The Godfather Discloses The Real Reason Why WWE Dropped His Papa Shango Character

Charles Wright joined WWE in 1991, and while he initially debuted as Sir Charles, he was soon repackaged as a voodoo witch doctor named Papa Shango. Yet, despite working with some of the biggest names of the time, like The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior, and Bret Hart, he would disappear from the company at the end of 1993.

At the time, it was presumed that WWE had decided to drop the gimmick because it was not getting over with fans. However, during a just-released interview with Chris Van Vliet , Wright revealed his departure was actually due to him being in a bad headspace caused by a nasty divorce. Additionally, he noted that the Undertaker had to intervene when he was getting into real-life fights.

“Papa Shango went through a very, very ugly divorce. My second wife. I went through an ugly divorce, I was in a very, very bad place … I was getting into a lot of fights, real fights, and Taker was pulling me off for people, and it was getting ugly. So I went in there with Vince and Mark, and we decided it would be best if I went home and got my mind right before somebody got hurt.”

Wright would rejoin WWE in 1995, and while he would portray multiple characters, as none of them became popular, it appeared his career in the business could be coming to an end. Still, thanks to the Attitude Era, he would become The Godfather, a character fondly remembered to this day for showcasing everything good and bad about that time period in pro wrestling. This would see him inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2016, which, in the mid-90s, few would have thought possible.