A Look At The WWF Departures In 1993

A Look At The WWF Departures In 1993
September 25, 2026
By Ryan Porzl

1993 was certainly one of the most fascinating years in WWE history, good or bad. The boom period was over, an American wrestling recession was getting worse, The Golden Era was winding down, and The New Generation Era was on the horizon. 1993 would see the debut of flagship show Monday Night RAW and the debut of The King of the Ring PPV. It was also the year the WWE saw their biggest turnover, perhaps, since the promotion went national in 1984. The departures ran the gamut from long time vets to guys and girls who came and went to long time managers to members of the broadcast team to even the biggest name the WWF had for the past decade. In this article, we'll take a look at as many of the departures I can think of.

Note: I don't own any pictures. Credit to WWE. Credit to Cagematch and TheHistoryofWWE for information regarding dates

Ric Flair- We'll start with one of the biggest names on this list. Flair is someone who's achievements are well known and too many to name. After being the kingpin of the NWA/WCW for ten years, Flair would make the jump to the WWF in September 1991. His arrival is one of the most famous stories and incidents in history with Flair having a fallen out with WCW head Jim Herd which resulted in his WCW departure and taking the Big Gold Belt (the then NWA/WCW World Championship) with him to the WWF. While Flair's WWF run proved brief at around a year and a half, he made an impression including feuds and matches with Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and Mr. Perfect while winning two WWF Championships, taking part in a double main event at Wrestlemania VIII against Savage, and having a famous performance in the 1992 Royal Rumble en route to victory.

By 1993, Flair had decided to leave the promotion and return to WCW which was now under different management. Though happy, Flair sought his release after Vince McMahon told him he was going towards a youth movement and the near 44 year old Flair would be moved down the cards. Despite his 1993 being short, Flair would make the most of it by having two notable matches. His first being the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th which he obviously didn't win as he was eliminated by Mr. Perfect and the second would be his famous "Loser Leaves WWF" match to Perfect on the January 25th (taped January 18th) RAW in what is considered the first big match in the history of WWE's flagship show. Outside these matches, Flair worked live events in North America usually losing to Bret Hart in title rematches as well as to Perfect. Flair would finish on the WWF's winter European tour with his last match being conflicted. According to TheHistoryoftheWWE.com, his last match was February 10th losing a championship match to Bret while Cagematch.net claims it was February 11th in a loss to The Undertaker.

Since leaving, Flair would eventually have a comeback from 2001-2008 working as a wrestler, manager, and authority figure while accepting a WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2008. He won the Intercontinental Championship once and the World Tag Team Championship three times (twice with Batista and once with Roddy Piper) while being a member of Evolution with Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista. Since the 2010s and 2020s, Flair still makes the occasional returns usually involving his daughter Ashley (Charlotte Flair) while also accepting a second WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2012 as part of the 1988 Four Horsemen line up.

Earthquake- Earthquake was one of the classic monsters of the Golden Era. Quake originally arrived in the WWF in 1989 first as a monster heel feuding with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Andre The Giant, and his most famous against Hulk Hogan. He was a runner up in the 1991 Royal Rumble and squashed Roberts' snake Damien. Eventually, Quake would become a tag team wrestler teaming with Typhoon in The Natural Disasters where he enjoyed a run with the Tag Team Championship while having feuds with Legion of Doom and Money Inc.

Like Flair, Quake went into 1993 with the intention to leave reportedly unhappy with his creative direction and a desire to work in Japan for better money. Perhaps to no surprise, the WWF decided to have him lose to the new monster in town: Yokozuna. Quake only wrestled five matches for the WWF in 1993. The first were losses at two live events to Yoko. The third was the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th where he entered the Rumble and notably eliminated partner Typhoon before falling to eventual winner Yokozuna. He finished up during a Superstars TV Taping on January 25th, losing a dark match to Yoko and then losing to Bam Bam Bigelow with the latter airing on the February 20th edition of Superstars.

Since leaving, Quake would make several attempts at a comeback but never recaptured the magic. He returned in January 1994 for a brief return with his biggest highlights being a squash win over Adam Bomb at Wrestlemania X and then getting revenge on Yokozuna by defeating him in a sumo wrestling match on the May 16, 1994 RAW before leaving shortly after. He returned again from 1998-1999 as the masked "Golga" as a member of The Oddities stable but the group fizzled quickly and he would be released less than a year later. In 2001, he returned again as Earthquake for the Wrestlemania X-7 Gimmick Battle Royal which was won by The Iron Sheik. His last WWE appearance would be a dark match before a Sunday Night Heat on December 22, 2001 but ultimately wasn't rehired. After passing away due to bladder cancer in 2006, he would eventually be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2025 as part of The Natural Disasters.

Sean Mooney- As mentioned, 1993 saw a lot of departures and as I mentioned, it wasn't just wrestlers but even members of the broadcast team. A news anchor as well as a co-host and producer for MLB productions, Mooney joined the WWF in 1988 replacing Craig DeGeorge. During his five year run, Mooney was mostly known as the promotion's #2 interviewer behind Gene Okerlund for TV and PPVs. Outside of this, Mooney would do commentary for shows like Prime Time Wrestling, All American Wrestling, and Mania as well as home video releases usually with "Lord" Alfred Hayes. He would also usually host various segments including the PPV Reports, Update, and Event Center on WWF TV.

Going into 1993, Mooney decided to part ways with the WWF with the expiration of his contract. As a result, he largely began to get phased out notably not appearing at either Royal Rumble 1993 or Wrestlemania IX. Despite this, Mooney would make history becoming the first face seen and first voice heard in the history of Monday Night RAW on January 11th. Mooney worked for the WWF until April with his last appearance being on the April 17th Superstars hosting an Update segment.

Since leaving, Mooney has made the occasional return to the WWE in the 21st Century. He returned in 2005 being interviewed during the preshow for the RAW Homecoming special. He returned again in 2012 for RAW 1000 when he interviewed Daniel Bryan. He returned again for an episode of The Edge & Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness. In 2017, he co-hosted the WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995 DVD with former announcer Charly Caruso. His most recent appearance was in 2018 when he appeared on a WWE Network special on the top 25 RAW Moments.

Sensational Sherri- Sensational Sherri was one of the most recognizable names in the WWF during the Golden Era of the mid 80s to early 90s and was the second most known female personality behind only Miss Elizabeth. Sherri originally worked the territories in the 80s before getting her first big break in the AWA holding the promotion's Women's Championship several times. She arrived in the WWF in 1987 first as a wrestler where she won the WWF Women's Championship from The Fabulous Moolah that same year before losing it a year later to Rockin' Robin. As the women's division began to be phased out in 1989/1990, Sherri would transition to managing where she managed the likes of Randy Savage, Ted Dibiase, and Shawn Michaels. Even though she never managed a champion, her presence and antics certainly elevated everyone she was associated with.

Going into 1993, Sherri was at a crossroads. She had been out of action since October when she was injured in a confrontation Michaels had with ex-partner Marty Jannetty when Jannetty attempted to use a giant mirror Sherri brought to the ring on Michaels only for Michaels to pull Sherri in the way and she took the hit. Sherri would be announced for the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th for the Intercontinental Championship match between Michaels and Jannetty with the question being who's corner she would be in. At the Rumble, Sherri would turn babyface by leaving Michaels although miscalculated interference saw Michaels retain. Sherri would continue to have issues with Michaels until Wrestlemania IX when she seconded Tatanka for his title match with Michaels, who had the debuting Luna Vachon in his corner. After Tatanka won on a count out, Sherri was attacked by Luna to begin a program. After this, Sherri would feud with Luna throughout the spring and summer mostly on the live events while Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow would later get involved. Reportedly, Sherri was scheduled for a mixed tag match for Summerslam 1993 on August 30th teaming with Tatanka against Luna and Bigelow but she should abruptly leave the WWF in July. While she would claim it was her call, the story goes she was fired due to several failed drug tests. As a result, Sherri's last match would be a disqualification win over Luna at a live event on July 10th while her lasted televised appearance was the July 31st (taped July 6th) Superstars wrestling Luna to a no contest.

After leaving the WWE, Sherri would make a few returns in the 2000s. She returned in 2005 on an episode of Smackdown in a segment with Kurt Angle leading up to Angle taking on Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 21. She returned again in April 2006 when she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and appeared at Wrestlemania 22. She also would do interviews for DVD projects such as The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA DVD. 

