Ever had a extremely essential piece of labor however not sufficient time to do it? That’s precisely how Wayne Meyer felt again in 1996. Meyer was in his early twenties and dealing as a graphic designer for an ad company in San Francisco when he picked up a fee from an unlikely supply – the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
That fee was Krozor, a half-hearted try by the WWF within the wild west mid-90s to create a computer-generated comedian e book depicting superstars towards intergalactic beings. The hope was that this might crossover into in-ring storylines on tv. Actually.
Earlier this 12 months, Meyer agreed for the primary time ever to debate Krozor and the way he got here to work with the WWF. After years of on-line criticism for the odd-looking Krozor idea, you won’t blame him for ignoring it. Now a dad-of-two who has loved an extended and profitable profession in graphic design and promoting, Wayne Meyer can see the humorous facet. He units the scene:
“On the time I used to be fairly younger, I believe I used to be [about] 23 or one thing like that, and I used to be dwelling in San Francisco working for an ad company there known as The Evans Group and my dad really bought a job working on the WWF.
“He was there, and he was making an attempt to implement this plan with them, he was sort of excessive up there, I don’t know what he was doing precisely however he was excessive up working with Vince [McMahon] there.
“On the time I used to be a positive artist however I used to be simply getting my bearings in computer systems, Apple computer systems and stuff. I used to be doing quite a lot of work for native movies that might come, you’ll put the critiques within the advertisements that might go within the papers, I didn’t actually know what I used to be doing on the pc, I used to be simply studying it mainly.
Concerning his output for the WWF, Wayne provides, considerably ominously:
“I didn’t have quite a lot of pc abilities on the time as you may inform by that stuff.”
The result of Meyer’s short-lived collaboration with the world’s main purveyor of sports activities leisure turned one of the peculiar curiosities of wrestling’s madcap Nineties – Krozor! Little has ever been detailed about this weird interlude in WWF historical past, maybe with good motive. Till now.
They’re coming. Apparently…
In case you aren’t aware of Krozor, you aren’t alone. Let’s recap. In direction of the tip of 1996, obscure hints began to look in WWF Journal, the corporate’s month-to-month publication of document aimed toward its largely adolescent fan base.
The primary reference appeared within the concern cover-dated January 1997 (however compiled in October/November of the earlier 12 months). In an article of predictions for the 12 months forward, journal editor (and future WWF and WCW storyline author) Vince Russo ended his column thusly:
“Different predictions: THEY’RE COMING!!! (The invasion begins within the subsequent concern of the WWF Journal.)”
This sort of fuzzy hyperbole was common for the journal below Russo’s stewardship (or in wrestling basically, for that matter). Russo penned quite a lot of month-to-month columns below pseudonyms equivalent to Vic Venom and The Informer by which he would make hazy allusions to brewing storylines.
A few of these have been actual, with Russo plugged into reserving plans as a result of his burgeoning position supporting WWF boss Vince McMahon in devising the path of the group’s weekly TV output. A few of them Russo concocted himself for his personal leisure, blessed as he was with little oversight of his stewardship of the journal.
Any younger followers who observed the throwaway line probably positioned it in the identical innocent class because the articles that mindlessly speculated every month that Savio Vega is likely to be in search of a brand new supervisor or predicted that ‘a former champion’ could be returning to the Federation quickly. One thing and nothing.
The subsequent couple of points expanded on issues a little bit additional, on the similar time making issues no much less baffling. The February 1997 version of the journal featured two ‘adverts’ bearing the identical ‘They’re Coming!!!’ tagline, now accompanied with “Who? What? When? The place? Why?” Most jarringly alongside the textual content on every was the imagery; unusual computer-manufactured depictions of WWF headliner The Undertaker.
The next month, two extra adverts. This time it was the flip of ‘Stone Chilly’ Steve Austin and Mankind to have their visages digitally distorted.
Now, the extra line: “Yeah, they’re coming and I can’t wait.” Every web page promised extra data in future unspecified problems with the identical publication. Keen followers, if any existed, didn’t have lengthy to attend.
They’re right here. For some motive…
Lastly, within the April ’97 concern of WWF Journal, Krozor crash-landed into the consciousness of wrestling followers within the type of a 14-page mini-comic stapled inside that month’s version. The ludicrous contents bemused wrestling followers on the time and has gained notoriety on-line within the years since.
