Let's have a serious convo about Wrestling and Race

[The Great One]

There has always been very few black/hispanic/middle eastern/indian/asian wrestlers on the WWE roster compared to the white wrestlers on the same roster. There has even been fewer wrestlers of color main eventing. I hear many in this forum complaining about this but from my POV -

I live about 20 minutes/half hour from Detroit, which has the largest "urban" population in America. I go to Indy shows around here (or at least I used to) and there has never been a strong black presence of wrestlers or the audience. I know the owner of the local Wrestling school and if he has 25 white guys in training, he may have 1 black guy.

Do you think if there was more wrestlers with different background in WWE it would pull in more fans or inspire the younger generation to like wrestling/become a wrestler?

Does it really affect your viewing habits when a white man like Rusev is fighting blacks every week and crushing them or do you not read too much into it?

WWE is ALWAYS working to improve some of their demographics, but I don't feel like anything ever works or happens.

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

I think a lot of this has to do with one thing plain and simple, there hasn't been a lot of great black main event level talent.

Booker was the last one, and he got a main event spot.

Guys like Kofi, Pope, Shelton and many others really just weren't that great.

Then you look at a guy like Big E, another dude who just really isn't that good. Who is on the horizon as a black star? There really isn't anyone, at any level.

In wrestling the cream rises to the top, that's the reason why a guy like Bryan main evented and won WM.

This would make sense if dudes didn't make it in the E and lit it up elsewhere, mostly they fizzle out (Shelton, Pope)

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

Also, the Rusev thing to me is funny off the fact I do think it's purely coincidental because he also had a match against Ryder a while back.

It's just kinda sad cause Rusev was fighting dudes who are lowest on the list of jobbers, and they all happen to be black.

 

[The Great One]

I think a lot of this has to do with one thing plain and simple, there hasn't been a lot of great black main event level talent.

Booker was the last one, and he got a main event spot.

Guys like Kofi, Pope, Shelton and many others really just weren't that great.

Then you look at a guy like Big E, another dude who just really isn't that good. Who is on the horizon as a black star? There really isn't anyone, at any level.

In wrestling the cream rises to the top, that's the reason why a guy like Bryan main evented and won WM.

This would make sense if dudes didn't make it in the E and lit it up elsewhere, mostly they fizzle out (Shelton, Pope)

But is the reason why there isn't great black stars because WWE doesn't take the time to invest their time/pushes into black stars?

 

[I-Hate-You]

But is the reason why there isn't great black stars because WWE doesn't take the time to invest their time/pushes into black stars?

was about to say, why haven't more black guys gotten that WWE 'we're going to make them like you' push that they've given to so many others? They almost never do it.

 

[The Great One]

was about to say, why haven't more black guys gotten that WWE 'we're going to make them like you' push that they've given to so many others? They almost never do it.

Only one I can really think of is Bobby Lashley.

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

But is the reason why there isn't great black stars because WWE doesn't take the time to invest their time/pushes into black stars?

Nah, I dunno why there isn't.

Like I said hell you can look at TNA/indies/ROH etc and you still can't find a black wrestler who you could say has got that potential.

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

Only one I can really think of is Bobby Lashley.

I was a big fan of Lashley, but his dumb ass blew it over some mediocre puzzy

 

[jadillac]

I think a lot of this has to do with one thing plain and simple, there hasn't been a lot of great black main event level talent.

Booker was the last one, and he got a main event spot.

Guys like Kofi, Pope, Shelton and many others really just weren't that great.

Then you look at a guy like Big E, another dude who just really isn't that good. Who is on the horizon as a black star? There really isn't anyone, at any level.

In wrestling the cream rises to the top, that's the reason why a guy like Bryan main evented and won WM.

This would make sense if dudes didn't make it in the E and lit it up elsewhere, mostly they fizzle out (Shelton, Pope)

So in 1995 when Booker T was in Harlem Heat you knew he was gonna be a 6 time wordl champ? He wasn't even a good speaker back then.

No, the REALITY is, WCW took a chance on Booker T and invested in him and he in turn became great. The talent was there. It's been there in other black wrestlers as well. There's no reason Shelton Benjamin couldn't have developed into a legit world title contender.

Yes wrestling will always have more white stars b/c the fan-base is such and the majority of the wrestlers are traditionally white anyway. But a lot of black wrestlers have had the ball dropped on them

 

[Kidd Dibiase]

Ahmed Johnson was well on his well but he was injury prone

Big E could be on his way but it seems WWE made sure to cut his legs from under him, the one thing that got him over and could easily sell merch was his 5 count...got rid of it soon as he made it to Raw.

