The WWE universe has seen some of the most bizarre and often cringe-worthy characters over the years, such as the Boogeyman and Naked Mideon, all products of Vince McMahon’s wild creativity. Among these oddities, one of the strangest came in 1995 with the introduction of Xanta Claus, an evil version of Santa Claus designed to spread holiday misery and upset children.
Ted DiBiase, known as the "Million Dollar Man," extended his villainous reach by "buying" Santa Claus, turning him into a heel under the name Xanta Klaus. This character made his first appearance at the 1995 event "In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings," where he shockingly betrayed Savio Vega while pretending to hand out presents, revealing himself as a destructive force controlled by DiBiase.
Unlike traditional Santa, Xanta Klaus was said to be from the South Pole and the evil brother of Santa Claus, with a mission to steal gifts rather than give them. His costume reflected his dark nature, featuring red attire with black trim instead of the usual white, but the presentation was widely regarded as poorly executed during an otherwise uninspiring year for WWE creativity.
Xanta Claus only appeared three times on WWE programming before quickly vanishing. Behind the mask was Balls Mahoney, who later gained fame in ECW and returned to WWE, but the Xanta Claus character was never referenced again. Despite its short life, the gimmick remains one of the strangest WWE has ever introduced.
In 2012, Mahoney briefly revived the character for a single independent match, but beyond that, Xanta Claus’s legacy is mostly confined to a few fleeting weeks in late 1995.
Fan Take: Xanta Claus is a fascinating example of WWE’s experimentation with outlandish characters, even when they missed the mark. For fans, it’s a reminder of the creative risks WWE has taken over the years, which sometimes lead to unexpected and memorable moments that shape the evolving landscape of sports entertainment.