A short introductory panel made a obscure try to elucidate the idea:
“You’re about to expertise the cosmic collision of Superstars from parallel universes….the World Wrestling Federation and their famous person counterparts from Krozor a universe past the darkest black gap.”
A few of these alien types are good, we’re advised, whereas some, conveniently sufficient for a professional wrestling firm, are evil. The prologue supplied within the journal was to behave as an advert for a 100+ -page graphic novel which followers may order through cellphone, posting a cut-out kind, or on AOL On-line, the Federation’s web presence on the time.
Clearly, not sufficient individuals have been persuaded to order the full-length comedian (regardless of the enticement of a free poster and t-shirt) that means Krozor: The World Wrestling Federation in Cosmic Battle was by no means accomplished or printed.
Flicking again by means of the scant pages that did see the sunshine of day within the spring of ’97, it isn’t laborious to see why Krozor didn’t conjure a lot enthusiasm among the many journal’s readers. The story, for those who can name it that, was populated with peculiar early-era Photoshop renditions of acquainted photos of WWF wrestlers which bring to mind the clumsiest fashionable AI-generated imagery.
By way of storyline, the next takes place: Whereas Shawn Michaels and others get their pump on on the WWF headquarters gymnasium, the Undertaker (who’s concurrently at ringside and in mentioned gymnasium) has a message beamed into his head from outer area.
Steve Austin and Vince McMahon (the ‘supreme chief’ of the WWF, no much less), pop up and ‘Taker tells them, “They’re Coming!!”
No additional clarification is given, which might be a blessed reduction. A couple of years later, former WWE announcer Kevin Kelly (who joined the corporate in the summertime of ’96), recounted his response upon being proven the Krozor idea alongside fellow WWF staffers together with Jim Cornette. Writing about his earlier employer in 2008, he recalled:
“As weird because the idea of wrestling focusing on children, it’s been tried earlier than. After the New Technology almost bankrupted the corporate after which became the Perspective Period, the corporate tried to return and goal children once more. It was a laughable catastrophe. To anybody contained in the Partitions of Titan studying this, go to somebody who’s been with the corporate extra that ten years and ask in the event that they bear in mind “Krozor”? Let’s take you again to early 1997 and the Firm Assembly held at a non-distinguished lodge in downtown Stamford, which is the worst city I’ve ever been in.
“Jim Cornette and I sat at the back of the room as some outdated man, who was an outsider employed for giant coin, bought up and commenced a video presentation. The audio on the tape was unmistakable. It was the theme from 2001-A Area Odyssey. Sure, Ric Aptitude’s theme! And proper as WCW was stomping us within the rankings! So, after all, Corney and me each let loose a “Whoooo!” on the proper level of the music. 400 individuals in a room and two assholes gotta destroy it! Goddamn that was humorous!
“Jimmy and I are virtually pissing our pants we’re laughing so laborious because the preview of “Krozor” rolls alongside. Apparently, the Undertaker goes to be in area and struggle monsters or some nonsense on this comedian e book. There was extra but it surely’s laborious to concentrate on the display if you end up crying from laughter. The preview ends… surprised silence adopted by well mannered applause. It was awkward, like in case your babysitter requested you and your spouse to evaluate her latest porn film. You are feeling obligated to love it but it surely was mistaken on so many ranges.”
Household ties
Essentially the most vital factor concerning the WWF’s short-lived cosmic comedian e book isn’t the wonky paintings or ill-thought-out plot however the credit which seem on the conclusion: “Illustrated by Wayne J. Meyer, story by Neville M. Meyer.” Issues begin to make an entire lot extra sense when you think about the final of these two names.
You might not acknowledge the title, however Neville Meyer was no less than briefly somebody who may actually use his place to get some column inches in a WWF publication together with his intergalactic musings, and get his son on the corporate payroll if he wished.
In any case, Meyer was co-Chief Government Officer of the World Wrestling Federation.
That’s proper; the equal place that right this moment sees shrewd, suave media operator Nick Khan garner popularity of opening up new enterprise alternatives for WWE’s world empire was as soon as held by a person who envisioned wrestlers taking up area aliens.