They tried to clown Xavier Woods on commentary for getting his PhD til he shut them down, made it a real awkward 3 mins.

While it doesn't really effect my viewing pleasure its just extremely obvious to not notice it

 

[puppetmaster]

When they go to some of the southern cities/overseas you tend to get crowds that clearly have that thing to them. It drives me nuts.


Our best athletes/ most charismatic don't typically think wwe as a dream. They are NBA, NFL or boxers. .. College wrestlers/Olympic wrestlers tend to give MMA that first crack at them. King Mo before injuries etc was recruited by WWE but wanted to fight first, Daniel Cormier is as big of a wrestling fan as most of us in this forum but the itch to compete is still there for him. .. if they can start recruiting them fresh out of college I think we could see more black wrestlers break that ceiling. Titus O'Neil for example is athletic, has the size and look they want and is likeable/charismatic, had he been brought in sooner and given time to develop who knows.

I do wish they'd gone all out with Mark Henry way sooner before he got injury prone as he got older. Fans were buying into him as a top level talent even after all the silliness they've done with him over the years


-P-

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

So in 1995 when Booker T was in Harlem Heat you knew he was gonna be a 6 time wordl champ? He wasn't even a good speaker back then.

No, the REALITY is, WCW took a chance on Booker T and invested in him and he in turn became great. The talent was there. It's been there in other black wrestlers as well. There's no reason Shelton Benjamin couldn't have developed into a legit world title contender.

Yes wrestling will always have more white stars b/c the fan-base is such and the majority of the wrestlers are traditionally white anyway. But a lot of black wrestlers have had the ball dropped on them

Shelton had plenty of time to be that guy, he never developed a personality. He was a good wrestler, but the reality was he never advanced because he wasn't good enough to. And I was a Shelton stan.

I really can't feel too bad for guys who "Didn't have the machine behind them" because there are a ton of talented white guys who didn't ever get the machine behind them and then there's guys like Alberto Del Rio who have and done nothing with it.

Mark Henry was also another black wrestler who got what he deserved after a lot of hard work, he was a ho-hum talent for a very long time, but he eventually got there because he was good enough.

Maybe that will happen for a guy like Kofi, but to me he has done nothing to get himself more over. He hasn't changed his ring style or anything in over 6 years

 

[LastEmperor2k2]

Ahmed Johnson was well on his well but he was injury prone

Big E could be on his way but it seems WWE made sure to cut his legs from under him, the one thing that got him over and could easily sell merch was his 5 count...got rid of it soon as he made it to Raw.

They tried to clown Xavier Woods on commentary for getting his PhD til he shut them down, made it a real awkward 3 mins.

While it doesn't really effect my viewing pleasure its just extremely obvious to not notice it

To me that 5 count shyt had no place on the main stage.

So now you're saying some dudes suck so bad that they lose with 2 extra seconds to kick out? Like jobbing dudes out aint bad enough?

 

[Kidd Dibiase]

To me that 5 count shyt had no place on the main stage.

So now you're saying some dudes suck so bad that they lose with 2 extra seconds to kick out? Like jobbing dudes out aint bad enough?

i can tell you didn't watch NXT..the 5 count was done after the match

 

[jadillac]

Shelton had plenty of time to be that guy, he never developed a personality. He was a good wrestler, but the reality was he never advanced because he wasn't good enough to. And I was a Shelton stan.

I really can't feel too bad for guys who "Didn't have the machine behind them" because there are a ton of talented white guys who didn't ever get the machine behind them and then there's guys like Alberto Del Rio who have and done nothing with it.

Mark Henry was also another black wrestler who got what he deserved after a lot of hard work, he was a ho-hum talent for a very long time, but he eventually got there because he was good enough.

Maybe that will happen for a guy like Kofi, but to me he has done nothing to get himself more over. He hasn't changed his ring style or anything in over 6 years

So you think Kofi has the green-light to just do whatever he wants in the ring? If he became a brawler or mat wrestler on his own, you don't think he'd get in trouble backstage?

Truth is, if Booker T spent his career in WWF, he would've NEVER became the champion he became.

White guys already have the advantage due to the fan demo.....using Del Rio is a poor example b/c he's Hispanic and more importantly, speaks as such as well.