The Berzerker- The Berzerker was among several on here who came in at the later years of the Golden Era but still was gone by 93. The Berzerker was John Nord, one of many wrestlers from Minnesota trained by Eddie Sharkey in the 1980s along with The Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff, and Rick Rude. He spent the 1980s and early 90s working in territories like the AWA and World Class as well as Japan either under his real name or as "Nord The Barbarian" where he had a similar look and presentation to wrestling legend Bruiser Brody. Nord entered the WWF in 1991 as The Berzerker, a goofy viking character managed by Mr. Fuji. Berzerker was a fine addition to the midcard but never made a splash. Perhaps his biggest highlights were never was moments. He lost a Wrestlemania moment at Wrestlemania VIII when his match with British Bulldog was cancelled due to time constraints and his Summerslam 1992 match with Tatanka didn't air in America (Summerslam aired in America two days after it was done in England).

Going into 1993, Berzerker was still doing his thing although his lost Fuji as his manager with The Devious One moving onward and upward with Yokozuna. Berzerker didn't last long mostly working live events with Bob Backlund and Typhoon where he usually lost. He entered the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th but lost, getting eliminated by The Undertaker. His other TV/PPV appearance was his last match on the February 15th (taped February 1st) RAW where he competed in a 15 man battle royal which was won by Razor Ramon.

Since leaving, Berzerker has made no future appearances for WWE as of 2026.

Blake (left) and Beau (right)

The Beverly Brothers- The Beverlys were certainly one of the WWF's more underrated and reliable teams, especially in The Golden Era. The Beverlys consisted of fictional brothers Blake (Mike Enos) and Beau (Wayne Bloom). Both turned pro in 1988 and competed in the final years of the AWA where they were paired up as The Destruction Crew and held the AWA World Tag Team Championship. After the AWA shut down, Enos and Bloom jumped to the WWF in 1991 and were repackaged as The Beverly Brothers. During their time together, the team would originally be managed by "Coach" John Tolos and later The Genius (Lanny Poffo). While they never held the tag titles, The Beverlys proved to be a solid "good hand" like tag team that filled the midcard and can be counted on to deliver good matches. Their peak would challenging The Natural Disasters for the WWF Tag Team Championship at Summerslam 1992 which they came up short.

Going into 1993, The Beverlys parted ways with Genius and began a feud with the recently arrived Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) in a battle of the "brothers tag teams". The feud peaked at the 1993 Royal Rumble PPV on January 24th which saw The Steiners win. After this, The Beverlys continued into the spring usually in losing efforts to The Steiners and The Bushwhackers. In March, they would actually have one of their biggest matches losing a WWF Home Video match to Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake. By the spring, the team began working The Bushwhackers in six man tags teaming with mini wrestler Little Louie while The Bushwhackers teamed with Tiger Jackson (the future Dink). By April, the team would break up as Beau would leave the WWF ending The Beverlys. The teams last televised match was the April 19th (taped April 12th) RAW losing to Money Inc. in a non title match while their last overall match was at a live event on April 25th losing to The Bushwhackers during the Spring European tour. Following Beau's departure, Blake continued on for a few more months working as a prelim singles wrestler against the likes of Bob Backlund, Virgil, and Marty Jannetty while also having matches with Razor Ramon and Owen Hart. He would also still continue The Bushwhacker feud usually teaming with Damien Demento and The Brooklyn Brawler. Blake would be released in August with his last match being a Wrestling Challenge TV Taping on August 17 losing to The Steiner Brothers which aired on September 12th. His last televised match was a loss to Bret Hart on the September 18th (taped August 17th) Superstars

Since leaving, neither Beau or Blake have made returns to the WWE as of 2026. Beau's son Cal Bloom would later work for the WWE developmental NXT as "Von Wagner".  

Boni Blackstone- Blackstone is someone hardcore fans may remember but even they might have forgotten was in the Federation. Blackstone entered wrestling around 1986 calling shows for southern promotions before mostly becoming known as a co-host of the long running Superstars of Wrestling syndicated block with husband Joe Pedicino and legendary announcer Gordon Solie while also announcing for the Texas based Global Wrestling Federation from 1991-1992. In many ways, Blackstone is considered a trailblazer for women in wrestling, especially in broadcasting.

By 1993, Blackstone would join the WWF as an interviewer usually for WWF's syndicated shows such as Superstars and Mania with her debut being on the May 15th (taped April 6th) edition of Superstars interviewing Lex Luger. Blackstone would work for the WWF throughout the spring and summer before leaving in August with her last appearance being the October 9th (taped August 31st) Superstars interviewing Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon.

Since leaving the WWF, Blackstone has currently made no further appearances as of 2026.

Giant Gonzalez- Few wrestlers were in WWF for such a short time but made a more lasting impression, good or bad, than Giant Gonzalez. Gonzalez was Jorge Gonzalez, an Argentine Basketball player who wasn't able to transition to the demands of the NBA and turned to pro wrestling. He worked for the NWA/WCW as "El Gigante" from 1990-1992 but it quickly became clear despite his look, the 7'7 giant was extremely limited and didn't take to wrestling at all. After washing out of WCW, Vince decided to take a chance on him, perhaps thinking he could make him the next Andre The Giant.

Entering 1993, Gonzalez made a memorable debut at the Royal Rumble on January 24th where, managed by Harvey Wippleman, he attacked The Undertaker during the Rumble and eliminated him. As a result, Gonzalez would mostly spend 1993 feuding with The Deadman including losing by disqualification at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th. Eventually, Gonzalez and Mr. Hughes would then take out Paul Bearer and steal the urn which gives Taker his powers. Despite this, Gonzalez lost again at Summerslam on August 30th to Undertaker after Bearer returned to reclaim the urn from Wippleman which resulted in Gonzalez seemingly turning babyface by attacking Wippleman. Outside of the Taker feud, Gonzalez also had a King of the Ring qualifier match with Tatanka, had several live event matches with Randy Savage, and traveled to WWF partner USWA to wrestle Jerry Lawler. However, none of these things were able to make up for Gonzalez' limitations and following Summerslam, it was clear the WWF saw him as a lost cause. Gonzalez would finish with the WWF by October with his last match being on the October 4th (taped September 27th) RAW in a 20 man battle royal with the two remaining participants facing off the following week for the Intercontinental Championship. In a sign of things to come, he was the first eliminated. His last overall appearance would be the October 24th (taped September 29th) Wrestling Challenge where he confronted Wippleman and his new charge Adam Bomb setting up a future feud but nothing came of it.

After leaving, Gonzalez never returned to the WWE again before his passing in 2010 due to diabetes and heart issues. Despite this, he's still remembered as one of many Wrestlemania victims of The Undertaker and an opponent The Phenom doesn't look back fondly on.

Skinner- Skinner is like The Berzerker as he was a late addition to The Golden Era WWF. Skinner was Steve Keirn who mostly gained fame in promotions such as Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis and Championship Wrestling From Florida while later gaining wrestling immortality in the 80s for his team The Fabulous Ones with Stan Lane. He arrived in the WWF in 1991 as "Skinner", an alligator hunter. Skinner never went too far but was a good hand for the WWF's midcard. Despite this, he competed in the 1992 and 1993 Royal Rumbles while challenging Bret Hart for the IC Title at This Tuesday in Texas and then had a Wrestlemania moment by losing to Owen Hart in a quick match at Wrestlemania VIII.

Going into 1993, Skinner continued in the WWF for a brief period. His biggest highlight was competing in the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th but ultimately didn't win getting eliminated by Mr. Perfect. After this, Skinner would mostly work the live events usually defeating former Young Stallions wrestler Jim Powers while coming up short against the likes of Tito Santana, Crush, and Typhoon. By April, Keirn would drop the Skinner gimmick and began competing as a second Doink The Clown. Debuting the character at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th, Keirn's Doink would interfere or illegally switch with the original Doink to assist him in winning matches only for Doink to claim Doink II was an "illusion". Keirn would also work the live events as Doink either to fill in for Matt Borne or allow the WWF to book the Doink character on both set of tours. Keirn continued as Doink II until July when he was released by the WWF after the plans for multiple Doinks was dropped. His last match was a win over Tito Santana at a live event on July 23rd.

Since leaving, Keirn has made a few returns to the WWE. He returned in October 2005 for the RAW Homecoming special (RAW's return to the USA Network). He wrestled his last match in December 2007 on the RAW 15th Anniversary special taking part in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal reprising the Skinner gimmick. From 2007-2012, he ran the Florida Championship Wrestling developmental territory for WWE until it was replaced by NXT. In 2026, he was in the crowd for the WWE's Backlash Premium Live Event. 

