Racism and Wrestling

[tdmoon]

We hear a lot of debate concerning the WWE's perceived tendencies to stereotype wrestlers according to race. This is not something they have solely owned, as most other promotions have historically done the same. Of course there were nazi gimmicks(Fritz Von Erich, for one), wrestling has always liked to play on the American enemies theme but the practice of displaying overt racism has tapered down over the years. The most glaring and recent example in my mind was the Col. Debeers character.

If anybody is unaware, Debeers played a character from South Africa, working the apartheid angle and even refused to wrestle people of color(Derrick Dukes, I think?). Watching this play out, I can recall being a bit shocked they were covering this ground in the late eighties/early nineties. I have no idea what Debeers thought of the character he was playing. Does anybody here have any insight into how he saw the role or if he had reservations about it? It seems a bold step to take to further your career.

I also recall seeing this picture of David Schultz wearing a nazi shirt in a PWI photo. This didn't seem like an angle to get heat, just a shirt Schultz had and put on(please correct me if I am wrong). I am curious if this had any repercussions with any minority wrestlers behind the scenes and how it was received by other personnel.

Another aside.....this may be total bullshit, owing to my admittedly poor memory, but I seem to recall a disproportionate number of wrestlers being billed from Stone Mountain, Georgia. Stone Mountain is an important landmark for the KKK and for such a small city there seemed to be a lot of wrestlers claiming it. However, I can now only remember two, Jerry Blackwell and Jake Roberts; seems I have heard others but have forgotten over the years. Does anybody remember any others claiming this as a hometown?

Pardon me if this is a bit scattered; the Dr. D pic and Col. Debeers character was on my mind and I got a bit rushed wondering if anybody had any insight to add.

 

[ServantofTwilight]

We hear a lot of debate concerning the WWE's perceived tendencies to stereotype wrestlers according to race. This is not something they have solely owned, as most other promotions have historically done the same. Of course there were nazi gimmicks(Fritz Von Erich, for one), wrestling has always liked to play on the American enemies theme but the practice of displaying overt racism has tapered down over the years. The most glaring and recent example in my mind was the Col. Debeers character.

While the Col DeBeers character may seem a little over the top by todays standards it fit into the landscape of wrestling at the time. Do whatever it took to get heat for the heel and then have the big face beat him. This is why there was never a German or Japanese face over here after WW2, never a Russian face during the Cold War and to the best of my knowledge there has never been a big face from the Middle East.

By todays PC standards it may be bad, but in the 70s/80s crowds ate this type of stuff up.

If anybody is unaware, Debeers played a character from South Africa, working the apartheid angle and even refused to wrestle people of color(Derrick Dukes, I think?). Watching this play out, I can recall being a bit shocked they were covering this ground in the late eighties/early nineties. I have no idea what Debeers thought of the character he was playing. Does anybody here have any insight into how he saw the role or if he had reservations about it? It seems a bold step to take to further your career.

By the time Ed Wiskoski( DeBeers ) got to the AWA after wrestling for years in the territories he probably figured a big time heel was worth it to his career. At the time South Africa was in the news so by wrestling standards it was logical to create this character. And if we are honest it was a success. After he left the AWA he continued the character in the UWF( California ) so I doubt he minded to much.

In the AWA he engaged in a major feud with Jimmy Snuka, refusing to wrestle him because he was not white. DeBeers attacked Snuka after a match and piledrove him several times on the concrete, blooding him. The feud was a hot one for the AWA.

He also cost Scott Hall and Curt Henning their tag titles by attacking Hall and ramming him into the ring post during a defense. The Dukes feud happened near the end of the AWAs existence.

In the UWF he started feuding with a African American referee who 'happened' to be the cousin of Ice Man King Parsens, which led to a feud.

All told I think Wiskoski embraced the character.

I also recall seeing this picture of David Schultz wearing a nazi shirt in a PWI photo. This didn't seem like an angle to get heat, just a shirt Schultz had and put on(please correct me if I am wrong). I am curious if this had any repercussions with any minority wrestlers behind the scenes and how it was received by other personnel.

David Schultz wrestled as David von Schultz in Grand Prix Wrestling in Eastern Canada alongside Randy Savage. My guess is that it is a character gimmick.

Another aside.....this may be total bullshit, owing to my admittedly poor memory, but I seem to recall a disproportionate number of wrestlers being billed from Stone Mountain, Georgia. Stone Mountain is an important landmark for the KKK and for such a small city there seemed to be a lot of wrestlers claiming it. However, I can now only remember two, Jerry Blackwell and Jake Roberts; seems I have heard others but have forgotten over the years. Does anybody remember any others claiming this as a hometown?

No other wrestlers but some events at the 1996 Olympics were held in Stone Mountain, so I think you are reading to much into that one.

 

[tdmoon]

While the Col DeBeers character may seem a little over the top by todays standards it fit into the landscape of wrestling at the time. Do whatever it took to get heat for the heel and then have the big face beat him. This is why there was never a German or Japanese face over here after WW2, never a Russian face during the Cold War and to the best of my knowledge there has never been a big face from the Middle East.

By todays PC standards it may be bad, but in the 70s/80s crowds ate this type of stuff up.



