Line #14 Wrestling/CharlesWright


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5by2vlowjmzdqtmjgxzc00nja4lthimtgtzwuzn2rjzjfiowvkxkeyxkfqcgdeqxvynduzotq5mjy_v1_sy1000_cr008101000_al.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Pimpin' ain't easy!]]
3	[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here to see him as Papa Shango]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/papashango_7185.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
4
5	Charles Wright (born May 16, 1961) is an American semi-retired {{Professional Wrestl\|ing}}er best known for his runs in the Wrestling/{{WWE}} as Papa Shango, Kama Mustafa and The Godfather (no relation to [[Film/TheGodfather film of the same name]]).
6
7	Wright was working as a bartender, when during the filming of ''Film/OverTheTop'', some wrestlers who appeared in the film noted about his size and suggested he should go into wrestling. After receiving training with Wrestling/LarrySharpe at the Monster Factory, Wright found a job via Wrestling/JerryLawler at the United States Wrestling Association as The Soultaker, where he enjoyed a brief reign with the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship. The success he had there led him to tour with Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling in 1990. In 1991, via a suggestion from his friend Wrestling/TheUndertaker, Wright signed on to the WWF, where he competed in house shows as Sir Charles, which was a play on his first name and the basketball player Charles Barkley (who was nicknamed "Sir Charles"). But in 1992, he would get his first national exposure as the voodoo practitioner Papa Shango. He would carry a smoke-bellowing skull and a lantern to the ring and control the lights as well as using his magic to cause his foes to suffer ill-effects like inexplicably bleeding and vomiting. He received his first big exposure in the main even against Wrestling/HulkHogan and [[Wrestling/SidEudy Sid Justice]] at Wrestling/WrestleMania VIII, where he was to run in after Hogan finishes Sid with his leg drop and attack the former, resulting in a DQ. But Shango missed his cue and ran in late, where Sid had to kick out of the finish and his manager, Wrestling/HarveyWippleman, interfered and ended on a DQ. Both Sid and Shango attacked Hogan when Wrestling/UltimateWarrior made the save. After the match and Sid left the WWF due to failing a drug test, Shango was set to feud with Warrior, with him using his magic to torture Warrior, but the feud would be set aside in favor of Warrior battling Wrestling/RandySavage at Wrestling/SummerSlam 1992. However, he was slated to wrestler the Warrior that November, but that fell through when Warrior was released from the company. Shango would linger around the mid-card before leaving in 1993 to a return at the USWA and a brief stint at Catch Wrestling Association.
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9	In 1995, Wright would return to the WWF as Kama, a shoot fighter inspired by UFC fighter Kimo Leopoldo and would join [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted DiBiase's]] Million Dollar Corporation against their feud with The Undertaker, where he stole Undertaker's urn and have it melted down into a necklace. After losing it to Taker via their [=SummerSlam=] match, Kama would be taken off TV an aside from an appearance at Wrestling/RoyalRumble 1996, Wright left the company once again. He would return in 1997, as Kama, this time under his full name, Kama Mustafa, and would join the all-black [[Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination Nation of Domination]] as they feuded with the all-white Disciples of Apocalypse and the Latino-Los Boricuas. After the Nation of Domination folded in fall 1998, Wright would take on the gimmick that would bring him his biggest success: The Godfather, a wrestling pimp with a barrage of girls with him that he refers to as "hoes" and would offer his opponents the services of one of his hoes if they would forfeit the match to him. The gimmick got him over with WWF audiences, even gaining him a run with the Intercontinental Title and an upset-win over WWF Champion Wrestling/TripleH, on [[Wrestling/WWESmackdown Smackdown]] thanks to interference from Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon and Wrestling/TheBigShow. But his popularity would wane when the Parents Television Council made the WWF crack down on lewd material, which included limiting what The Godfather could do. Meanwhile, he would end up in tag-team competition, teaming up with Wrestling/ValVenis, Wrestling/MarkHenry and Wrestling/DLoBrown. In response, WWF created Wrestling/RightToCensor to mock the PTC, a conservative stable that tried to censor the programming. Godfather even battled the Right to Censor member Bull Buchanan where he would agree to give up pimping if he lost. Godfather was defeated and renounced his former lifestyle and became the Goodfather, and began wearing a suit and tie, just like the other Right to Censor members. He would even get tag-team gold teaming with Buchanan, before the stable folded due to the Invasion angle of 2001. The Godfather would return in 2002, but wouldn't reclaim his past success before he was released from WWE in 2002 and temporarily retired from wrestling.