Whereas wrestling figures like Pat Patterson and Jim Barnett held senior vice chairman positions inside Titan Sports activities all through the 80s and 90s, the WWF’s appointment of Meyer, who had no background in wrestling or sports activities, was the primary time somebody outdoors the McMahon household held a management place equal to CEO, Chairman or President, of the world’s foremost exponent of sports activities leisure.
Little has been mentioned about Meyer over time, probably as a result of brevity of his tenure, which lasted lower than two years. His appointment was lined in a September 1996 concern of the Wrestling Observer E-newsletter thusly:
“The highest of the organizational chart was modified this previous week. Vince McMahon had been CEO of Titan Sports activities and Linda McMahon was President. Now it’s been modified because the place of President has been dropped, Vince McMahon is now Chairman of the Board and Linda McMahon and Neville Meyer are co-CEOs. Meyer is a newcomer to the wrestling trade in command of growth of the corporate and has a background in different types of leisure together with motion pictures and Broadway, though I’m not precisely clear what that entails.”
The Professional Wrestling Torch famous that Meyer could be anticipated to assist the corporate “deepen its pockets,” although a much more particular job was on the prime of Meyer’s to-do listing. In his first main act as co-CEO, Meyer fired 5 vice presidents, together with these in command of the WWF’s nascent AOL presence, plus merchandising, publications, and worldwide licensing.
The Torch speculated Meyer was introduced in as a hatchet man, or possibly had grand plans to rent his personal individuals. If that’s the case, Meyer might have reached out to outdated colleagues within the movie and theatre trade, by which Meyer’s peculiar profession dates again greater than twenty years.
Within the mid-Seventies, South African-born businessman Meyer, who held levels in legislation and enterprise, was a part of a consortium that helped fund Shout on the Satan, a warfare film starring Lee Marvin and Roger Moore. A few years later he promoted a musical comedy, Maggie, in London’s West Finish, which ran for only some performances.
The early Nineteen Eighties noticed Meyer transfer to San Francisco and arrange quite a lot of companies, starting from journey equipment to fragrance. He moved again into the movie world in 1993 because the director of a five-hour, multi-part epic PBS documentary on the historical past of Israel, which met with lukewarm critiques.
In line with son Wayne, Meyer Sr. was within the Connecticut space and in search of a brand new alternative. Titan Sports activities, in the meantime, was in search of extra assistance on the company facet, and the 2 events struck up a cope with Neville Meyer initially employed as a marketing consultant. Wayne explains:
“I believe it was a consulting job he bought randomly. I do know he lived in Stamford, Connecticut on the time so I believe he was near the place Vince was and I don’t know the way he did he’s simply that sort of man. He all the time does, he’s simply a tremendous man who’s capable of meet with high-powered individuals on a regular basis and he’d simply all the time reinvent himself – an actual entrepreneur within the true that means of the phrase. He’s achieved every little thing, he did motion pictures, you may look him up he’s achieved every little thing. And now he does different stuff now too.
“I don’t know the way he bought the job if it was from a categorised or I believe he may need had a head-hunter as I recall on the time. It was in between stuff, he had a fragrance firm going that sort of went bust or it ended and he was in search of work on the time I believe after which had a head-hunter that discovered a place for him if I recall however not 100% on that. He met Vince, went in there, and clearly wowed him and he bought the job – and it was a excessive paying job, he made some huge cash there.”
Neville Meyer’s tenure as co-CEO because the WWF might have been a worthwhile one, however his time in cost didn’t essentially endear him to present Titan Sports activities executives, two of whom have spoken on podcasts concerning the circumstances round Meyer’s appointment.
Talking on his Grilling JR podcast in October 2019, former WWF commentator and head of expertise relations Jim Ross gave his view of Meyer. Ross recalled a “quiet man” with no prior data {of professional} wrestling, a criticism typically leveled at these leaping into the world of sports activities leisure with no instantly related background. He mentioned:
“He had no product data which has all the time been superb to me, merely superb. The hunt to go outdoors your personal world isn’t a nasty factor, the search to go outdoors of your world to search out individuals to carry into your world that haven’t any understanding of your world is basically silly. And I believe so far as that entire ‘rising’ factor you already know, trying down the street, massive image, world progress, all of the issues that Vince has achieved with out a few of these individuals.
