nash and Scott Hall had only joined rival league WCW over the summer, were locked into beefy contracts and had launched the red hot nWo angle with Hulk Hogan?
In a nutshell, it couldn't, but WCW (in their infinite wisdom) believed that The Outsiders might be heading back to the federation and re-signed them to even more lavish deals. Then, 2 dudes with attitudes strolled onto Raw as knock off versions of characters that the McMahons owned.
Diesel and Razor were back, in a manner of speaking, but it was Glenn Jacobs and Rick Bognar in each respective role. In an instant, people groaned and 'Good Ol' JR' looked like the biggest idiot going. Somewhere in Titan Towers, Vince Russo was high-fiving magazine staff and relishing the "swerve, bro" of it all.
This was 1996's worst moment, and that includes Shawn Michaels having a hissy fit about Vader at SummerSlam and Terry Gordy's unconvincing Executioner. It even includes Ultimate Warrior's naff return and the weather-inspired torture of In Your House: Beware Of Dog.
Casting fresh faces in the shoes of 2 iconic gimmicks was a slap in the face to the paying public. Hall and Nash giggled all the way to the bank; they'd left the WWF reeling, and WCW's stupidity meant their bank accounts were even fatter.
'Diesel Power' ran out of gas, and Razor had less 'machismo' than before.