Slick- Slick would be another longtime non wrestler to part ways with the WWF in 93. Slick first began in the 1980s managing in several territories like Central States Wrestling in Kansas City, Missouri as a shady, smooth talking heel manager nicknamed "The Doctor of Style". He arrived in the WWF in 1986 as a replacement for the retiring "Classy" Freddie Blassie and managed a variety of talent including The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Power & Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma), Boris Zhukov, The One Man Gang/Akeem, The Big Boss Man, and The Warlord. After taking a running powerslam from The British Bulldog in November 1991, he turned face, renounced his past, and became "Reverend Slick". From 1991-1992, he mostly would work several WWF shows like Prime Time Wrestling while giving uplifting sermons. 

Going into 1993, Slick returned to managing when he took Kamala away from the abusive Harvey Wippleman and Kim Chee. This would lead to a memorable angle where Slick would try to humanize Kamala and prove he was not a savage but a man with the most notable bit being highlighted on WWF Home Video Invasion of the Bodyslammers where he taught Kamala how to bowl. Slick would manage Kamala for the first half of 93 before leaving in May at which point he retired from wrestling and became a minister. His last appearance was the May 8th (taped April 6th) Wrestling Challenge managing Kamala and The Nasty Boys in a losing effort to Mr. Hughes and Money Inc. 

After leaving, Slick has made a few returns to the WWE since then. He returned for a backstage segment at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007 and then for Old School RAW in 2010. He returned for RAW 1000 on July 23, 2012 when he officiated the wedding between Daniel Bryan and AJ Lee. He most recent appearance was the 2016 Hall of Fame when he inducted former client The Big Boss Man into the HOF. 

Rob Bartlett- Bartlett is the first on this list to join the WWF broadcast team in 1993 and didn't last long. Unlike most on this list, Bartlett didn't have history in wrestling but rather, was a comedian in New York who achieved fame appearing on Don Imus' old Imus In The Morning radio show. Bartlett caught the eye of Vince McMahon reportedly doing comedy at a charity auction for the Special Olympics and impressed him with his wit and comedy.

Going in 1993, Bartlett was hired by the WWF to host the new flagship show Monday Night RAW. Bartlett debuted on the debut episode on January 11th hosting the show alongside Vince and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Unfortunately, Bartlett proved to be a poor fit for WWF given he knew very little of wrestling and his humor wasn't a fit for RAW or the WWF. As a result, Bartlett's WWF run only lasted three months before he decided to voluntarily leave with his last appearance being on the April 19th (taped April 12th) RAW. He would be replaced by Bobby Heenan the following week.

Since leaving the WWF, Bartlett has made no further appearances for the promotion.

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan- Ol' Hacksaw would be another long time favorite shown the door in 1993. Duggan actually first worked for the WWF in 1979 shortly into his wrestling career. However, due to being new, he was mostly used as prelim talent. Eventually, Duggan would become a huge star for Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling/Universal Wrestling Federation from the early to late 1980s as a proud patriot who waved old glory and his signature 2x4. Duggan returned to the WWF in 1987 continuing this role and would find success as a reliable and popular hand in the midcard for the WWF. While he never won a championship, Duggan would make history winning the first televised Royal Rumble at the 1988 Royal Rumble event. During his run, Duggan would have memorable feuds with Randy Savage, Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Dino Bravo while also forming the short lived tag team here and there with Volkoff and Sgt. Slaughter.

Going into 1993, Duggan's WWF run was clearly winding down as the aging Duggan spent a lot of the year putting over the next generation, specifically new monster heel Yokozuna. Duggan's first big moment of the year was the February 6th (taped January 5th) Superstars in a special challenge against Yokozuna with the stipulation being Duggan would win if he could knock Yoko off his feet. Duggan would win knocking Yoko down only to get destroyed afterwards with four bonzai drops putting him out of action. After returning in March, Duggan would continue to chase Yoko but revenge would never come as the feud was clearly a case of the aging legend being fed to the new monster in town. Outside the Yoko matches, Duggan would qualify for the King of the Ring tournament on the May 9th (taped April 5th) Wrestling Challenge beating Papa Shango. Duggan would get two Intercontinental Championship matches against Shawn Michaels on the May 3 (taped April 26th) and May 10th RAWs but wasn't able to win the title. His only PPV would be the 1993 King of the Ring on June 13th but fell in the first round to runner up Bam Bam Bigelow. After KOTR, Duggan continued feuding with Yoko and even received several WWF Championship shots due to Yoko winning the belt at KOTR but again came up short. Duggan would finish with the WWF at the Summerslam Spectacular 1993 special on August 22nd (taped August 16th) where he lost a non title match to Yoko. Following this, his contract expired and Vince decided not to renew.

Since leaving, Duggan would make several returns to the WWE in the 21st Century. He returned in October 2005 as part of RAW Homecoming. Following this, Duggan would work as a part time special attraction wrestling on and off from 2005-2013 during which time he also competed in the 2009 and 2012 Royal Rumbles while also doing the WWE's Legend's House reality show. In 2011, he accepted his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame and appeared at Wrestlemania XXVII as part of the Hall of Fame segment. His most recent appearance being in 2025 as part of the tribute to Hulk Hogan following Hogan's passing. 

Typhoon- Earthquake wasn't the only Natural Disaster to leave WWF in 93. Typhoon was Fred Ottman who turned pro in 1984 and spent the first six years traveling the territories. He arrived in the WWF originally in 1990 as "Tugboat", a friend of Hulk Hogan during his feud with Earthquake. By the summer of 1991, Tugboat would turn heel, be repackaged as "Typhoon", and form The Natural Disasters with Quake where they enjoyed a tag title run.

By 1993, as mentioned, Quake would take his leave in January leaving Typhoon to go back to singles. For most of 1993, he would be put with Bam Bam Bigelow where he usually lost the encounters. Despite this, he did get wins over Terry Taylor, The Repo Man, and The Berzerker at the live events. His only PPV appearance was the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th where he entered the rumble but was eliminated by Quake. His TV appearances would either usually see him win over prelims or putting over guys like Doink and Yokozuna. Typhoon's last major match was a King of the Ring qualifier against Bigelow where he lost again. His last match would be a live event on July 18th where he defeated The Predator (Horace Hogan).

Since leaving, Typhoon would make a few short returns. He returned in May 1994, ironically replacing former partner Quake in a live event feud with Yoko which he usually lost. The feud would also spill to TV with Typhoon getting a DQ win in a singles while he also teamed with Mabel in a losing effort to Yokozuna and Crush. His most notable match was a non title loss to Intercontinental Champion Diesel at the first Sunday Night Slam special before leaving in August 1994. His last match for the WWF would see him reprise the Tugboat character for the Wrestlemania X-7 Gimmick Battle Royal in April 2001 which was won by The Iron Sheik. His most recent appearance was in 2025 accepting his and Quake's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as The Natural Disasters.

Papa Shango- Even though Papa Shango didn't have the most fondly remembered run, he was certainly an interesting character. Shango was Charles Wright, who started working as a journeyman competing in Japan for New Japan, in Germany for Catch Wrestling Association, and the United States Wrestling Association in Memphis even winning the USWA Unified World Championship. After joining the WWF in 1991, he would first spend the first year under the name "Sir Charles", based off his real name and the nickname of NBA legend Charles Barkley. By January 1992, Wright would be given the"Papa Shango" character, a voodoo priest based off iconic James Bond villain Baron Samedi. Shango would have a famous 1992 for all the wrong reasons including botching the finish to the main event of Wrestlemania VIII between Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice by missing his cue to interfere in the match and then having one of the worst feuds of all time against The Ultimate Warrior.

Going into 1993, Shango was basically a prelim talent the WWF clearly gave up on. His biggest highlight was entering the 1993 Royal Rumble match on January 24th but was the first eliminated getting dumped out by Ric Flair. His other highlights was facing Tito Santana at the Wrestlemania IX preshow which he lost, then lost a King of the Ring qualifier to "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on the May 9th (taped April 5th) Wrestling Challenge, and successfully defending the USWA Unified World Title against Owen Hart at the King of the Ring preshow on June 13th. Aside from that, Shango mostly worked the house shows as a jobber losing to The Undertaker, Tatanka, Owen Hart, and Bob Backlund. His biggest success in 1993 was actually outside WWF as he returned to the USWA (now a partner of WWF) where he won the USWA Unified World Title from Jerry Lawler and holding it for a month before losing it to Owen Hart. Shango would continue working for the WWF until October with his last match being a loss to Bob Backlund at a live event on October 13th.