“However Neville was a quiet man, sort of under-spoken. I imagine he had an actual spectacular resume, outdoors on the earth of leisure. So, I simply don’t, I wasn’t overly impressed with him, he wasn’t match, he was a little bit bit too staid, too reserved, to perform properly within the McMahon world. However he was a good man.”
The same image was painted by present WWE Government Director Bruce Prichard on his podcast in 2021. Prichard recalled an ungainly first encounter with Meyer whose presence in conferences initially took individuals abruptly. Prichard recalled:
“Neville was a man that had, he had produced some motion pictures, government producer of some motion pictures, labored with motion pictures studios, been everywhere in the world really, did quite a lot of issues, however his experience I believe greater than something that was engaging was his Hollywood ties and connections to that trade but additionally, had a status for taking corporations public and with the ability to acknowledge if an organization may go public and to have the ability to assist with the infrastructure to try this.
“That’s what Neville was introduced in to do, was to mainly check out the corporate, see if we had the potential to go public, after which manoeuvre it to the purpose that we’d be capable to go public.”
And assist Neville did. A taste of the help Meyer supplied the WWF is available in an unlikely kind – particularly, a e book about Hollywood singer and dancer Sammy Davis Jr.
Deconstructing Sammy is a 2008 biography concerning the legendary entertainer (who died in 1990) and a former US Legal professional (Albert “Sonny” Murray) employed by Sammy’s widow within the mid-‘90s to assist type out Davis’ money owed.
Previous to becoming a member of the WWF, Meyer ran a movie manufacturing firm in Westport, Connecticut and had pitched Murray on a Sammy Davis Jr. biopic which went nowhere. A couple of years later when McMahon raised the subject of floating Titan Sports activities on the inventory market to Meyer, the South African businessman put the WWF honcho in contact with Murray, given his years of expertise as a lawyer.
As the e book tells it, “McMahon was contemplating a public inventory providing for the WWF however had a number of safety points to rectify.” Whether or not or not this specific intervention proved essential to the WWF’s eventual public providing is unclear, however one factor that’s sure is the corporate did certainly obtain its purpose of going public just some years later.
In the summertime of 1999, the World Wrestling Federation formally modified its company title from Titan Sports activities, Inc. to World Wrestling Federation Leisure, Inc and filed the required papers to drift on the inventory market. The Meyers although have been lengthy passed by then.
A sidenote on Meyer’s affect, supposed or in any other case, on the trail skilled wrestling took within the late 90s and past, is required due to an extra nugget from Prichard. In a more moderen episode of Prichard’s podcast from final October, the long-time WWE government credit Meyer with the extraordinary twenty-year deal that clinched Bret Hart’s signature in the summertime of 1996. He advised Conrad Thompson:
“And the maths labored. Neville Meyer, who was the CEO on the time, is the one who, who sort of orchestrated this entire factor so far as a strategy to, to construction the deal.”
Whereas Prichard has been recognized to be fuzzy on particulars at time, this may occasionally the truth is be true. Hart spent a part of that summer season in Cape City filming a visitor spot on The Adventures of Sinbad, whereas the WWF’s first-ever ever tour of South Africa passed off in September of ‘96.
Might this have been the backdrop for these oh-so-productive talks that led, inadvertently, to the Montreal Screwjob a 12 months later?
Krozor crash-lands
Now 51 years outdated and dwelling in Florida, Wayne Meyer recollects a rushed, panicked course of that led to the demand for a comic book to be produced because the WWF misplaced floor to its foremost competitor World Championship Wrestling. By the summer season of 1996, Ted Turner’s Atlanta-based group had surpassed the WWF as the most important wrestling model on the earth, due to the success of WCW Monday Nitro, the delivery of the ultra-cool New World Order, and the heel flip of Hulk Hogan. The WWF was left floundering for artistic concepts. Meyer notes:
“Mainly, the plan that we have been making an attempt to provide you with on the time, it was bizarre – it was a time when the WCW was taking their wrestlers from the WWF, and so they have been going to WCW.
