Brodus Clay’s WWE Re-Debut As “The Funkasaurus” Is The Highlight Of His Career
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Brodus Clay’s time in WWE was mostly one to forget, with some stop/start pushes and a lack of seriousness when it came to his gimmick. In terms of moments, Clay didn’t have a whole lot in WWE, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t have some highlights here and there. For instance, when he made his re-debut as “The Funkasaurus”, it was by far the best part of his WWE career. Whilst he is now wrestling under the name “Tyrus”, winning titles in the NWA, fans will likely always remember the moment in which he emerged on WWE television under his Funkasaurus gimmick.
Brodus Clay Was Initially Alberto Del Rio’s Bodyguard
Clay initially signed with WWE developmental all the way back in 2006, but his time would be short-lived, getting released in 2008. After a hiatus, he would return to the company in 2010, making a home in FCW. He made a quick ascent, wrestling on WWE house shows before appearing on the fourth season of NXT, at a time when the brand was still a game show. After a brief stint with Ted DiBiase Jr as his ‘Pro’, Clay aligned with Alberto Del Rio, with him becoming Del Rio’s bodyguard on Raw and SmackDown.
This was a strong role for Clay, as he played a big man competitor well, despite his relative inexperience. It was clear that he had some talents, and proved to be a suitable heavy for Del Rio upon his journey towards the World Heavyweight Championship. Clay would even appear in Del Rio’s corner at WrestleMania 27, which was a big moment for his young career. However, their partnership would eventually come to an end, with them going to separate brands, and Clay also taking a small hiatus to film a movie. Following his time away, Clay made a return in a noteworthy way.
Brodus Clay’s Re-Emergence As The Funkasaurus Was A Huge Surprise
Video packages began airing for Clay, which portrayed him in a scary and dominant way. Repackaging him as a solo star instead of a bodyguard seemed to be the natural progression for him, with him certainly being capable of standing on his own two feet as a dominant heel. However, despite promises of his impending debut, WWE kept delaying his arrival (something which would become a trope for WWE with new characters, with the likes of Emmalina, Eva Marie, and Veer undergoing the same fate). This would go on for three months until Clay finally made his re-debut in January 2012.
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Things were a little peculiar as WWE focused in on his dressing room, with his nameplate being accompanied by a disco ball. Things got even more weird when ring announcer Justin Roberts announced that Clay had landed on Monday Night Raw from “Planet Funk”, and that he was called the “Funkasaurus”. Then, his theme tune began, starting what was one of the most surreal moments in Raw history. “Somebody Call My Momma” played out, which was notably used by Ernest Miller, with the titantron showing groovy colors and a disco ball.
The Funkadactyls then emerged - Cameron and Naomi - who started dancing on the ramp. And then, in a red tracksuit and hat, came Brodus Clay, who was dancing and jiving to the music, feeling the beat as he walked to the ring. In the ring, the trio continued dancing as Clay eccentrically finished off the performance, accompanied by fireworks from the ring posts. It was truly surreal, and the announcers were flummoxed.
Brodus Clay’s Debut Match Was A Huge Success
The match began, with Clay gyrating his way out of a hold against his opponent, Curt Hawkins. Clay called out things like ‘should I get him?’ and ‘my bad!’ as he beat down Hawkins. His charisma in the role was infectious, with the crowd fully on board by the time the squash match had ended. On commentary, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole were comically bewildered by what they witnessed, and it was hilarious, as Clay’s character was fully unexpected and out of left field.
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The pure shock value of his emergence as the “Funkasaurus” along with The Funkadactyls made for one hell of a moment. Whether that be a good or a bad moment is up to fans, but there is no denying how much of a surprise it was. The audience were gobsmacked, as were the viewers watching at home as Clay danced his way to victory, calling out his own moves before hitting them whilst both looking dominant and lovable at the same time. The character, if WWE had committed to its development in the long-term, could have become an all-time great fun character, but after a while he did lose steam, unfortunately. Later in his WWE run, he would team up with Tensai before a failed heel turn. His re-debut was by far his most iconic moment in WWE, and whilst he has won titles and found success elsewhere, it still may be his most iconic moment.