Since leaving, there were reportedly plans to bring the Papa Shango character back twice. The first was in 1994 when Bob Backlund snapped and turned heel as the plan was for Shango to have possessed him. The second was in 1997 with Wright even having an altered look and participating in a photoshoot but neither of these returns ended up happening. Instead, Wright would return from 1995-1996 as "Kama, The Supreme Fighting Machine", a shoot fighter type character who was a member of Ted Dibiase's Million Dollar Corporation. As Kama, he mostly became known for his feud with The Undertaker and stealing Paul Bearer's urn which he melted into a chain. He then returned in 1997 as "Kama Mustafa" and became a member of The Nation of Domination. Eventually, his character morphed into "The Godfather", a pimp character. The Godfather would prove to be Wright's most memorable and successful character even winning the Intercontinental Championship. He also briefly worked as "The Goodfather" and was a member of The Right To Censor group where he held the WWF Tag Team Championship with Bull Buchanan. He remained with WWE until being released in 2002. Since then, he's made several returns over the decades usually as The Godfather including special old school RAWs or RAW Anniversary shows and participated in the 2013 Royal Rumble. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 and appeared at Wrestlemania 32 as part of the HOF segment. He returned in 2020 as part of The Undertaker's retirement ceremony at Survivor Series 2020 and was in the audience for the 2025 Royal Rumble.

Mike McGuirk- I should note I have heard Mike McGuirk may have worked backstage at least till 1994 but I'm not sure so I will include her here. Mike McGuirk is another like Boni Blackstone who can be considered a trailblazer for women in wrestling. Before there was Lillian Garcia or Samantha Irvin, she was the original female ring announcer for WWF/WWE. McGuirk was part of wrestling initially as the daughter of legendary wrestler and promoter Leroy McGuirk. She first got involved by doing ring announcing at the Mid-South Coliseum and first became known to the WWF for providing rings to them whenever they worked shows in her neck of the woods. McGuirk joined the WWF in 1987 and originally did commentary for WWF events in Texas, usually announcing with Bruce Prichard and Pete Doherty. Eventually, she became a ring announcer for various WWF TV shows, perhaps most notably, Wrestling Challenge. She also later would help produce backstage promos as well. During her WWF run, she mostly became known for ridicule from Bobby Heenan during Wrestling Challenge broadcast and heel wrestlers like Ric Flair, Rick Rude, and Razor Ramon trying to put the moves on her.

Going into 1993, McGuirk continued in her roles backstage and ring announcing duties for most of the year until leaving around November. According to McGuirk, she denied it had anything to do with Vince making sexual advances but claimed she didn't want to move to Connecticut. Her last appearance was the October 31st (taped September 29th) Wrestling Challenge.

Since leaving, McGuirk has made no further appearances for WWE as of 2026. 

Jerry Sags (left) and Brian Knobbs (right)

The Nasty Boys- The Nastys 1993 run, at least in the WWF, was a sad one as they entered the year seemingly on track for another title run and Wrestlemania moment only to get passed over in favor of others and eventually would end their relationship with the WWF. The Nasty Boys were Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, a tag team with the gimmick of being rude, crude, anti-social punks. After turning pro in 1985, the two began teaming in 1986 where they worked the AWA, CWA in Memphis, and FCW in Florida winning tag gold in the latter two. After a cup of coffee run in NWA/WCW, the two jumped to the WWF in late 1990 coming in as heels managed by Jimmy Hart. Originally, the team enjoyed big success having a Wrestlemania moment when they won the WWF Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania VII from The Hart Foundation. After losing the titles to The Legion of Doom at Summerslam 1991, the team settled into the midcard for the next year before eventually breaking away from Hart and turning babyface in late 1992 due to Hart showing favoritism toward Money Inc.

In 1993, The Nastys were originally riding high as the WWF's new top babyface tag team chasing Money Inc. for the tag team championships usually at live events. The two entered the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th but neither won it with Knobbs accidentally eliminating himself missing a charge on Ted Dibiase while Sags would later be eliminated by Owen Hart. After the Rumble, it looked like The Nastys would be heading towards another Wrestlemania moment where they likely would face and beat Money Inc. for the tag titles. However, plans would change in February when the WWF decided to bring Hulk Hogan back from hiatus and as part of the agreement, Brutus Beefcake returned as well. With the WWF putting Hogan and Beefcake together as The Megamaniacs, Vince decided to change WMIX's tag team championship match with Hogan and Beefcake getting the shot. After losing out on the Wrestlemania IX appearance and their feud with Money Inc. finished, The Nastys would later admit they were unhappy from then on out. They began a feud with The Headshrinkers on TV and live events until being suspended after misbehaving during the Spring European tour in April. According to The Nastys in later interviews, they eventually met with Vince and secured their releases. Their last match was a double disqualification against The Headshrinkers on April 18th during the WWF's Spring European tour while their last televised match was the May 16th (taped April 5th) Wrestling Challenge winning a squash match.

After leaving, The Nastys have only made one other appearance working a dark match prior to November 23, 2007 (taped November 20th) edition of Friday Night Smackdown defeating Dave Taylor and Drew McIntyre but a WWE return didn't come of this.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund- At times, 1993 felt like an "Out with the old, in with the new" and that not only was the case with the wrestlers but it also would be the case with wrestling's greatest and most famous interviewer: "Mean" Gene Okerlund. Okerlund originally got his start in 1970 for the AWA serving as their top interviewer and announcer for most of his thirteen year run. He jumped to the WWF in 1983 just as Vince began making the moves to successfully takeover wrestling, at least in most of North America. During his decade long run, Okerlund easily became known for being the WWF's lead interviewer, interviewing wrestlers and managers on both WWF TV shows and PPVs. Though best known for this role, Okerlund also wore other hats as he was the long running host for the WWF's Sunday afternoon USA Network show All American Wrestling, did occasional commentary including the Chicago portion of Wrestlemania 2, and hosted various segments on WWF TV such as PPV Reports, Update, Event Center, and the Face-To-Face.

Going into 1993, Okerlund was still doing his thing as the promotions lead interviewer while hosting various segments on WWF TV, and co-hosted All American Wrestling with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Among these, Okerlund would also serve as main interviewer at Royal Rumble 1993, Wrestlemania IX, and King of the Ring 1993. However, in the summer, things would change. With the WWF moving towards a youth movement and with Vince having a love/hate relationship with Okerlund over the years, Vince made the decision to part ways and decided not to offer Okerlund a new contract. Despite this, Vince reportedly did give an impression of interest so Okerlund could get a good deal with WCW which he did. Okerlund finished in August with Summerslam 1993 being a sign of things to come as he only narrated the opening and conducted interviews for Home Video while taking a backseat to Todd Pettingill and Joe Fowler. Okerlund would also tape segments during that time which continued airing for most of September with his last appearance being the September 18th Superstars hosting the Face-To-Face segment.

Since leaving, Okerlund would reportedly make an attempt at returning in 1996 but there was no interest. Eventually, Okerlund returned with the WWF in 2001 doing commentary for the Wrestlemania X-7 Gimmick Battle Royal. From there, Okerlund remained with the WWE till his passing in 2019. From 2002-2004, he hosted the magazine show WWE Confidential on Spike TV and then hosted the best of show WWE Madison Square Garden Classics on the MSG Network from 2006-2009. He would host/co-host the 2004, 2005, and 2008 WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies. He would also be part of the WWE reality show Legend's House. Okerlund would also accept his Hall of Fame induction in 2006 while inducting Howard Finkel in 2009. Along with these, he would make appearances at Wrestlemanias and specials like old school RAWs or anniversary RAWs.

Big Boss Man- Everyone's favorite law enforcement officer has the unique situation of not having left WWF once but twice in 1993. Turning pro in 1985, Boss Man started working in his native Georgia before getting his first break in 1986 in NWA/WCW as "Big Bubba Rogers", the silent bodyguard of Jim Cornette who engaged in matches with Dusty Rhodes and Ole Anderson. He jumped to the WWF in 1988 and became "The Big Boss Man". Initially a heel, he was managed by Slick and engaged in a memorable feud with The Megapowers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage). After turning face in 1990, he became one of the WWF's most popular stars having memorable feuds with The Heenan Family, The Mountie, and Nailz. 

