The Godfather (wrestler) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Godfather |
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Wright in 2016
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| Birth name | Charles Thomas Wright |
| Born | May 16, 1961 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Nevada, Reno |
| Spouse(s) |
Denise Wright
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 4 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Baron Samedi The Godfather The Goodfather Kama Kama Mustafa Smoke Train Papa Shango Rocky Las Vegas Sir Charles The Soultaker |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) |
| Billed weight | 330 lb (150 kg) |
| Billed from | "Parts Unknown" (as Papa Shango) Las Vegas, Nevada (As Kama) |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | 1989 |
Charles Wright (born May 16, 1961) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name The Godfather. He worked for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1990s and early 2000s. During his career, he used several different characters. The most famous ones were Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather and The Goodfather.
Charles Wright won the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship two times. He also won the WWE Intercontinental Championship once and the WWF World Tag Team Championship once with Bull Buchanan. He was part of a big match against Bret Hart for the WWF Championship on Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI. Wright was honored by being put into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 2, 2016, using his Godfather character.
Contents
Wrestling Career Highlights
Starting Out (1989–1991)
Charles Wright got into wrestling after some wrestlers saw him working at a bar. They told him that with his big size and unique look, he should try wrestling. He trained with Larry Sharpe at his Monster Factory. Wright then started working for Jerry Lawler in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). His first character was "The Soultaker," named after one of his tattoos. Even though he said he wasn't very skilled, he won the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship on October 23, 1989. He held the title for about two weeks.
In 1990, Wright wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as "The Soultaker." He often teamed up with Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow. He also wrestled in Germany as "Rocky Las Vegas" in November 1990.
Joining the WWF (1991–1993)
Sir Charles (1991)
In 1991, Wright joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) because his friend The Undertaker suggested it. He first appeared on May 28, 1991, as "Sir Charles." This name was a play on his real name and the nickname of basketball player Charles Barkley. This character was not used much and didn't last long.
Papa Shango (1992–1993)
In January 1992, Wright got a new character called "Papa Shango." This was a scary, voodoo-themed character. He carried a skull that blew smoke and could make the arena lights flicker. He also seemed to cast spells on his opponents, making them feel pain.
Papa Shango first appeared on TV in February 1992. He quickly became part of a big storyline. At WrestleMania VIII, he was supposed to interfere in a match between Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice. However, he came out late, which changed how the match ended. After this, The Ultimate Warrior returned to the WWF and helped Hogan.
Papa Shango was then set to have a rivalry with The Ultimate Warrior. He would try to use voodoo spells on him. However, The Warrior left the WWF before their big match could happen. Shango did get a chance to challenge Bret Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship on Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI, but he did not win. His last big event appearance as Papa Shango was at the 1993 Royal Rumble.
Many fans and wrestling critics did not like the Papa Shango character. Some even called it the "Worst Gimmick" of 1992. Even Bret Hart thought the storyline with The Ultimate Warrior was one of the worst ideas in WWF history.
While he was Papa Shango in the WWF, Wright also wrestled in the USWA. He won the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship a second time. He later left the company and went back to working as a bartender.
Back to the WWF as Kama (1995–1996)
Million Dollar Corporation (1995–1996)
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Wright came back to the WWF in January 1995 as "Kama," also known as "The Supreme Fighting Machine." This character was a tough, competitive wrestler. Soon after, he joined Ted DiBiase's group called the Million Dollar Corporation. Kama quickly became part of their rivalry with The Undertaker. He even stole The Undertaker's special urn at WrestleMania XI and had it melted down into a necklace. He kept the necklace until November 1995. After appearing in the 1996 Royal Rumble match, Wright left the company again.
Second Return to WWF/WWE (1997–2002)
Nation of Domination (1997–1998)
Wright was asked to return in 1997. He came back as Kama, but this time his full name was "Kama Mustafa." He joined Faarooq's group, the Nation of Domination. Kama Mustafa became known as "The Godfather" of the Nation, a nickname his wife came up with. This became his official wrestling name in mid-1998. He stayed with the Nation when Rocky Maivia (who later became The Rock) became the leader.
In 1998, The Godfather took part in the WWF Brawl for All. This was a real fighting competition, which was eventually won by Bart Gunn.
The Godfather (1998–2000)
After the Nation of Domination group broke up, Wright had his most popular time as "The Godfather." This character was very popular with fans. He often came to the ring with many women, which was part of his fun-loving image.
