Papa Shango's Cageside Evaluation

What you loved:

1. Dedication - In yet another gimmick that should have never worked, Charles Wright did the best he could. Before WWE he had a somewhat similar gimmick, The Soul taker, so he was able to work out his style before Papa Shango came along.
2. Look - Had a great look, the outfit, the smoke, and of course his face paint all added to his creepiness.
3. Hoss - At 6'6"/330 lbs, he was a big enough to be a threat to any opponent.
4. Nostalgia - Many of you recall him from your childhood, he was a standout in early 90's WWE.
5. Heel - Solid work as the bad guy, he became a real threat to even the top faces, The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan for a short period of time.

Best comment comes via joliemadchen:

"He’s getting the nostalgia bump from me. I was terrified of him as a child. The feud with the Ultimate Warrior captivated me, and even though I recently watched the puke spell segment again and pretty much fell off my chair laughing, at the time I was completely pulled in. Remember when Mean Gene interviewed him then had, like, oil running down his arm? THE BEST."

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What you loathed:

1. Stereotype - Yet another of creative's more insensitive gimmicks.
2. Late - Via Wiki: "At WrestleMania, Shango actually missed his cue to run in, hitting the ring late. The finish was supposed to be Sid getting disqualified because of Shango breaking up the pinfall attempt by Hogan after he hit the big legdrop. However, due to Shango getting to the ring late, Sid was forced to kick out of the legdrop to save face. Sid's manager, Harvey Wippleman then jumped on the apron, and the referee signaled for the disqualification at that point as Shango was just getting to the ring."
3. Warrior Puke - Really?
4. In-Ring - Not the smoothest in the ring, a lumbering big man, with no great matches to recommend.
5. Hokey - Just goofy, cartoony, over-the-top behavior that defined that era.

Best comment comes via C. Priest Brumley:

"Ugh. I loathe this damn gimmick. I live in New Orleans, and I have to deal with people asking about "voodoo" and associated crap every day I’m at work. So, being a fan of wrestling and comic books, conversations with tourists always comes down to Papa Shango and Brother Voodoo, both of whom I now just loathe whole-hardheartedly. Plus, it’s racist as hell, Wright was not up to snuff to be that high profile yet, and just… Ugh."

On to the poll! With 145 votes, Papa Shango's average score is 3.2

Thanks, Cagesiders! Tomorrow's pick had no respect for time.

Until then!