By 1993, Boss Man was another who decided to leave early in the year. His biggest moment would be a loss to Bam Bam Bigelow at the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th. Outside of that, he had a brief TV feud with Doink The Clown while largely losing to newcomers like Bigelow, Yokozuna, and Razor Ramon at live events. His last match would be a live event on March 14th defeating Doink by disqualification. Interestingly enough, this part isn't over. After being absent for most of 1993, Boss Man would actually return in December for a series of live events serving as a special guest referee for the main events between Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett. By all accounts, a return was scheduled for 1994 only for him to abruptly leave again where he jumped to WCW. While Boss Man never went on record for the reason, Jim Cornette would claim Boss Man confided in him that he was uncomfortable portraying a law enforcement officer at a time when Vince McMahon was indicted by the federal government due to the steroids scandal.

After leaving, Boss Man would go on to have a successful second run with the WWF/WWE from 1998-2003 where he held the WWF Hardcore Championship four times and the WWF Tag Team Championship with Ken Shamrock. He would also engage in big matches and feuds with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Undertaker as well as some infamous feuds with Al Snow and The Big Show. After passing away due to a heart attack in 2004, Boss Man would eventually be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

Tito Santana- Perhaps outside of obvious names like Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana's departure would continue to hammer home The Golden Era was winding down and The New Generation was approaching. Turning pro in 1977, Santana worked the territories and Japan along with having his first WWF run from 1979 to 1980 where he held the WWF Tag Team Championship with Ivan Putski. Santana's most notable WWF run began upon his return in 1983 where he became a solid midcarder/upper midcarder for most of the 1980s. He originally achieved big success winning the Intercontinental Championship twice while engaging in memorable feuds and matches with Randy Savage, The Magnificent Muraco, and especially Greg Valentine. After this, he eventually formed the successful tag team Strike Force with Rick Martel where he captured a second tag title. Following the implosion of Strike Force in 1989, he won his last WWF honor in the 1989 King of the Ring. As the 90s dawned, Santana began to fall down the ladder and settled into a jobber to the stars role losing to talent like The Warlord, The Mountie, and The Barbarian as well as future stars like Shawn Michaels. Even being given the bull fighter character of "El Matador" wasn't able to jolt his career.

In 1993, Santana continued into his role working live events scoring wins over Skinner, The Predator (Horace Hogan), and Terry Taylor while trading wins with Damien DeMento and losing to the likes of Doink and Jerry Lawler while getting TV matches with Ric Flair, Fatu (Rikishi), Lex Luger, and Money Inc. Santana would enter the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th in what was his seventh straight and final Rumble but lost to eventual winner Yokozuna. He would also compete at Wrestlemania one last time at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th via the preshow where he avenged his Summerslam 1992 preshow loss to Papa Shango. The win marked only his second Mania win not having won one since Wrestlemania I in 1985. Santana's last major moment was losing a King of the Ring qualifier match to Razor Ramon on the May 8th (taped April 6th) Superstars. He continued to work live events and TV until finishing in August with his last WWF match being a win over Damien DeMento at a live event on August 13th.

Since leaving, Santana would eventually return to the WWF as a Spanish commentator from 1997-1998 including making a return to Wrestlemania by calling Wrestlemania XIV in 1998. He would return again in 2004 accepting his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame and appeared at Wrestlemania XX as part of the Hall of Fame segment. 

Brutus Beefcake- Beefcake was yet another Golden Era favorite who worked for the WWF as a good soldier for most of the Era's run only to ride off into the sunset in 1993. Debuting in 1977, Beefcake worked the territories like Southeastern Championship Wrestling for the first seven years as well as New Japan under a variety of names. Like many, Beefcake made the jump in 1984 where he became "Brutus Beefcake", a male stripper like character managed by "Luscious" Johnny Valiant. Beefcake would find success as part of The Dream Team with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine winning the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1985. After The Dream Team broke up at Wrestlemania III in 1987, Beefcake would eventually turn babyface and become Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, who's gimmick was cutting the hair of prelim talent and heel wrestlers/managers to the delight of the fans while carrying around hedge clippers. For the remainder of the 1980s and into the 1990s, Beefcake would remain one of WWF's more popular acts challenging for the Intercontinental Championship and having big matches teaming with Hulk Hogan. Unfortunately, at the height of his career, Beefcake would suffer a shattered face in a parasailing accident on July 4, 1990. While Beefcake would recover, the WWF was hesitate to have him return and he would be out for the next two and a half years. While out, Beefcake would work behind the scenes as Hogan's assistant and would make non wrestling appearances such as hosting his own talk show The Barber Shop from 1991-1992.

In 1993, Beefcake had been off TV since Wrestlemania VIII in April 1992 but with the WWF interested in bringing Hulk Hogan back, who had also been on hiatus since then, an agreement was made for Beefcake to make his return. Beefcake would return to WWF TV in February and announce his return to the ring. His comeback was the February 15th (taped February 1st) Monday Night RAW defeating Ted Dibiase by disqualification after being attacked by IRS and then beatdown by Money Inc. Following Hogan's return the following week, the two, along with Jimmy Hart, would form The Megamaniacs. After doing several live events against Money Inc., Beefcake would return to Wrestlemania at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th teaming with Hogan against Money Inc. for the WWF Tag Team Championship but lost on a disqualification. After Wrestlemania, Beefcake would begin to fade out again. He would never wrestle on WWF TV again and his only televised appearances were usually in the background for Hogan's promos as WWF Champion or promoting live event appearances. Despite this, Beefcake continued working for the WWF teaming with Hogan in rematches against Money Inc. in Dark matches during TV Tapings and live events throughout May and June. Beefcake would eventually finish with the WWF competing on their Summer European tour with his last match being a win over Terry Taylor on August 6th. With Hulk Hogan leaving the WWF following the tour and the WWF having no plans for Beefcake, he would follow Hogan out.

Since leaving, Beefcake would return to the WWE in 2019 when he accepted his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame and appeared at Wrestlemania 35 as part of the HOF segment.

Ted Dibiase- Dibiase was one of the classic characters and heels during the WWF's Golden Era with 1993 briefly seeing him leave while being his last as a competitor. Dibiase debuted in 1974 and became one of the top wrestlers during the 70s and 80s in promotions such as Mid-South Wrestling/Universal Wrestling Federation, Western States Wrestling, and Georgia Championship Wrestling as well as in Japan for All Japan. He would also enjoy a short and successful run with the WWF in 1979 including holding the short lived North American Championship and being Hulk Hogan's debut opponent in Madison Square Garden. In 1987, Dibiase returned as "The Million Dollar Man", a greedy rich wrestler who flaunted his wealth and used it to his advantage anyway he could while trying to humiliate others. During this time, he had big feuds with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Virgil, and Dusty Rhodes. By 1992, he switched to tag team wrestling forming the successful tag team Money Inc. with Irwin R. Shyster with the two winning the WWF Tag Team Championship twice that year.

Entering 1993, Dibiase was riding high as part of Money Inc. and one half of the WWF Tag Team Champions with IRS. He entered the 1993 Royal Rumble match on January 24th but was eliminated by The Undertaker. Dibiase and IRS would also enter the year feuding with The Nasty Boys. In February, plans would change when the WWF brought Hulk Hogan back from hiatus along with Brutus Beefcake. Dibiase lost to Beefcake by diaqualification on the February 15th (taped February 1st) Monday Night RAW after IRS attacked Beefcake. The two did a heel beatdown which resulted in manager Jimmy Hart leaving the champs to manage Beefcake and Hogan. After working live events with them, Dibiase competed in his last Wrestlemania match at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th where he and IRS defeated Hogan and Beefcake by disqualification to retain the Tag Team Championship. After Wrestlemania, Dibiase and IRS continued working live events against Hogan and Beefcake throughout May and June while beginning a feud with The Steiner Brothers. In June, Dibiase and IRS teamed with The Headshrinkers in a losing effort against The Steiners and The Smokin' Gunns at King of the Ring 1993 on June 13th. From there, Money Inc. and The Steiner would trade the belts at live events with Money Inc. losing the titles on June 14th, regaining them for a third time on June 16th, and then losing them for the final time on June 19th. After the last title loss, Dibiase and IRS would continue chasing The Steiners through the summer including wrestling a steel cage match at the Summerslam Spectacular on August 22nd (taped August 16th) but were never able to win them back. As this was happening, Dibiase began a program with Razor Ramon over his upset loss to The 1-2-3 Kid resulting in Ramon turning babyface. In August, Dibiase would lose to The Kid thanks to interference from Ramon on the August 1st (taped July 7th) Wrestling Challenge. This would culminate in Dibiase having his last WWF match which would be a loss to Razor Ramon in the opening match at Summerslam 1993 on August 30th. According to Dibiase, his departure largely came due to his desire to get off the road and repair his marriage which was strained due to partying and infidelity.

