Jim Ross has confirmed that Dennis Rodman was originally set to appear for WWE at WrestleMania 13 before a last-minute shift led him to sign with WCW instead.

Speaking on the Grilling JR podcast with Conrad Thompson, Ross detailed how WWE had planned to use Rodman in a one-time attraction role alongside Goldust. The idea was to capitalize on Rodman’s larger-than-life and polarizing public image at the time.

“We thought for a one-off, one-time-only appearance by Dennis, it would be a hit, because he was kind of polarizing,” Ross said. “We were disappointed, no doubt, because it seemed like it was going to be a layup.”

Ross explained that Rodman was expected to fill a role similar to Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 12, where Piper’s involvement in the Hollywood Backlot Brawl brought mainstream attention to the show.

“He was what we needed for that attraction, for that Piper role of an outsider coming in and doing his thing,” Ross said.

The situation changed when Rodman, who was a fan of Hulk Hogan, reached out to him directly. That contact opened the door for Eric Bischoff to step in and secure the deal for WCW.

Ross noted that the negotiations quickly escalated once agents became involved, with Bischoff finalizing the agreement over the phone. Rodman would go on to appear at WCW’s Uncensored pay-per-view and later compete in a high-profile tag team match that summer, generating significant attention for the company.

“It was frustrating for everybody,” Ross said, while also acknowledging Bischoff’s approach. “He was smart enough and aggressive enough and bold enough to make it happen.”

The timing of the deal added to WWE’s disappointment. WCW’s acquisition of Rodman made major headlines in Chicago just two weeks before WrestleMania 13, which was being held at the Rosemont Horizon.

Despite the setback, Ross emphasized that WWE had only planned to use Rodman once, whereas WCW was able to extend the relationship. “Was it a deal breaker? No. It was, to me, it was always going to be a one-time deal,” he said. “WCW got more than one out of Dennis.”

Rodman’s crossover into professional wrestling remains one of the most memorable celebrity integrations of the era, and he has now come full circle with his recent announcement as part of the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class.

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