“And Vince was stressing out about it making an attempt to provide you with a strategy to preserve the wrestlers right here and we got here up with this concept of developing with an entire new bunch of wrestlers from, like, Outer Area, that might be in costumes in order that method we may trademark them and so they wouldn’t go away. It didn’t matter, we may create these characters that weren’t individuals that might really go away for the WCW.
“As a result of on the time I believe Hulk Hogan was leaving and all these guys have been leaving, as a result of on the time WCW was getting massive as I recall and the WWF was having some main bother. That’s the place that entire idea got here from I believe, creating these new characters that have been going to return from like Outer Area but it surely failed, it didn’t ever work.”
The WWF tried all method of issues on this period to fight the rising menace of WCW, a lot of which seems to be simply as loopy as Krozor in hindsight. From hiring Invoice Watts for a two-month spell as booker to parodying Ted Turner in cringe-inducing “Billionaire Ted” skits, McMahon turned more and more determined – and receptive to ideas.
It’s value remembering that invasions have been all the trend in wrestling at the moment. The NWO angle had been an unlimited and sudden success. A lot in order that the WWF tried to emulate it a number of occasions – every with out success. First, there was the ECW flirtation of September 1996 (adopted by an extended alliance the next spring).
Extra famously, there was the introduction of a “pretend” Razor Ramon and Diesel, led by a heel Jim Ross, with the early suggestion that this is likely to be the beginning of a villainous new secure. The Ramon and Diesel debacle was an extra mid-90s WWF experiment that didn’t work, as McMahon tried in useless to show that the employee portraying the character didn’t matter. If a selected character idea was highly effective sufficient, McMahon posited, particular person wrestlers may come and go. He was very mistaken.
It was that very same thought course of that led to Krozor, as McMahon and Meyer hoped to conceptualize a sequence of fearsome alien invaders that could possibly be trademarked and owned by the Federation. If profitable, it won’t matter who was behind the make-up, went the shortsighted thought. Meyer provides:
“We got here up with a bunch of characters, I used to be simply banging my head towards a wall, I didn’t know what I used to be doing actually, like I mentioned I used to be an artist doing summary artwork and that was promoting, however actually not a pc man in any respect.
“And I believe they purchased me a pc and I simply dived into making an attempt to create this comedian e book inside like two weeks or one thing I needed to do it and so they paid me like a freelancer I believe I used to be getting $5,000 a month as I recall, which was massive for me on the time within the 90s, and I nonetheless had different jobs, my actual job I had usually, the ad company, so I’d come house at evening and do that on the facet and like I mentioned, man, I didn’t actually know what I used to be doing.
“It was in just a few of the magazines that they put out, ‘Oh They’re Coming.’ They put 1-page, 2-page advertisements out no matter it was, 12-page comedian e book and I don’t suppose it went over properly ultimately in order that’s mainly what occurred. I did this factor, they did it, they printed, clearly the journal had come out and somebody in there checked out it and mentioned you already know what we’re not doing this undertaking, we don’t like this undertaking and you already know I don’t blame them for, I don’t suppose it seemed superb personally.
“However trying again on it now, I want I’d recognized what I used to be doing on the time and I wouldn’t have even used Photoshop or the pc I simply would’ve free-handed every little thing.
“They weren’t giving me quite a lot of time for it, they have been speeding this factor out, I’m sitting there with model new tools, Photoshop, I knew use Photoshop however not for artwork, I used photoshop for reducing and pasting for images, proper. So making an attempt to create artwork on this platform was tough, I really feel like I did the very best I may within the matter of time I had with the talents I had however I believed it was fairly dangerous ultimately.”
It begs the query of why the WWF entrusted the artistic course of on this occasion to the Meyer household quite than enlisting its personal in-house Inventive Companies division, the department of Titan Sports activities which was answerable for designing ideas and costumes for wrestlers. Maybe Meyer Sr’s profession in movie and theatre was sufficient to persuade McMahon that the South African empresario could possibly be a eager storyteller.
Maybe essentially the most astonishing element that Wayne Meyer recounts is who was in line to painting no less than certainly one of these ‘area alien’ characters – none apart from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He recollects:
“The title Krozor I believe I got here up with that we simply tried to search for a reputation that hadn’t been used anyplace and that was the entire idea of bringing these creatures in from a distinct planet that have been coming down and so they have been going to show these guys into wrestling characters.