After leaving, Dibiase planned to work in Japan while doing American indy dates on the side as the schedule was easier. Unfortunately, he would suffer a bad neck injury in November and decided to retire as a result. Due to this, Dibiase returned to the WWF in January 1994 at the Royal Rumble PPV where he went on to have a two and a half year run as a manager and color commentator. During this time, Dibiase would manage The Million Dollar Corporation which included former partner IRS as well as legends such as Bam Bam Bigelow, Sid, The 1-2-3 Kid, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin before leaving in May 1996. Dibiase would return to the WWE again from 2005-2006 working behind the scenes as a producer which he admitted he wasn't good at. Since then, Dibiase continues to make the occasional appearances for WWE whether it be in the late 2000s/early 2010s when his son Ted Dibiase Jr. was competing or appearing on special editions of RAW and Wrestlemania and doing DVD projects. He accepted his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010 while inducting former manager Sensational Sherri in 2006 and friend/rival "Hacksaw' Jim Duggan in 2011. Dibiase would also "win" the 15th Anniversary RAW Battle Royal in December 2007 after paying off the winner and former partner IRS to eliminate himself. He would also capture his last title by briefly holding the WWE 24/7 Title in 2019 after buying it from Alundra Blayze before losing it off camera to Drake Maverick. As of 2026, Dibiase continues to make the occasional appearances with his most recent angle being in 2021 on NXT involving LA Knight and Cameron Grimes (Trevor Lee) over his Million Dollar Championship and he appeared on the RAW XXX in 2023.

The Repo Man- The Repo Man was someone who certainly played a big role in The Golden Era and had his share of colorful characters. Repo was Barry Darsow who was one of several Minnesota wrestlers trained by Eddie Sharkey. Turning pro in 1983, Repo would work under his real name before becoming a Russian sympathizer "Krusher Khruschev" achieving success in NWA/WCW, Championship Wrestling from Florida, and Mid-South Wrestling. In 1987, Repo joined the WWF as the second wrestler to portray "Smash" in the tag team Demolition opposite Bill Eadie (Ax) and later, Brian Adams (Crush). Repo was a replacement for Randy Colley (a.k.a. Moondog Rex) who was reportedly too recognizable to WWF fans for his past run in The Moondogs. As Smash, Repo would achieve huge success with Demolition serving as WWF's top tag team from 1988-1990, capturing the WWF Tag Team Championship three times during that time. After the team broke up in 1991, Darsow would be repackaged as The Repo Man, a sneaky thief character who took items from wrestlers. As Repo, Darsow mostly worked in the midcard through out 1991-1992 getting PPV appearances and the occasional title shots.

Going into 1993, Repo continued on mostly as a prelim talent losing to established names and up and comers. His highlights were entering the 1993 Royal Rumble match but was eliminated by "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Speaking of Savage, he also had a small feud with The Macho Man, repossessing his cowboy hat on the January 18th Monday Night RAW which culminated with a loss to Savage on the January 25th (taped January 18th) RAW. Aside from that, most of his stuff was live events where he usually lost to Tito Santana, Bob Backlund, Virgil, and Typhoon. His last match would be a loss to Typhoon at a live event on March 28th.

Since leaving, Repo would make a few returns to the WWE mostly as Repo Man. He competed in the Wrestlemania X-7 Gimmick Battle Royal in April 2001 and then returned in December 2007 to compete in the RAW 15th Anniversary Battle Royal both as Repo Man. He also participated in DVD projects like the one on The Road Warriors. His son Dakota would also spend time in WWE developmental. After a long absence, Repo would accept his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2026 as Smash in Demolition alongside Ax while also appearing at Wrestlemania 42.

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan- Again, 1993 saw names from newcomers to longtime faces depart the WWF and few were bigger than Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Debuting in wrestling in 1965, Heenan started as a wrestler with limited success. By the 1970s, he transitioned to managing and quickly earned a reputation as the best in the business managing in a variety of promotions such as the AWA, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Association with his own group called "The Heenan Family". Like many, Heenan made the jump to the WWF in 1984 and spent most of his tenure as the promotion's top manager. During this time, Heenan would manage a who's who including "Big" John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Paul Orndorff, Andre The Giant, Hercules, "King" Harley Race, Mr. Perfect, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, The Brainbusters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), Haku, The Barbarian, and Ric Flair. While Heenan would slow down as a manager due to neck issues in 1991, he continued to be part of Flair's entourage from 1991-1993. Outside of managing, Heenan would also find huge success as a color commentator calling both the syndicated Wrestling Challenge and the USA Network run Prime Time Wrestling from 1986-1993, usually with Gorilla Monsoon. Heenan would also call PPVs and Saturday Night's Main Events during this time as well. Along with Jesse Ventura, Heenan changed the game as far as wrestling commentary went working as a pro heel commentator opposite the babyface play-by-play announcer which was usually either Monsoon or Vince McMahon. His pairing with Monsoon is often considered one of, if not, the greatest announce team in wrestling history.

Going into 1993, Heenan was still chugging along. While Prime Time wrapped up on January 4th, he continued to host Wrestling Challenge with Monsoon (later with Jim Ross) and began co-hosting All American Wrestling with Gene Okerlund (later in the year with Joe Fowler and then Vince McMahon). He would also host all five of the WWF's PPVs that year. Also, entering the year, Heenan would continue being affiliated with Ric Flair until The Nature Boy's departure in February. During that time, Heenan would then vow to unveil a newcomer name "Narcissus" at the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th who would be revealed as "The Narcissist" Lex Luger who would briefly continue Flair and Heenan's feud with Mr. Perfect. By April, Heenan would replace Rob Bartlett on the Monday Night RAW broadcast team alongside Vince and "Macho Man" Randy Savage thus resulting in Heenan hosting three different shows simultaneously. Heenan would work with the WWF all the way till the holidays. By November, Heenan's contract was up and he decided to leave for a variety of reasons including his injured neck and being asked to take a 50% pay cut due to declining business. Heenan's departure was, perhaps, the most memorable of the year as his last appearance was the December 6th (taped November 29th) Monday Night RAW where, after insulting Gorilla Monsoon one too many times, was dragged off the commentary table by Monsoon at the end of the broadcast and was thrown out of the building along with his stuff.

Since leaving, Heenan would make several returns to the WWE before his passing in 2017. He returned in April 2001 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal with Okerlund at Wrestlemania X-7. By 2002, Heenan would battle various health issues including throat cancer in the decades to come which limited future appearances and eventually ended them by 2010. Despite this, he participated in various WWE DVD projects, he would do taped promos for TV specials, and appeared at the Hall of Fame ceremonies. He accepted his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and appeared at Wrestlemania XX as part of the HOF segment. He would later induct former clients into the Hall of Fame such as Paul Orndorff in 2005, The Blackjacks in 2006, and Nick Bockwinkel in 2007.

Mr. Hughes- Hughes is someone that feels like would've been a good fit for the WWF but for some reason, he never got his footing or had a lasting run with his first run in 1993 being an example. Hughes began wrestling in 1987 where he competed for Central States Wrestling and the American Wrestling Association. By 1990, he made his way to NWA/WCW first as "The Big Cat" before becoming "Mr. Hughes", a stereotypical gruff bodyguard character complete with sunglasses and mean mug. As Mr. Hughes, he continued wrestling while also working as a bodyguard for The York Foundation and later Lex Luger.

Going into 1993, Hughes joined the WWF in March as a heel managed by Harvey Wippleman. During his run, Hughes would mostly compete in squash matches on TV while scoring wins at live events against Tito Santana, Kamala, Jim Duggan, and Bob Backlund. Hughes' biggest highlight was taking Paul Bearer out alongside Giant Gonzalez and stole his urn which contains Undertaker's powers on the June 12th (taped May 24th) Superstars. Hughes would also participate in the 1993 King of the Ring qualifying by defeating Kamala on the May 23rd (taped May 5th) Wrestling Challenge before losing to Mr. Perfect by disqualification in the first round at the 1993 King of the Ring PPV on June 13th. Going into August, Hughes began working with Taker on the live events and it looked like a feud would continue between them. However, Hughes would be abruptly fired shortly after with his last match being a loss to Undertaker at a live event on August 21st. According to Hughes, he was fired when someone lied and told the office he was doing drugs and with WWF struggling with their steroid scandal, they immediately cut ties as a way to avoid taking a risk.