He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Goldust on April 12, 1999. He was supposed to defend his title against Owen Hart's character, "The Blue Blazer," at the Over the Edge event. However, the match did not happen. The Godfather then lost the title to Jeff Jarrett a week later. On March 16, 2000, he had a big win against the WWF Champion Triple H, thanks to help from Shane McMahon and Big Show.
Right to Censor (2000–2001)
On July 24, 2000, The Godfather faced Bull Buchanan, who was part of Steven Richards' strict group called Right To Censor. Buchanan defeated The Godfather, and then The Godfather joined their group. He changed his look, wearing a formal white shirt and tie, and became known as "The Goodfather."
At SummerSlam on August 27, Right to Censor defeated Too Cool. The Goodfather and Buchanan later won the WWF Tag Team Championship from the Hardy Boyz on November 6, 2000. They held the titles for a while before losing them to Edge and Christian at Armageddon on December 10.
The Goodfather took part in the 2001 Royal Rumble match but was quickly eliminated by The Rock. At WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, The Goodfather, Buchanan, and Val Venis lost to the APA and Tazz. The Right to Censor group eventually broke up. The Goodfather continued to team with Buchanan for a short time. Wright's last TV appearance for a while was when he helped other WWF wrestlers attack invading WCW wrestlers.
Return of The Godfather and Departure (2002)
The Godfather, using his old fun-loving character, returned at the 2002 Royal Rumble match. He was eliminated by Chuck and Christian. For the next six months, Wright wrestled in several matches on WWE TV shows. His last match was on June 8, 2002, where he defeated Hugh Morrus. He made one more appearance on Raw in October 2002. Wright was released from WWE in December 2002.
Occasional Appearances (2005-Present)
On July 13, 2007, Wright wrestled for the first time in five years. He teamed with D'Lo Brown to win a match. He also appeared at the wedding ceremony of Theodore Long and Kristal Marshall on SmackDown! in September 2007. Wright appeared again on Raw for its 15th Anniversary in December 2007.
In January 2013, Wright made a short appearance as The Godfather in the 2013 Royal Rumble match. He was quickly eliminated. He also appeared on the "Old School" edition of Raw in January 2014 with many other wrestling legends.
On February 22, 2016, it was announced that Wright would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as The Godfather. In June 2016, Wright appeared as Papa Shango on a WWE show called Swerved, playing pranks on people. He also appeared at Raw's 25th anniversary show in 2018 and the Raw Reunion show in 2019. On November 22, 2020, he appeared at Survivor Series for The Undertaker's retirement ceremony.
Later Career (2002–2020, 2024)
In late 2009, Wright returned to wrestling for Hulk Hogan's "Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin" tour in Australia. He teamed with Nick Dinsmore to win a tag team match. He also wrestled several other matches on the tour.
In January 2012, Wright won a battle royal in Los Angeles. In September 2013, Wright started wrestling more often on the independent circuit. In 2014, he appeared as Papa Shango for Preston City Wrestling in England. He also teamed with his old partner, Val Venis, in a tag team match in October 2014. Wright stopped wrestling in March 2020 when COVID-19 began.
On April 26, 2024, Wright returned as Papa Shango and won a match in Australia.
Wrestling Style and Characters
Charles Wright used face paint for his Papa Shango character because, according to him, Vince McMahon felt his face didn't match his big body. In his later WWE appearances, The Godfather character did not have the women with him. Wright said this was because times had changed, and the character was updated.
Personal Life
Wright went to the University of Nevada, Reno, where he played football as an offensive tackle for the Nevada Wolf Pack team. After leaving full-time professional wrestling, Wright moved to Las Vegas. He married his wife, Denise, in September 2000. They have four children together. This is his third marriage.
Achievements and Awards
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 61 among the top 500 wrestlers in 1999.
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Vendetta Pro Wrestling
- Vendetty Award for Co-Special Guest star of the Year (2014) – with Chavo Guerrero Sr. and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
- World Wrestling Federation / WWE
- WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bull Buchanan
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2016)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Worst Gimmick (1992) as Papa Shango
- Worst Feud of the Year (1992) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
- Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1992)
Images for kids
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Wright in 2016
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In 1995, Wright returned to the WWF as "Kama".
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The Godfather at the Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin tour in November 2009.
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The Godfather was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: The Godfather (luchador) para niños
