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Dan Spivey's character, "Waylon Mercy," is often regarded as a precursor to the captivating persona Bray Wyatt would later bring to WWE. However, Waylon Mercy's stint in the wrestling world was short-lived, debuting and concluding in 1995 when Spivey retired from the industry.
Interestingly, the "Waylon Mercy" gimmick almost found new life in 2001, this time considered for Bull Buchanan. In an episode of "Developmentally Speaking," Buchanan shed light on why the gimmick never made it to television.
Buchanan's "Waylon Mercy" Gimmick Pitch
"I always enjoyed the movie 'Cape Fear' and the Waylon Mercy character. I couldn't understand why it didn't receive a better run. But once I got into the business, I started to comprehend.
Danny [Spivey] had some lingering injuries, and it wasn't worth it," Buchanan explained. "As the [Right to Censor] storyline neared its end, I floated the idea to the guys. I pitched it to Michael Hayes, who was always receptive and honest.
He thought it was a good idea and suggested I ask Vince." Buchanan presented the concept to Vince McMahon himself and later learned from Shane McMahon that Vince was enthusiastic about it and saw the potential for it to be a "home run." Subsequently, Buchanan took the idea to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWE's developmental territory at the time, where he collaborated with Jim Cornette to refine the concept.
"Cornette came up with a storyline where I would stalk David Flair and even stole his dog, leaving it stranded in the middle of a cornfield... It was compelling stuff," Buchanan recalled. After spending more time in OVW, engaging in feuds, and stalking rivals like Flash Flanagan and Doug Basham, Buchanan eventually returned to WWE's main roster.
However, he noted that he primarily wrestled in house shows and dark matches during that period. When he received a proposal to appear on TV as Jamie Noble's cousin, he regained prominence. "Stephanie [McMahon] informed me about it.
I believe it was Hunter's [Triple H] idea to have me portray Jamie Noble's cousin. I loved the concept because I had a great rapport with Jamie Noble and was familiar with Nidia," Buchanan shared. The plan was set to proceed on "WWE SmackDown," which was under the guidance of Paul Heyman at the time. However, Heyman slowed things down before Buchanan's Waylon Mercy-inspired character could debut as Noble's cousin.