Since leaving, Hughes would make two returns to the WWF in later years but both returns were even shorter than his first run. He returned in 1997 at Royal Rumble 1997 as the new bodyguard for Triple H but was quickly replaced a month later by Chyna. He returned in September 1999 in better shape as Chris Jericho's bodyguard before an injury cut his return short. 

Jimmy Hart- Hart was yet another long time soldier for the WWF through most of The Golden Era that took his leave. Hart started in 1978 for Memphis first as the manager of Jerry "The King" Lawler before Lawler broke away and he worked as the top heel managing The First Family against Lawler. It was during this time, Hart also gained mainstream attention as the manager of Andy Kaufman during his legendary feud with Lawler. He joined the WWF in 1985 and became known for his nickname "The Mouth of The South" and his use of a megaphone. For most of Hart's run, he was usually considered WWF's #2 manager behind Bobby Heenan where he managed a number of legends including The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), The Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine, Adrian Adonis, The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin), King Kong Bundy, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Raymond Rougeau and Jacques Rougeau), Dino Bravo, Earthquake, The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags), and Money Inc. (Ted Dibiase and Irwin R. Shyster). Along with managing, Hart would also serve as a successful composer for the promotion coming up with various memorable theme songs for Shawn Michaels, Big Boss Man, Dusty Rhodes, The Honky Tonk Man, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, and Ted Dibiase.

Going into 1993, Hart was managing Money Inc. who were in their second run as WWF Tag Team Champions. However, Hart would have a change of heart when Money Inc. attacked and injured the returning Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake following his match with Dibiase on the February 15th (taped February 1st) Monday Night RAW. The result would see Hart turn babyface and align with Hulk Hogan and Beefcake as The Megamaniacs who began a feud with Money Inc. Hart would manage The Megamaniacs against Money Inc. at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th and while they lose by disqualification, Hogan would defeat new WWF Champion Yokozuna at the end of the show thus marking the first time Hart managed a WWF Champion. Hart would continue managing Hogan and Beefcake through the remainder and spring and summer including Hogan's WWF Championship loss to Yokozuna at King of the Ring 1993 on June 13th. Hart would finish with the WWF during their Summer European tour on August 6th as he would also follow Hogan out of the WWF.

Since leaving, Hart has made many returns to the WWE. He accepted his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and appeared at Wrestlemania 21 as part of the HOF segment. Hart would make many special appearances for the WWE throughout the next twenty years usually seconding Hulk Hogan for his appearances. He would also appear on the WWE's reality show Legend's House and later inducted Hillbilly Jim in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 then former client The Honky Tonk Man in 2019 as well as the Hulk Hogan/Andre The Giant match from Wrestlemania III in 2026. Hart would also appear for Hogan's tribute show on Smackdown in July 2025 following Hogan's passing.

Doink The Clown (Matt Borne)- Doink The Clown was certainly one of the more interesting characters in 1993 and while he would last for several years, the same couldn't be said of his original portrayer. Doink was originally portrayed by Matt Borne, a second generation vet who traveled the territories during the late 1970s and 1980s including Mid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, and the United States Wrestling Association as himself while also competing for WCW from 1991-1992 as "Big Josh", a lumberjack character. Borne would also work the WWF during this time from 1985-1986 as himself where he actually made his first Wrestlemania appearance at Wrestlemania I in March 1985 losing to Ricky Steamboat. By late 1992, Borne returned to the WWF as "Doink The Clown", a sadistic clown who pulled pranks on fans and babyface wrestlers while initially working as a heel.

Going into 1993, Doink worked the live events against the likes of Tatanka, Bob Backlund, Mr. Perfect, and Big Boss Man. He would begin a feud with Crush for the first half of the year including injuring Crush with a fake arm which prevented Crush from entering the Royal Rumble. The feud would see Matt Borne return to Wrestlemania with Wrestlemania IX on April 4th where he scored his biggest win of the year defeating Crush after a second Doink (Skinner) interfered. While the Crush feud would eventually peter out, Doink would also attempt to qualify for the King of the Ring going to a time limit draw with Mr. Perfect on the May 1st (taped April 6th) Superstars and the May 16th (taped April 5th) Wrestling Challenge before losing to Perfect on the May 24th (taped May 17th) Monday Night RAW. Perhaps, the biggest match and his best was at Summerslam 1993 on August 30th when he briefly filled in for an "injured" Jerry Lawler against Bret Hart losing by disqualification after Lawler revealed he faked his injury. By September, things began to change. On the September 13th RAW, Doink would turn babyface by teasing he would throw a bucket of water on the fans than Vince and Randy Savage before throwing it on Bobby Heenan. Meanwhile, Matt Borne would serve a suspension as he struggled at the time with addiction. Borne would eventually finish up with the WWF shortly after beginning a feud with Bam Bam Bigelow as he would be fired because of his personal issues in December. His last match was a Superstars TV Taping winning a squash match on December 14th (aired January 22, 1994).

Since leaving, Borne would make one last appearance in 2007, reprising the Doink character in the RAW 15th Anniversary Battle Royal at the RAW 15th Anniversary special on December 10, 2007.

Damien DeMento- DeMento was someone who didn't go far or last long but would make his place in WWE history. DeMento started wrestling in the late 1980s in the indies including working for Tri-State Wrestling Alliance (the predecessor to ECW). He signed with the WWF in 1992 and became "Damien DeMento" a crazed wrestler who acted unhinged.

In 1993, DeMento would achieve the peak of his year and overall career. He would first make history by main eventing the first Monday Night RAW on January 11th where he lost to The Undertaker. He would also work his only PPV by participating in the 1993 Royal Rumble on January 24th where he was eliminated by Carlos Colon. After this, DeMento settled into a jobber to the stars role losing TV matches to the likes of Crush, The Smokin Gunns, The Bushwhackers, Mr. Perfect, Tatanka, and The 1-2-3 Kid while usually working with Tito Santana, Owen Hart, Typhoon, Tatanka, and Bob Backlund on the live events where he usually lost the matches. DeMento would finish with the WWF in September with his last match being a loss to Backlund on September 6th at a live event.

Since leaving, DeMento would make a short return in July 1994 by doing three live events losing to Jim Powers in all three.

Terry Taylor- Obviously, most are familiar with Taylor's first stint in the WWF but how many remembered he came back in the early 90s and would also leave in 93? Taylor started in 1979 and became successful in the territories including Mid-South Wrestling/Universal Wrestling Federation, NWA/WCW, Continental Wrestling Association, Southeastern Championship Wrestling, and World Class Championship Wrestling including runs as Mid-South North American Champion, NWA National Heavyweight Champion, and NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion among other honors. Taylor would also gain fame for his first run in the WWF from 1988-1990 for the wrong reasons. After reportedly being considered for the "Mr. Perfect" gimmick, Taylor would be packaged as "The Red Rooster". As The Rooster, Taylor would strut and crow like a rooster while initially starting as a rookie heel managed by Bobby Heenan who needed Heenan's constant guidance to be navigated through a match. After breaking away, he turned face and got a Wrestlemania moment by defeating Heenan at Wrestlemania V. The gimmick of The Red Rooster is usually considered one of the more disastrous gimmicks in history to the point where it killed Taylor's superstar potential and his career never fully recovered. From 1990-1992, he would return to WCW but only found small success. He tried again with the WWF in late 1992 as "Terrific" Terry Taylor but even without The Rooster gimmick, Taylor still went no where.

Going into 1993, Taylor was pretty much a prelim talent mostly for live events. He started the year with wins over Jim Powers at live events and competed in the 1993 Royal Rumble but lasted less than 30 seconds when he was eliminated by Ted Dibiase. Aside from this, Taylor was used to lose to talent losing to the likes of Mr. Perfect, Crush, and Tatanka on TV while losing to Virgil, Brutus Beefcake, Owen Hart, and The 1-2-3 Kid at live events. By the summer, the WWF would try Taylor out as an interviewer and would work in this capacity at King of the Ring 1993 on June 13th. His last appearance was a live event losing to Brutus Beefcake on August 6th.

