Raven on Leaving WCW, No Interest in a WWE Return, Johnny Polo

ESPN had a recent interview with Raven discussing several topics including regretting leaving WCW, having no interest in returning to the WWE, and hating the Johnny Polo gimmick.

On the topic of his time in WCW, Raven stated leaving WCW was one of his biggest regrets in his wrestling career. At the time, Raven didn’t like the direction his character and career was going in the company but had he known Vince Russo was on the way, he would not have left. Russo supposedly was a big fan of Raven and he later realized how much money he potentially threw away by departing.

“I really wish I would’ve stayed. That’s one of my regrets. I didn’t stay because the idea he told me did nothing for me. I was gonna lose stock as a character, so I didn’t but I wish I would’ve [stayed] because the way things worked out with [Vince] Russo coming in six months later and Russo being a huge fan of mine, I probably would’ve been in the world title mix. I know I would’ve got way, way more money on my contract on my next deal because it was a year from being up, so I would’ve probably doubled what I was already making. So it really was a stupid idea of me to go, but I wasn’t having fun. It’s still a huge regret.”

When discussing the WWE, Raven revealed he never had any interest of ever going back to the WWE due to feeling it would just be a huge waste of time. Same for not wanting to be an agent in the WWE due to the amount of traveling needed and way things have changed in recent times.

“No, I wouldn’t take it. Here’s the problem– creative you’re just a cog. The problem is you create great ideas and then you don’t get to see them come to fruition. That’s so taxing to me emotionally because you get so involved in the characters. So that would suck. As far as being a backstage agent, I don’t have any interest in that because I’m not using my creativity in any really strong way. You’re just an agent, so that wouldn’t interest me. It’s a whole different world now. The old days I would’ve definitely been a booker somewhere, but now it’s a 24-hour, 7-day a week job. I have no interest in being on the road that much because after 30 years of being on the road I’m happy at home.”

Later in the interview, the topic of Raven’s first gimmick in the WWE was discussed. Raven revealed he hated the Johnny Polo gimmick and never found a comfortable groove playing the character due to the demands the WWE had for the character. He revealed prior to being released, Vince also realized the gimmick was a big bust and should have done something different instead for Raven.

“WWE made me Johnny Polo, which I never wanted to be. I never felt like I fit the character just because the way my vocal patterns are — sounds nothing like an upper Greenwich, Connecticut-type person. It sounds like a Philadelphia, south Philly kind of guy. It’s funny, Vince McMahon said to me when he let me go he goes, ‘you really aren’t Johnny Polo. It’s kind of a disconnect because you dress one way and when you leave the office, you dress a completely different way. You talk differently. You’re really not Johnny Polo.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, I never thought I was.”