“And on a humorous sidenote proper after I began they have been giving me blueprints of wrestlers they have been developing with, they’d ship them to me like, ‘What do you consider this man?’ and so they really despatched me the blueprint for The Rock and he had this outfit on and every little thing, it was earlier than he was even there. They have been like ‘What do you consider this man – I mentioned I believe it’s horrible!’ Clearly, I used to be mistaken as a result of the man turned the most important star ever!
“Yeah, it was Dwayne Johnson earlier than he was The Rock, he was sporting this bizarre blue outfit, virtually seemed like a Roman soldier if I recall, that was the primary thought for him, that’s what I do bear in mind. So, for those who can consider a Roman soldier but it surely wasn’t actually all in gold it was virtually just like the headdress, the Roman headdress, it was in blue if I recall for some motive. And it was positively Dwayne Johnson. They usually mentioned ‘This man goes to be the subsequent massive factor.’ I bear in mind them saying that he’s going to be the subsequent massive factor and I used to be like hear, that is horrible.”
Scarily sufficient, the timeline matches up. Johnson signed to the WWF within the spring of 1996 and debuted as “Rocky Maivia” that November. With Meyer on board just a few months prior, it’s actually attainable that younger prospects developing from the corporate’s upstart developmental system might have been the primary names thought of to place below the masks or make-up.
Johnson was simply certainly one of a clutch of recent faces that joined the WWF’s foremost roster round that point, alongside the likes of Barry Windham, Too Chilly Scorpio, Mark Henry and Ron Simmons.
In reality, Meyer’s recollection of idea artwork displaying a wrestler donning a blue Roman soldier costume virtually actually factors to the “Faarooq Asad” character that Simmons portrayed.
Does Meyer have his future Nation of Domination members muddled up? Or did paintings exist with Dwayne Johnson within the ridiculous blue helmet in some unspecified time in the future?
The thoughts boggles.
Trying again
Wayne Meyer continued his profession as an artist, ultimately beginning his personal graphic design firm in San Francisco which efficiently served quite a lot of purchasers for a number of years. For the final a number of years he has labored within the household enterprise, Housewares America, established by Neville and spouse Debbie Meyer furnishing the kitchens of America and past with cooking and baking provides.
Neither of the Meyers’ sojourns into the world of wrestling lasted lengthy. In April 1997, Neville Meyer quietly resigned as co-CEO of Titan Sports activities. Son Wayne, in the meantime, was let go across the similar time—though that didn’t cease the corporate from sending him checks for a number of extra months. They could not have come into the WWF as ‘wrestling individuals,’ however that doesn’t imply they have been resistant to a few of its rituals.
Shortly earlier than Neville Meyer’s departure, he was one of many many workplace employees within the viewers on the 1997 Slammy Awards. At one level within the present, Owen Hart knocked a tray of drinks over Vader who then chased Hart by means of the group earlier than tripping up on a chair. Meyer was one of many onlookers who got here in for a detailed shave through the encounter, which can have been the exact intention of 1 Vince McMahon, Wayne believes. He recounts:
“There was really a shaggy dog story the place, I wasn’t there however my dad was at certainly one of these [WWF] awards ceremony and so they did a stunt through the awards ceremony the place they really had a wrestler throw one other wrestler onto the desk that my dad was sitting at, proper on it, slammed, every little thing, in order that was a part of, like Vince possibly coming after my dad or one thing, you already know.”
The youthful Meyer seems to be again on his transient time working for the WWF as a graphic designer-turned-digital comedian artist fondly, recalling a go to backstage at a 1997 Madison Sq. Backyard card throughout which he bought to satisfy and hang around with the expertise. He provides:
“It was an amazing expertise, good occasions, I bought to talk to Vince McMahon on the cellphone, I bought to satisfy him. It was fairly loopy I bought to satisfy all these guys, it’s simply one other certainly one of these loopy that I’ve to inform individuals about my life.
“I remorse that I didn’t do a greater job on the time however actually below the circumstances once they provide you with a undertaking like that and say ‘You’ve bought two weeks to place this collectively,’ it’s not simple to do however I suppose I did the very best I may. Yeah I look again on it fondly, I might say.”
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