Homicide was a big deal in RoH/FIP for a while. He didn’t need to “go to WWE” to be a main event guy.

There’s far more to professional wrestling than Vince McMahon’s personal playground.

Really? i thought someone said he was Black before, i assumed he was half Black i guess and half Puerto Rican….. and the part of him being main event material. Can you really see Homice going to WWE and being a main eventer right now? i mean he is no where near ready for a TNA and for sure WWE title run or main event push… but yeah that was pretty dumb of me thinking he was Black.

Think of how every Samoan was a non-speaking, moaning and groaning “savage.” Or how about Kamala who was given likewise treatment–a belly smacking Ugandan mute who likewise moaned like an infantile beast.
It wouldn’s surprise me if Kamala is actually Chuck Thompson from the South Side of Chicago. And how about the original Stone Cold Steve Austin–Bad News Brown, who wasn’t from Harlem but from Canada.

The same with Booker T. who was intially part of the tag team, Harlem Heat, with his supposed brother Stevie Ray. Sounds familiar–Booker T (Booker T & the MG’s) and Stevie Ray (as in Stevie Ray Vaughn)–both legendary blues/R&B artists. Truth is Booker T’s not from Harlem but Houston.

As if every Black wrestler at that time had to be from Harlem or some supposed ghetto.

And lest we forget the jive jheri-curled part time pimp/preacher/wrestling manager Slick. The loud-mouthed showboat Koko-B Ware, the Mandingo-esque Ahmed Johnson or the faux militant Nation of Islam hybrid, The Nation of Domination.

Remember Papa Shongo, the demon high priestess who just a year or so later was transformed into “pimpin’ ain’t easy”?

It’s either you’re a pimp, savage beast, preacher, showboat, militant, or thug as is the case with the current Crime Time tag team.

I’m not sure why you mentioned Homicide here.

A) He is Puerto Rican (what did you think LAX was all about?).

B) He was ROH world champion and FIP heavyweight champion.

DD,

Wrong. You DO have a choice if you REALLY like wrestling. I did what you suggest above for years, and almost quit watching ALL wrestling forever. But now I have found nearly 100% satisfaction from the indies. Since I deserted the immature, silly world of the televised “big league” promotions I haven’t once felt the frustration of a fan trying to bide his time and wait out the crap to get to the good stuff.

And I don’t mean that sarcastically. I’ve read accounts of that being the ultimate wall upon which any idea Vince disagrees with is flung. A creative glass ceiling, if you will.

He won. And there ya go.

And I fully agree that he’s hidebound and hindering what could be a truly amazing period in wrestling history.

And regarding the number of comments, I think most wrestling fans are aware of the dramatic skew in the demographics of their pastime. I think the article, or at least the title, probably hit their panic buttons.

I only joined in because I wanted to set the record straight on Kimala (at first).

If anything’s going to change, it will have to be the fans driving it. If fans react negatively to stupid, out-dated and offensive stereotypes, like Cryme Tyme or Kofi Kingston, then we’ll see less and less of them.

Just think about Tatanka. We see anymore “indian chiefs” after him?

But as long as people respond “as expected” to Shad/JTG, Kofi and others. We’ll keep seeing more and more. The bottom line will merely reflect that the WWE is giving the fans what they want. Further justifying giving us more.

Now bringing that back on topic, I don’t think Kimala tells us anything about Vince McMahon’s feelings towards African-Americans.

I think what’s missing from this discussion are the fans and the business. Wrestling fans are predominantly white or hispanic. Pitching an African-American champion to them is a harder sell than a white or hispanic champion. That’s just demographics.

But it’s also a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. By downplaying African-Americans (which I don’t think the WWE is doing), fewer African-Americans are going to connect with the WWE and tune in. Which forms a feedback loop, whereby African-Americans are not given a push to the top because, frankly, it’s easier to sell Rey Mysterio, John Cena or HHH to the existing demographic.

And I really do think the WWE is trying to make inroads to the African-American audience. They’ve pushed Cryme Tyme, Bobby Lashley, Elijah Burke, Kofi Kingston, Ezekiel Jackson and others just over the past few years. For a long time the only backstage presence familiar to WWE fans (besides Vince McMahon) on any WWE show was Teddy Long — not Pat Patterson or whitey-mcwhite Bob Backlund.

