Stevie Ray Reveals Harlem Heat Came Close To Signing With WWE In 1996

While he would never join WWE, Stevie Ray revealed he and brother Booker T almost joined Vince McMahon's company in 1996.

"Actually once we won the belts (WCW Tag Titles) a few times, yeah, a lot of people don't know this but me and my brother (Booker T) were going to go to WWE. We were actually talking to them through a liaison, and this is like in '96 and we were going to WWE. [We] were talking to them through a liaison because we couldn't talk to them legally because we were still under contract," Stevie Ray told That 90's Wrestling Podcast.

"I think WCW got light of it and our contracts had a little bit less than a year on it, and you know, we didn't hold any ill will and nothing like that. We were just trying to test ourselves as professional athletes. I think the company got light of it. And like I said before, our contracts still had close to a year on it and they pulled us in the office and tore our contracts up. We didn't even ask them, they just called us in the office one day and said 'Hey, we got to get you guys new contracts.' I was like where is this coming from? And then next thing you know, they've given us three times the money we were making with a lot of other different amenities and stuff like that, and we couldn't turn it down. So that's what happened and that's why we never went to WWE."

Booker T would eventually join WWE after the company purchased WCW in 2001. Stevie Ray wouldn't make the jump, though, and he wrestled for World Wrestling All-Stars until retiring from full-time in-ring action in 2002. 

Check out Stevie Ray's full interview with That 90's Wrestling Podcast here.