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Charles Wright Discusses His Dislike of the Goodfather Gimmick
Image Credit: WWE
No, that’s not a typo. Every fan remembers Charles Wright as the Godfather. But few have pleasant memories of him as the Goodfather, when the character turned his back on the pimp persona and became a crusader for traditional morality, under the leadership of Steven Richards’ “Right to Censor” stable. On the Rewind Recap Relive podcast, Wright noted that fans at conventions are most excited to meet the Godfather, secondarily to meet Papa Shango, but never Kama Mustafa or the Goodfather. It helps, as Wright points out, that, “Godfather’s so friendly.”
On his changed perspective over the years:
“I have a better understanding of The Goodfather now. And I mean, talk about being a mark, man. I was a mark for the Godfather. I mean, the Godfather was me. So, I was my biggest mark.”
On originally wanting to quit before becoming the Goodfather:
“when they took the Godfather away, and believe me, Vince [McMahon] fought for me till the end, but things were changing. And he had, but he fought for me till the end, believe me. And then finally, when they put me in the Right to Censor, Vince told me, I’m like, ‘Well, finish me up.’ He’s like, he’s like, ‘Charles, wait a minute. Wait.’ I’m like I’m like, ‘Vince, come on, bro.’ At this point in my life. Um, financially I’m cool. Uh, I have other things. I had a strip club in Vegas called Cheetah. I was one of the owners of that. I’ve always had that. So, it wasn’t about the money at that point. I wanted to go out as the Godfather.”
How Vince kept him around:
“Vince being the joker that he was, he dropped the tag team belts on me and Bull [Buchanan]. We beat the Hardy Boyz, and that kept me there even longer. I said, ‘Soon as we drop them to the Dudley Boys.’ I said, ‘Soon as we drop these belts, I’m gone.’ Wrestling was fun for me and I was having such a good time as the Godfather that it I didn’t want to do it anymore [as the Goodfather].”
Wright would later return to WWE, because, as he put it, “They would always call me. I think they just like hanging around. I think they just like me. I’m a good dude.”