If someone like Ezekiel Jackson could find a way to resonate with the existing fans, I’m certain that the WWE would throw a strap on him in a heartbeat. For them, African-Americans are an untapped market. Case in point, Shelton Benjamin: Talented? Yes. Capable of bigger and better? No doubt. But Benjamin has still cashed in on gimmicks and screen-time long after he would have been future-endeavored had he been anything but African-American. When’s the last time anyone’s seen Charlie Haas? Or Carlito?

But I think we have to view this from a business angle. Not merely a racial angle — which is where I think this article falls short.

More African-Americans watching = More $$$ for the WWE. Does anyone dispute that the WWE is interested in their bottom line?

I think the problems we’re talking about are difficulties that the WWE is having reconciling their desire to build their African-American fanbase while still creating a star their existing demographic will “buy”.

Ironically, if the “Sports” end of the spectrum were emphasized (as opposed to the “Entertainment” side), this would be much less of an issue for the WWE. The ebb-and-flow of sports creates its own drama. And it would be far easier to create a “Denzel Washington” style of character using that paradigm than it ever will be via skits and poor acting.

For example, Bobby Lashley was getting over incredibly well until he started talking on a mic.

Then he just sounded like a My Little Pony. And the Goldbergesque-illusion created around him was shattered.

Forever.

Further to my article, I don’t think Vince dislikes black people. He’s old, he’s out of touch and worst of all, he’s stubborn.

The wrestling landscape has moved from underneath his feet but instead of shifting with it, he’s driven a stake in the ground to prevent it from moving further.
He has it in his head what wrestling should be and is defiantly sticking to it, even if it means pissing people off. Because let’s face it, wrestling is a specialized product, with very loyal fans. If you like wrestling, you have no choice but to watch two hours of crap and hope for a fleeting moment of enjoyment.

Call me crazy but I think if TNA hadn’t have lost confidence in their product and began imitating (poorly I might add) the outdated McMahon model, they’d be breathing down the WWE’s neck right now.

Ok, now name a serious black leading actor from the 70s and 80s. Maybe Billy D Williams?

The WWE is trailing Hollywood in this respect. Not considering the fine arts and theater (which I know little about), the only entertainment venues that I know of that are “pro-black” in acceptance are sports and music.

Maybe it’s not Hollywood who believes you can’t make money off an African American leading man. Maybe it’s you and the WWE. Anyone who says Denzel Washington is the only leading man black actor has a problem.

Booker’s act could be viewed as racist as I already pointed out the similarities to the minstrel show. Part of the gimmick was that he was trying to hide his “thugness” under the cover of a prim and proper image of traditional white royalty but when he would get flustered or angry his inner thug would reemerge. This was supposed to be funny.

Not only that but there’s a long tradition of African royalty. Why adopt aspects of an Anglo view of royalty? I’m not saying he can’t do it but it was done in a way that encouraged the audience to laugh at the character, not with him.

I also realize you weren’t singling me out with the music comment but felt the need to point out that there are positive, successful black figures in entertainment.

Groovy. Glad you see my point, and I understand yours as well.

Group hug! No, seriously – thanks for bringing an open mind to the table. That’s all I’d ever ask for.

Daniel, please do respond.

I did forget! Or rather I should say, I never thought of it quite like that. But I would simply say that, while his anger is palpable and justifiable, his column (and this is only my opinion, not inarguable fact) would be better served by tampering that anger. But I do see your point. I mean, I shouldn’t expect a dispassionate list of facts and figures.

Hahah – check this out.

This blog beat you to the punch dude!

Lest you forget, this is an op-ed piece. DD’s passion and anger FUEL this column, rather than detracting from it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ricardo,

That’s true. As long as WWE fans continue to financially support the product, Vince won’t ever have to do anything other than what he wants to do. I’m proud to not be one of his customers anymore. It’s been about two years, and the indies have consistently provided the best wrestling action I could have hoped for.