MMA and pro-wrestling legend Dan Severen recently joined Nick Hausman at Wrestling Inc. for an in-depth conversation about his career, which included Severn discussing his days under Vince McMahon in WWF(WWE), and how he was forced to relinquish the NWA world title and was never actually defeated. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
On stepping into the world of pro-wrestling under Vince McMahon:
Well, at the very beginning, once I was signed on board, even at the time when, I don’t even think the ink was dried on the contract. I first had, I think it was WWF, okay, at the time reached out to me, WWF. Then I think WCW caught wind of this. Then Eric Bischoff calls me up, brings me on in. And again, I’m not telling either group how old I am. Cause again, I had already heard that Vince wanted — if he’s going to invest [that] type of money into somebody, he wants to know they’re going to be around for a while. Well, again, I’m not that cat, ’cause I think I was either, I think 48 when I came on board. And then Vince wants someone in their early-to-mid 30s, maybe at the latest, knowing that they got a decade or more that they’re going to be working with them … We’re in the office. The ink is still probably drying on the paper. We got Jim Ross that’s in there, him and a couple others. And some more questions are being asked and a couple other dates come out of it, too, and it’s like, all of sudden Vince like going, “Well, exactly how old are you?” And I said, “Well, 48.” He looks right over to Jim Ross, he goes, “Well, how old is our oldest rookie ever?” And Jim just simply points over to me. He goes, “Dan.” But again, I didn’t look my age nor did I act my age … I had a very unique contract in the fact that they agreed to my terms.
On the NWA and how he’s never physically lost the NWA world’s title:
Nick, I have never physically lost the NWA title. I was stripped of the title, because at the time, I think it was … Jeff Jarrett. yeah. His daddy was basically running … their promotion. They decided to start this promotion and they were doing Wednesday night pay-per-views. They were just starting. They weren’t even talking to me really at that point in time … They had the rights to use the NWA. But again, I’m the title holder. Their pay-per-view numbers coming up for the very first pay-per-view — bad numbers, real bad numbers. Now they’re like going, “Let’s do a NWA title defense right out of the blocks.” At that time I used to keep my schedule right up on my website … They’re like, “We need you here on such a date.” “I’m sorry, I can’t make it. I’m already booked on this Wednesday. I will be at so-and-so place and I will be doing, working with law enforcement, I’m already booked for that date … Can’t do that.” “We need you there, otherwise we’re going to strip you of the title.