Perry Saturn’s WWE run at the turn of the millennium remains remembered for sharp changes in direction. He entered the company as part of The Radicalz, carried the credibility of his ECW and WCW work, and later found himself in one of WWE’s stranger character arcs involving a mop named Moppy. Between those very different chapters, Saturn was paired on television with Terri Runnels in a romantic storyline that unfolded alongside his program with former Radicalz ally Eddie Guerrero.
Speaking on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Saturn looked back on that partnership and described it as unfamiliar territory for him. He said he had never previously worked with a valet and did not know Runnels well before the two were placed together on WWE programming. The pairing eventually became part of Saturn’s presentation while he pursued Guerrero and the WWE European Championship.
Saturn defeated Guerrero for the European title at Judgment Day 2000, a result that gave him a notable singles accomplishment after The Radicalz’ arrival in WWE. The storyline with Runnels added another layer to his character at a time when he was moving beyond being defined solely as one member of the faction. Their on-screen connection was different from the hard-edged image audiences associated with Saturn from his prior work, and it created room for a more protective side of his personality.
In the interview, Saturn said Runnels approached him about the potential partnership and made the boundaries of their working relationship clear immediately.
For more background on this topic, read Rey Mysterio Reveals He Still Keeps a Lock of CM Punk’s Hair From Their 2010 WWE Stipulation Match.
“Terri – I don’t know her at all – and she tells me, ‘If you say it’s okay, they’re gonna put us together.’ I go, ‘Okay, we’ll try it.’ And she goes, ‘Okay, let’s get this out of the way: you are not f**king me, so don’t try,’” Saturn recalled on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet.
Saturn said that direct conversation helped establish a platonic relationship and allowed the two performers to focus on making the material work. He stated that he never pursued Runnels romantically and later came to view her as his first platonic female friend. For a storyline built around an on-screen romance, Saturn’s recollection emphasizes that the performers’ professional trust was central to what they were trying to accomplish.
A Different Direction Was Considered
Saturn also discussed an idea he says was proposed for his and Runnels’ television dynamic. He credited the late Pat Patterson with conceiving a direction inspired by the classic relationship between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth.
Savage and Elizabeth are among the most recognizable performer-manager pairings in WWE history. Their presentation was built on emotional investment, loyalty and a degree of possessiveness from Savage’s character, while Elizabeth’s presence gave the storyline a warmth that differed from the more overtly comedic or antagonistic manager roles of the era. The relationship became an important piece of Savage’s WWE identity and generated some of the company’s most memorable emotional moments.
Saturn said the intended concept for him and Runnels would have similarly leaned on a protective dynamic. However, he claimed the idea was ultimately assigned to Guerrero and Chyna instead.
“Pat [Patterson] came up with the idea of us doing, like Macho [Man Randy Savage] and [Miss] Elizabeth, where he was overprotective, and he pitched it to [WWE], and they gave it to Eddie and [Chyna],” Saturn said on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet.
Guerrero and Chyna went on to become a memorable on-screen couple, with their “Latino Heat” relationship blending comedy, affection and frequent conflict. Their act became a major part of both performers’ WWE presentations, particularly during Guerrero’s Intercontinental Championship run. Saturn’s comments offer his perspective on a creative path that, had it gone differently, could have placed him and Runnels in a more sustained character-driven role.
There is no question that WWE often used relationships and managerial pairings to give talent a clearer identity on weekly television. For Saturn, who had already been established as an intense and physically credible wrestler, an overprotective romantic character could have offered a contrast to his in-ring persona. It also may have provided Runnels with a more consistent role alongside a featured wrestler during that period.
Trust in the Ring and a Shift in the Storyline
Saturn spoke positively about Runnels’ trust in him during their time working together. Valet and manager roles can require performers to participate in ringside confrontations, physical angles and carefully timed spots despite not being positioned as full-time wrestlers. Saturn indicated that Runnels developed confidence in working with him, an important factor when a storyline asks two performers to create believable chemistry and execute physical television moments safely.
He also recalled that Runnels pitched a change to their characters, moving the relationship in a more romantic direction without first discussing it with WWE management. Saturn claimed that Jim Ross objected strongly to the idea, which he described as a concern that too many characters on the roster were being portrayed as dating. Saturn believed the decision may have created backstage friction for the pair.
“He goes, ‘Not everybody can be dating!’ he was like lecturing us about it!” Saturn said, recalling the response on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet.
That recollection represents Saturn’s own account of the creative process and the reaction to the proposed shift. WWE television during that era regularly featured personal relationships as part of its broader storytelling, but the company’s creative direction could change quickly as performers, writers and producers worked through competing ideas. A concept that seemed natural to the people directly involved in an angle did not necessarily fit the plans management had for the wider roster.
Saturn acknowledged that he and Runnels did not ultimately receive all the opportunities he believes they could have had, while also taking responsibility for his own work at times. That self-assessment is notable considering the uneven nature of his WWE presentation. His career included a championship victory over Guerrero and a visible association with Runnels, but it also moved through abrupt tonal shifts that made it difficult for one character direction to settle in for long.
From Terri Runnels to Moppy
The Runnels partnership eventually gave way to the Moppy storyline, one of the most unusual angles of Saturn’s WWE tenure. Saturn’s character became attached to a mop after suffering a series of losses and humiliations, a development that moved him far away from the serious competitor fans had known in ECW, WCW and The Radicalz. The angle later fed into his feud with Raven.
For some fans, that transition remains a striking example of how rapidly WWE could redirect a performer in that period. Saturn’s comments about the planned Runnels material add context to the turn: he sees a version of the partnership with more room for emotional character work, while the actual trajectory moved toward a deliberately eccentric and comedic premise.
Runnels, meanwhile, had long been an experienced presence on wrestling television, having worked in several prominent WWE roles across different eras. Her ability to shift between managing, interviewing and character-driven angles made her a natural fit for television, and Saturn’s recollections suggest that the two developed a functional working relationship despite having little prior familiarity.
Saturn’s story is ultimately less about revising what happened than explaining the possibilities he believed existed at the time. His European Championship win over Guerrero remains a significant result in his WWE résumé, while the Runnels pairing occupies an intriguing space between his Radicalz run and the Moppy chapter. The idea of presenting Saturn as a protective partner in a classic WWE-style relationship never became the lasting direction he says Patterson had envisioned.
Instead, Guerrero and Chyna developed into one of the era’s most recognizable couples, and Saturn’s own character took a very different route. Looking back, Saturn appears appreciative of the trust he built with Runnels while candid about the creative uncertainty surrounding their angle. Their brief pairing remains a reminder that some WWE storylines are defined as much by the roads not taken as by what ultimately reaches the screen.
In pictures
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.