Dennis Haskins was best known to millions of fans as Mr. Belding on Saved by the Bell, but his connection to professional wrestling went a lot deeper than occasionally showing up at events. Haskins was a legitimate lifelong wrestling fan who spent years around the business, appeared on WWE television and even got involved with independent promotions.
As the wrestling world remembers Haskins following his death at 75, a wild piece of his WWE history has resurfaced. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that WWE once wanted Haskins to become an on-screen general manager — but the television role never happened because Haskins wasn’t interested in living the WWE road schedule. Meltzer explained that Haskins had done some work with Pro Wrestling Syndicate and was already well known inside wrestling circles when WWE came calling.
“He did Pro Wrestling Syndicate, commissioner and WWE actually at one point wanted him to be general manager, but he didn’t want the travel.”
That means WWE was apparently serious enough about Mr. Belding stepping into an authority role that the idea got to Haskins, but the brutal travel schedule ultimately killed it. Considering how heavily WWE leaned on general managers and authority figures during different eras, Haskins could have ended up with a much bigger wrestling legacy if he had said yes.
Haskins certainly wasn’t someone who just stumbled into wrestling because of his television fame. Meltzer described him as a huge fan who had been around WWE, made appearances connected to Matt Cardona and stayed close with people in the business. One of those friendships was especially unexpected. Meltzer revealed that Haskins and former WWE and TNA star Austin Aries were actually close enough to regularly spend time together away from wrestling.
“Mr. Belding and Austin Aries used to hang out together. Yeah, they used to go to karaoke and things like that. Yeah, go out to dinner. I mean, they were like buddies.”
Haskins also appeared at wrestling events over the years and embraced the fact that fans connected his Mr. Belding character with the wrestling world. His involvement with Pro Wrestling Syndicate even included serving as a commissioner, giving him actual on-screen experience in a role not all that different from what WWE apparently had in mind.
The WWE general manager job ultimately never happened, but it’s one of those wrestling “what ifs” that suddenly sounds a lot more interesting in hindsight. Mr. Belding running a WWE show would have been completely on-brand for the authority-figure era, but Haskins chose to avoid the nonstop travel that came with the gig.
Haskins will always be remembered first as the principal who tried to keep Zack Morris and the Bayside crew under control, but wrestling fans got to see another side of him over the years. Knowing WWE once considered putting him in charge of one of its television shows only makes his connection to the business even more fascinating.
Would Dennis Haskins have worked as a WWE general manager, and what kind of character do you think Mr. Belding could have become on WWE television? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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