Savio Vega Says He Was Immediately The Choice To Replace Shawn Michaels At WWF No Way Out 1998

No Way Out of Texas 1998. A fondly remembered In Your House event, but one that saw a major change to its main event.

Originally, the show closer was set to see Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, Owen Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin take on an amalgamated D-Generation X team: present members Triple H and Shawn Michaels, as well as future members the New Age Outlaws. Unfortunately, a back injury sidelined Shawn Michaels ahead of the event, and forced a replacement. Enter Savio Vega

Although Shawn Michaels was a huge name to be pulled, the move would be heralded by respected media such as Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes for decades to come. Fightful asked Savio Vega, who claimed he was always the call to replace Michaels.

“Well, when this happened, they said, ‘It has to be Savio. Cannot be nobody else. Have to be him.’ So, they put me there. Now, they’re looking [it] over. ‘Well, what’s gonna be end?’ They say, ‘Well, it cannot be on Savio. Because it’s gonna be too obvious.’ So, okay, they change whatever they have to do there. Man, if you see, we don’t have too much between him and me, because already I was in another story, different story, he was going to the top, big time. But, I loved it. Loved working with Terry Funk and Mick Foley there in the same ring, everybody. We have fun,” Vega said.

It wasn’t too out of left field. Vega had a long feud with Steve Austin in 1996, facing him at WrestleMania, and sending his then-manager Ted Dibiase packing. Vega also was faced Owen Hart multiple times in the months leading up to the match, which Vega’s team lost.

Still, Vega looks upon the moment fondly. A main event of a WWF pay-per-view, specifically in that era, was a huge deal, and remembers it well.

“I remember Foley and me, I saw a big piece of barbwire. I said, ‘Foley, I got barbed wire.’ He said, ‘Okay. Don’t tell nobody. Hide it under the ring and when it’s time, we gonna to do it.’ I say, ‘Okay,’ and we keep it quiet. So, I got the gloves to [hurry up] and I drop the barbwire, put him in the barbwire. All the babyface see Terry out there pissed. They’re pissed because what happened with the barbwire, they don’t know. To have to come and [save], but at the same time they have to stop coming and let us do whatever it is we’re going to do. So, finally we do the barbed wire, we beat the hell out of each other. We have fun, like I told you. It was great to work with those gentlemen and man, happy, happy to be there.”

You can see Savio Vega in action on July 10 at MLW Battle Riot III, where he’s a part of the 40-man over the top rope battle royal, Battle Riot! The winner gets am MLW Title shot whenever they choose. You can see where to watch MLW at this link.