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11	Since then, Wright has occasionally wrestled, even making sporadic appearance on WWE programming, even going into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2016.
12	----
13	!! "It's time, once again, for everybody to come aboard the TROOOOOOPE Train!":
14	* TenMinuteRetirement: Had to give up pimping after joining Wrestling/RightToCensor, but would return to his role sometime after the stable folded.
15	* AbortedArc: As Papa Shango, his feud with [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior The Ultimate Warrior]], that got pushed aside for the latter's match with Wrestling/RandySavage at [=SummerSlam=] 1992. And when Shango was finally slated to have that match with him, Warrior left the company.
16	* AngryBlackManStereotype: As part of Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination.
17	* BadassInANiceSuit: After joining Wrestling/RightToCensor, he wore the suit and tie just like the rest of the members.
18	* CatchPhrase: As the Godfather: "Pimpin ain't easy!" and "It's time, once again, for everybody to come aboard the HOOOOOO Train!"
19	* DelinquentHair: Sported a mohawk in his early career as The Soultaker.
20	* EvilLaugh: Did that quite a bit as Papa Shango.
21	* FinishingMove: The Ho-Train, the Pimp Drop and the Shoulder Breaker.
22	* HappilyMarried: to his real life wife Denise Wright. In RAW 25 Years his segment with Wrestling/MarkHenry, Godfather brought one woman named Olivia and Henry try to seduce her.
23	--> "Wait her name is Olivia, but that's my [[{{Kayfabe}} wife]]. That's alright man like you said we'all grown up".
24	* HollywoodVoodoo: Papa Shango would torture his foes with his voodoo powers, making them sick.
25	* IHaveManyNames: Papa Shango, The Godfather, Kama, Kama Mustafa, Sir Charles, Baron Samedi, The Soultaker, The Goodfather (as a member of Wrestling/RightToCensor)
26	* {{Irony}}: His most famous gimmick was that of a pimp. In real life, Charles Wright despises pimps and whenever he worked security at the strip club he now runs, he'd let the clientele know that if there were any pimps among them and they didn't leave, he'd personally knock them out.
27	* MoralGuardians: As a member of Wrestling/RightToCensor.
28	* PartsUnknown: As Papa Shango.
29	** The Godfather was billed from "The RedLightDistrict".
30	* PimpDuds: Obviously as The Godfather.
31	* PowerStable: As Kama, the Million Dollar Corporation and Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination. As the Goodfather, Wrestling/RightToCensor.
32	* RedBaron: Kama, the Supreme Fighting Machine, during his 1995 run.
33	* TagTeam: Won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Bull Buchanan as part of Wrestling/RightToCensor.
34	* TheShowMustGoOn: In his [=WrestleMania=] botch detailed above, where Sid Justice had to improvise after Shango blew his cue.
35	* TribalFacePaint: Had a skull motif as Papa Shango.
36	* UnproblematicProstitution: As The Godfather, to the point that when [[Wrestling/BigBossman The Big Bossman]] once handcuffed one of the Hos and tried dragging her away, commentator Wrestling/MichaelCole didn't understand why he was doing that.
37	* VivaLasVegas: Wright is from there and runs a strip club there called Cheetah's. In kayfabe, The Godfather is billed from there.

Context Wrestling / CharlesWright