On a recent edition of his “Something to Wrestle With” podcast, WWE executive Bruce Prichard recalled Vince Russo pitching to have someone beat up OJ Simpson at WrestleMania 12, less than six months after Simpson was acquitted on charges of murdering his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On having an idea to bring in OJ Simpson in for WrestleMania 12: “So we were going to — WrestleMania 12, is where we ended up with the Backstreet or Backlot Brawl with Goldust. The idea was one of, you know, looking at what could we stunt, what could we do. And I think it was actually Vince Russo who came up with the idea of, ‘What if you know somebody beat the s**t out of OJ Simpson?
“OJ Simpson had recently been acquitted of — well obviously he was acquitted from murdering his wife. But I think that the sentiment in America, and all over the world for that matter, felt that maybe OJ was was not all that innocent. So the feeling was, a lot of people wanted to beat the s**t out of OJ. And looking for someone in that realm — because it was Hollywood, and OJ, all that happened in Hollywood. Maybe there was someone who could beat the s**t out of OJ. And the more we talked about it, the more that was in extremely poor taste and didn’t want to do it.”
On contacting Piper to come in: “I’d contacted Roddy about, ‘Hey, would you do this [with OJ]?’ And he said, ‘Only if it were a shoot. I said, ‘Okay well, probably not going to do that. But how you doing?’ Roddy and I started talking about other things, and then Gorilla Monsoon’s health was not the best. And we thought, ‘Well, we could use Roddy here to be a interim president.’ And a colorful character, but have him on the TV show and he use for him every week.”
In a recent episode of the “Something to Wrestle With” podcast, WWE executive Bruce Prichard revealed a shocking idea that was pitched for WrestleMania 12 involving OJ Simpson. Just six months after Simpson’s highly publicized acquittal on charges of murdering his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, Vince Russo proposed the idea of having someone beat up OJ Simpson during the event.
The concept behind this controversial idea was to capitalize on the public sentiment at the time. Despite being found not guilty in a court of law, many people still believed that Simpson was not entirely innocent. Prichard explained that there was a widespread desire among people in America and around the world to see someone physically confront Simpson.
Considering that the incident involving Simpson took place in Hollywood, the idea was to find a suitable character from the entertainment industry who could “beat the s**t out of OJ.” However, as discussions progressed, it became apparent that this concept was in extremely poor taste and would not be pursued.
Prichard also mentioned that he had reached out to professional wrestler Roddy Piper to gauge his interest in participating in this storyline. Piper responded by saying that he would only be willing to engage in a real fight with Simpson, which was not a viable option. However, this conversation led to Piper’s involvement in another capacity.
Due to Gorilla Monsoon’s declining health, Prichard and others involved in the decision-making process saw an opportunity to bring Piper in as an interim president for the WWE. They believed that his colorful personality and presence would add excitement to the television show on a weekly basis.
Ultimately, the idea of involving OJ Simpson in WrestleMania 12 was deemed inappropriate and abandoned. The WWE recognized the sensitivity surrounding the case and decided against exploiting it for entertainment purposes.
While this revelation sheds light on an intriguing and controversial idea that was discussed within the WWE, it also serves as a reminder of the ethical boundaries that should be respected in the world of entertainment. The case of OJ Simpson remains a sensitive and tragic chapter in American history, and it is essential to approach such topics with caution and respect.