Junkyard Dog Question (To Break Up the Reigns Inquiries)

Scott,


I don’t think I missed this in your Observer recaps, and I’ve been on late-88 NWA stuff recently. Why did JYD leave WWF in the first place? They clearly had lost some interest in him, sure, but was there more to it than that? Perhaps more bewilderingly, how did he never end up resurfacing in the WWF in the mid-90s a la Honky Tonk Man, Iron Sheik, King Kong Bundy, etc.? He was still wrestling and clearly had little else to do.

Thanks as always.

​Dog and Muraco were fired on a tour of Europe, and reading between the lines it was clearly a drug-related issue. Frankly I’m surprised that WCW took him so quickly afterwards given his habits and ballooning waistline.

As for why he never returned, I’m not sure. He wasn’t on bad terms with the company, but I guess they just weren’t on the nostalgia kick they hit later where they were so far up their own ass about their history? Plus he had a LOT of drug problems at that point and I can see where they wouldn’t want to have that on their plate. ​