Since leaving, Taylor has made a few returns since then. He returned in 1998 as a member of the WWF Broadcast Team for shows like Sunday Night Heat and Shotgun Saturday Night while occasionally wrestling but left after a year. He returned again in 2012 to work for the WWE as a trainer and producer for NXT and The Performance Center which he still does to this day.

Joe Fowler- Fowler is another newcomer to the broadcast team like Rob Bartlett who wouldn't last long. Like Bartlett, Fowler didn't have a wrestling background but was a sportscaster and TV host who later became known as a television pitchman.

In 1993, Fowler joined the WWF as a replacement for "Mean" Gene Okerlund and debuted as an interviewer at Summerslam 1993 on August 30th. Following this, Fowler would assume Okerlund's duties including co-hosting WWF All American Wrestling alongside Bobby "The Brain" Heenan while hosting PPV reports, Live Event news, and the Face-To-Face Segments on WWF TV. However, like Bartlett, Fowler wasn't a good fit for the WWF and lasted less than three months before he was released in November with his last appearance being the November 7th All American Wrestling.

Since leaving, Fowler has made no further appearances for WWE as of 2026.

Max Moon (Paul Diamond)- Max Moon is easily one of the more colorful characters on this list and also one who left early in the year. Moon was Paul Diamond, a Croatian/Canadian wrestler who turned pro in 1985. After starting, Diamond would find early success in Texas All-Star Wrestling in several tag teams, most notably with fellow rookie Shawn Michaels in American Force where they enjoyed runs as tag team champions. From 1986-1989, Diamond then spent time in Memphis for CWA and later in AWA as part of Badd Company with Pat Tanaka with the two managed by Diamond Dallas Page where they held several tag titles including the AWA World Tag Team Championship. After the team briefly split, Diamond worked solo in AWA and then as a jobber in the WWF in 1990. From November 1990 to January 1992, he reunited with Tanaka in the second incarnation of The Orient Express as the masked "Kato". Following Tanaka's exit, Diamond continued as Kato until being repackaged as "Max Moon", a spaceman type character that was originally intended for Konnan.

Going into 1993, Moon would only have two highlights of the year. His first was on the first Monday Night RAW on January 11th where he challenged old partner/rival Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship. His second would be entering the 1993 Royal Rumble match on January 24th but was eliminated by Jerry Lawler. He would work the live events losing to Skinner and Rick Martel until leaving the WWF in February when his contract wasn't renewed. His last match was a squash win on the March 21st (taped February 16th) Wrestling Challenge.

Since leaving, Moon would make a few non televised returns later in the decade. He returned as Paul Diamond losing a dark match to Mike Droese (the former Duke "The Dumpster" Droese) prior to the March 3, 1998 RAW. He then made two live event appearances in September 1999 as "Venom" while working with Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling Alliance where he successfully defended the TWA Heavyweight Championship against Funaki. 

Kamala- The Ugandan Giant has been one of the more memorable characters in wrestling history and 1993 would certainly be one of his more interesting years in the WWF. Kamala was Jim Harris, a wrestler who turned pro in 1978 and spent the first several years working territories under different names. By 1982, he became Kamala, The Ugandan Giant (or Kimala) with the gimmick of a Ugandan headhunter who acted like a savage and primitive while having a handler named Kim Chee and a manager to speak for him. Kamala would be a classic character through out the 1980s and 1990s working CWA/USWA in Memphis, Mid-South Wrestling, World Class, and NWA/WCW having big matches with Jerry Lawler, The Junkyard Dog, The Von Erichs, and Magnum TA. He would also have several runs in the WWF throughout the 80s while having a big live event feud with Hulk Hogan. He returned to the WWF in 1992 managed by Harvey Wippleman and feuded with The Undertaker which culminated in the first televised casket match at Survivor Series 1992.

Going in 1993, Kamala would immediately be thrusted into a new storyline where the Reverend Slick began trying to save Kamala from Wippleman and Kim Chee with Kamala eventually turning babyface and taking Slick as his manager. The story would see Slick attempt to humanize Kamala and teach him that he's a man with the highlight being on the Invasion of the Bodyslammers home video where Slick teaches him how to bowl. Kamala would first feud with Kim Chee who he defeated on the March To Wrestlemania IX special on March 28th (taped March 7th). He would also work matches with Bam Bam Bigelow which he usually lost. The matches nearly saw Kamala make his Wrestlemania debut at Wrestlemania IX against Bigelow only for the match getting cancelled due to time constraints. By May, Slick would leave which left Kamala on his own. He would lose a King of the Ring qualify to Mr. Hughes on the May 23rd (taped May 5th) Wrestling Challenge. Kamala would finish up in the summer with losses to Bam Bam Bigelow, Mr. Hughes, Razor Ramon, and Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship with his last match being a loss to Bastion Booger at a live event on July 24th.

Since leaving, Kamala would make a few returns while having an aborted one. He was originally supposed to return for the 1994 Royal Rumble match but was replaced by Virgil for unknown reasons. He would then have his Wrestlemania moment when he participated in the Gimmick Battle Royal at Wrestlemania X-7 in April 2001. He then went on to have two more matches going a no contest with Randy Orton on the August 11, 2005 (taped August 9th) Smackdown and then lost to Umaga on the June 26, 2006 RAW. Since his passing in 2020, he has been posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2025 as part of the Legacy Wing. 

Hulk Hogan- As we round out this list, it's appropriate that the last name we look at is the biggest of them all. Like Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan has had a career with too many achievements. Hogan had become the face of the WWF since he won his first WWF Championship on January 23, 1984 and helped lead it to become a phenomenon throughout the 1980s and early 1990s while becoming part of pop culture in his own right. His feuds with Roddy Piper, various Heenan Family Members ("Big" John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Paul Orndorff, and Andre The Giant), "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage were legendary. In 1992, Hogan's dominance began to wane due to outside commitments and family while he and the WWF began to feel the heat of the growing steroids scandal which resulted with Hogan taking a hiatus following Wrestlemania VIII in April 1992.

Going into 1993, Hogan entered the year still on hiatus but quickly began talks to return to the WWF. An agreement was made and Hogan made his return to the WWF on the February 22nd Monday Night RAW where he formed The Megamaniacs with Brutus Beefcake and manager Jimmy Hart who began a feud with Money Inc. After some live events against Money Inc. and The Beverly Brothers, Hogan would famously work double duty at Wrestlemania IX on April 4th. First he and Beefcake would challenge Money Inc. for the WWF Tag Team Championship but lost on a disqualification and then in the main event, Hogan would defeat new WWF Champion Yokozuna in a quick impromptu match to win a then record fifth WWF Championship. After this, Hogan would take the rest of April and early May off to wrestle a match for New Japan while filming Thunder In Paradise. While working live events in May and June teaming with Beefcake against Money Inc., Hogan would wrestle his last televised match for the next nine years in the WWF at King of the Ring 1993 on June 13th where he lost the WWF Championship back to Yokozuna before taking Yoko's bonzai drop and having to be carried to the back. Despite this, Hogan continued to work dark matches and live events through June. He would then finish up with the Summer European tour challenging Yoko in title rematches which his last being a disqualification win over Yokozuna on August 6th. Following this, Hogan would leave the WWF, ending his legendary ten year run.

Since leaving, Hogan would return to the WWE many times over the decades. He would have several nostalgia runs from 2002-2006 including winning a sixth WWE Championship and a WWE Tag Team Championship with Edge. He took part in several dream matches with Triple H, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, and most notably, The Rock. He would also face the next generation in Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton with the Orton match at Summerslam 2006 being his last WWE match. After leaving and having a run in TNA, Hogan would return in various non wrestling roles from 2014-2025 usually hosting Wrestlemania or appearing on special episodes of RAW and Smackdown outside of 2015-2018 due to his firing regarding the sex tape controversy. He accepted his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame individually in 2005 and as part of the nWo in 2021 (as part of the class of 2020 which was delayed a year due to the pandemic). He would also induct "Mean" Gene Okerlund in 2006, Randy Savage in 2015, and Brutus Beefcake in 2019. His last appearance was on Monday Night RAW's debut on Netflix on January 6, 2025 where he was booed by the audience. It be his last appearance before his passing six months later. Since his passing, he has been posthumously inducted for a third time in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2026 via his legendary Wrestlemania III match with Andre The Giant.