In this Wrestling Salvage Yard, we’re looking at “The Wildman”, “Marvelous” Marc Mero. He really kicked off his career in WCW as the popular Johnny B. Badd.
Then things took a bit of a turn for him roughly a year into his WWE career. He came in pretty hot and impressed with his shooting star press at his size.
Yes, it was impressive. Mero won the IC Title in a tournament on RAW advancing over the likes of Austin, Owen, and Farooq. Once he lost the belt, he was still in the mix.
It in 1997 after being repackaged as “Marvelous” Marc Mero with his boxing gimmick that things went south for this WCW-born star. His then-wife Sable became the bigger star.
Then he was put in a feud with Sable where he was the heel and you could just see any momentum he could’ve garnered evaporate. Just like that.
Like, if you wanted to teach kids what evaporation looks like, show them 1997-1998 Marc Mero in WWE.
Salvaging Marc Mero
I halted his career retrospective in the late 90s WWE because that’s really where it ended. He popped back up in WCW, did XWF, and appeared in TNA in 2004.
However, he wasn’t exactly full time either. That’s why I’m glad The Overtimer has this time machine where we can rewind things to where he could’ve been salvaged.
In short: 1996. Marc Mero would’ve most likely been better off staying in WCW and working the Johnny B. Badd gimmick. It was his most popular one and he did it well.
The odd thing is that cartoonish, gimmicky persona got over in a company that was rooted in athleticism and traditional feuds. Those gimmicks usually died quickly in WCW.
Why it worked for Mero was because he looked like an athlete with or without the makeup, he took wrestling rapidly, he had a lot of skill, and he was charismatic.
By the end of the 1990s, Mero should’ve been a bigger star than he was somewhere. WCW was the company where he had steadiest career progression.
With 1996, there were big, company jeopardizing changes and who knows how Mero would’ve fit in at the time. I mean, he could’ve ended up falling by the wayside actually.
You’d think “Well DDP is doing well in WCW maybe Johnny B. Badd can as well” and wrestling will prove you wrong. That said, I still believe he would’ve done better there than with WWE.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get The Overtimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
