UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn opened up about nearly going off-script during his appearance in WWE’s Royal Rumble match. ‘The Beast’ grew frustrated when he was pitched an angle he believed would damage his personal reputation.
Royal Rumble is one of the WWE’s biggest events of the year. It marks the start of the annual WrestleMania season and headlined by the Royal Rumble match.
The match features 30 participants vying for a chance to headline that year’s WrestleMania. Two wrestlers start the match, with a new participant entering every 90 seconds. Wrestlers are eliminated once they go over the top rope and both feet touching the floor.
Severn, a WWE superstar at the time, participated in the 1999 Royal Rumble match.
Dan Severn Considered Going Off-Script in 1999 Royal Rumble Match
Dan Severn took his character and reputation seriously, which is why he considered going off-script during the 1999 Royal Rumble match.
Severn recalled being approached by an agent, who pitched an angle in which he would align with The Undertaker. He was told he would have ‘666’ painted on his forehead and join the Ministry of Darkness faction.
“They’re not even finishing their sentence. I put my hand up like a ‘T’ and I’m going, ‘Not gonna happen, I will not take the mark of the beast, I will not be part of this,” Severn said during an appearance on Wrestling Life with Ben Veal.
The former UFC Superfight champion was warned that there could be consequences for rejecting the idea.
“A couple of the road agents, they’re like, ‘Dan, you know, we could start using you poorly. I go, ‘What does that mean?’ [They responded], ‘We could start having you lose,” Severn said. “I said, ‘You can ask me to go out there and lose, but what’s going to happen when I turn fantasy into reality?’ They didn’t realize that I was gonna play chess with them.”
Severn Reveals He Would Have Used His Off-Script Moment as Leverage
Severn also revealed that, had he went off-script in the 1999 Royal Rumble, he would have used it as leverage. WWE and their main competitor, WCW, were constantly trying to one-up each other.
Both companies aired weekly shows airing on Monday nights, and fiercely competed for TV ratings. Given the pro wrestling landscape, Severn said he could have gone off-script, use his legitimate MMA background, and eliminate each wrestler.
“It even crossed my mind to look over at Eric Bischoff [in WCW] and say, ‘What’s it worth to you at WCW?’ Severn told Wrestling Life with Ben Veal. “What if when it’s time for me to be thrown out the ring, I make a disaster of their pay-per-view, knowing that every 90 seconds or so, they’re sending me fresh meat? That actually was in the back of my mind.”
Aside from Severn, only his former UFC rival Ken Shamrock had an MMA background. Severn ultimately stuck to the script and was eliminated as planned.
‘The Beast’ eventually went on to part ways with Vince McMahon‘s WWE months later and continue his MMA career.
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