Poor Mike Shaw just couldn’t catch a break.
A fairly mobile big man, he first rose to prominence in WCW as Norman the Lunatic. Then he was turned face and called Big Trucker Norm. Thinking his fortunes couldn’t get any worse, he headed north to the WWF and tapped into the creative genius of Vincent K. McMahon.
And Vincent K begat Friar Ferguson, another argument for separation of church and wrestling.
Shaw actually looked quite the part – his bald head covered with a horshoe of hair, painted on eyebrows, and a brown robe. He came to the ring accompanied by a series of chants, looking for all the world as though he had just left the monastery.
And then he started to dance! He lifted his robe and shook his flabby knees and basically looked like a holy man on a drinking binge. Then he splashed his opponent or something; he was, basically, your standard fat wrestler in a silly new outfit.
Shortly after his entrance into the Federation, the Friar gimmick was dropped. The WWF creative team had a much better plan for Shaw….