• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Charlie Haas Thanks Jim Cornette For Saving His Career

Posted: May 30th 2022 By: Liam Stewart

Former WWE Superstar Charlie Haas has thanked Jim Cornette for saving his career when he was sent to OVW in 2002 following the tragic passing of his brother, and then tag team partner, Russ in 2001.

In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes’ Liam Alexander-Stewart, former WWE Tag Team Champion Charlie Haas would recall the original plans for Team Angle before thanking legendary wrestling figure Jim Cornette and OVW founder and owner ‘Nightmare’ Danny Davis for saving his career in 2002.

Speaking with Inside The Ropes, Charlie Haas would recall his transition from HWA [Heartland Wrestling Association] to OVW following the companies decision to terminate its relationship with the Ohio based developmental territory in 2002.

“Well, Team Angle was supposed to be four people and it was supposed to be Russ and I, my brother and I, plus Shelton and Kurt. So it was always going to be four and when Russ passed away they put it on hold for about a year because I blew my ACL out as well during that time. So they gave me time to heal, then they folded HWA, they sent me down to OVW.”

The former ROH Tag Team Champion would continue on, revealing that it was Jim Cornette and ‘Nightmare’ Danny Davis that help save his career when he was sent to OVW in 2002. Thank both men for believing in him and giving him a significant push as a singles star in the company.

“My hat goes off to Jim Cornette and Danny Davis they saved my career. They really pushed for me and they’re pushing for me as a singles guy, a big babyface down there. But then we were doing a show when Shelton was on his way out of OVW.

Jim Ross was down there watching the match he had with Redd Dog, and I had a match with Chris Nowinski, and he was like, ‘Man, why don’t we continue with the Team Angle?’ He knew about Russ passing away, so he goes, ‘No, how come we’re not doing it with you three?’ Me and Shelton are like, ‘I don’t know.’ So Jim Ross went ahead and talked to them and he asked Shelton, he goes, Would you tag with Charlie and he goes ‘Absolutely, definitely.'”

Haas would also reveal that he believes WWE were hesitant to put him and Shelton together as a tag initially, stating that he believes they were concerned about how he would handle being put into another so shortly after his brothers tragic passing.

“Because I think they were like hesitant or thinking well you that your brother just died, do we really want to put you in another tag team. How’s he going to be? But dude, I accepted it, I mean, I just wanted to finish what my brother and I started. Shelton became my brother, he was like an angel. Like Russ sent him to help me move on. But I tell you what, man, it was it was a great experience. I couldn’t be happier.”

Finally, Haas would state that the success of Team Angle can largely be credited to the incredible training they received from, tag team legend and wrestling genius, Arn Anderson.

“We were able to be trained for about a year prior to our debut. So all of 2002 from the beginning until we debuted till December 2002, I mean, seriously, we were trained by Arn Anderson and we did dark matches and house shows and you’re being trained by the best. My top tag team of all time Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard you know, being trained by half of the greatest minds in tag team wrestling, if not the greatest of mind in wrestling. Shelton and I were fortunate, and we we did everything he said, and it worked out.”

During the same interview, the multi-time Tag Team Champion would discuss the foundation of his new wrestling promotion SWE360, regretting his 2006 WWE return and his thoughts on tag team wrestling in the modern wrestling landscape.