Known for her impressive success in ECW and beyond, Raven recently shared insights into her early career in WCW and WWE. Before Raven made a big impact in ECW in 1995, Raven had already been in the lands of WCW and WWE under different identities. Known as Scotty Flamingo in WCW until 1993, Raven later switched to WWE as Johnny Polo, where he remained until the end of
In a candid interview with “Wrestling Shot Interview,” Raven discussed the challenges and disappointments of his first run at these major wrestling promotions Reflecting on his WWE tenure, Raven expressed dissatisfaction with the assignments she was given, which kept her in the ring mostly.
“Not a great period of time,” Raven admitted. “I wasn’t wrestling, I wasn’t doing what I wanted to do. At that time, I wanted to wrestle, but they took me off TV completely. I was managing, but then they had me stop managing, and they had me stop doing the wraparound segments I was also doing on the All-American show, which was the No. 2 show, and they just wanted me to produce. And I’m like, ‘That’s not what I got into this business for.'”
Frustrated by being sidelined from wrestling, Raven ultimately decided to quit WWE. However, his departure from WCW the previous year was less voluntary. Raven recounted being fired by booker Bill Watts, who dismissed him primarily due to his size.
“Watts came in and got rid of me, which was ridiculous, and that because of a size thing,” Raven recalled. He noted that his time in WWE also involved many non-wrestling related tasks, as Vince McMahon viewed him as “too small,” with only Sean “X-Pac” Waltman being smaller than him at the time.
Additionally, Raven had friction with McMahon over his off-ring behavior, particularly partying with McMahon’s son, Shane. This behavior, coupled with McMahon’s perception of his physicality, contributed to Raven’s limited opportunities and eventual departure.
Raven’s early experiences in WCW and WWE highlight the complex dynamics and challenges wrestlers often face behind the scenes. Despite these setbacks, Raven’s perseverance and passion for wrestling eventually led him to significant success in ECW and other promotions, solidifying his legacy in the wrestling world.