By the time Ed Wiskoski( DeBeers ) got to the AWA after wrestling for years in the territories he probably figured a big time heel was worth it to his career. At the time South Africa was in the news so by wrestling standards it was logical to create this character. And if we are honest it was a success. After he left the AWA he continued the character in the UWF( California ) so I doubt he minded to much.

In the AWA he engaged in a major feud with Jimmy Snuka, refusing to wrestle him because he was not white. DeBeers attacked Snuka after a match and piledrove him several times on the concrete, blooding him. The feud was a hot one for the AWA.

He also cost Scott Hall and Curt Henning their tag titles by attacking Hall and ramming him into the ring post during a defense. The Dukes feud happened near the end of the AWAs existence.

In the UWF he started feuding with a African American referee who 'happened' to be the cousin of Ice Man King Parsens, which led to a feud.

All told I think Wiskoski embraced the character.



David Schultz wrestled as David von Schultz in Grand Prix Wrestling in Eastern Canada alongside Randy Savage. My guess is that it is a character gimmick.



No other wrestlers but some events at the 1996 Olympics were held in Stone Mountain, so I think you are reading to much into that one.

Don't think the '96 Olympics come into play on this, all the wrestling I watched was well before that took place. It is a town of about five thousand people, yet there are those two wrestlers claiming it as a hometown and I believe others may have as well. Seems a pretty big percentage for such a small town.
That picture of Schultz was taken when he was working the Memphis territory. I have watched a lot of Memphis wrestling but don't recall him working a German character there with Savage. Possible I may have missed it, though.
Even during the time frame with Debeers, I don't recall other wrestlers working the racist angle. A lot of goofy stereotype characters, but can't think of overt racists. This wasn't seventies/eighties, but late eighties. Here is an excerpt from an interview in The Wrestler:

“You must pick these animals off one by one, or else they multiply like rabbits and roam in killing squads. To them, life is cheap and human life is cheaper. These people have been known to eat their young when hungry.”

“The term black encompasses all that is not pure.”

“Scott Hall is a well-known Negro sympathizer, which accounts for the thrashing I gave him.”

“I’m trying to impart a philosophy vital to the perpetuation of a free society. Minorities have no place in a free society. If violence be part of such philosophy, such the better. I shall overcome.”

That's pretty heavy stuff.

Appreciate the good reply, thanks.

 

[ServantofTwilight]

Wow. August. I have meant to reply back to this thread but always told myself later. I honestly did not realize it had been half of a year. Sorry I waited so long.

Don't think the '96 Olympics come into play on this, all the wrestling I watched was well before that took place.

My point about the IOC is that you seem to be implying that there is some racial undertones being put forth by claiming to be from Stone Mountain. I do not think the IOC would have allowed some of their events to be held there if this was the case. Yes it is years later but in 1996 the PC movement was in full vigor and the history of the KKK and the Confederate monument were still there. Yet no one saw it as a problem having athletes of diverse backgrounds, not just WASPs, compete and indure it there. I don't think just saying 'Stone Mountain' is as racial as you seem to think.

It is a town of about five thousand people, yet there are those two wrestlers claiming it as a hometown and I believe others may have as well. Seems a pretty big percentage for such a small town.

The only two I know, you will have to provide others, is Roberts and Blackwell. Roberts is from Atlanta so it is likely he thought Stne Mountain just sounded cooler. And as far as I can find it seems Blackwell was from there. Plus he used the name as part of his gimick. 'And in this corner, at 485 pounds, the mountain from Stone Mountain...JERRY BLACKWELL!!!!' I am not seeing what you are.

That picture of Schultz was taken when he was working the Memphis territory. I have watched a lot of Memphis wrestling but don't recall him working a German character there with Savage. Possible I may have missed it, though.

I know it is Memphis, what I am saying is that he came to Memphis with Savage straight from Canada where he wrestled as Von Shultz. I don't think it is a stretch that he had the same garb he wore while doing that down with him in Memphis. Many wrestlers such as Hans Schmidt, Waldo and Fritz Von Erich and Baron Von Ratchke used Nazi gimmicks. It was just something that was done as a character. I don't think it means they or Shultz were any more racist than an actor playing a nazi in a movie.

Even during the time frame with Debeers, I don't recall other wrestlers working the racist angle. A lot of goofy stereotype characters, but can't think of overt racists. This wasn't seventies/eighties, but late eighties. Here is an excerpt from an interview in The Wrestler:

“You must pick these animals off one by one, or else they multiply like rabbits and roam in killing squads. To them, life is cheap and human life is cheaper. These people have been known to eat their young when hungry.”

“The term black encompasses all that is not pure.”

“Scott Hall is a well-known Negro sympathizer, which accounts for the thrashing I gave him.”

“I’m trying to impart a philosophy vital to the perpetuation of a free society. Minorities have no place in a free society. If violence be part of such philosophy, such the better. I shall overcome.”

That's pretty heavy stuff.

In todays world. Remember back in the 80s you could say that and sometimes worst. Especially in character. You are trying to put todays sensibilities to back then. It won't work. DeBeers was a character playing on the villain of the times. We did the middle east. We did Japan. We did the USSR. Now we were going after South Africa which was in the news. As soon as it was out of the news Debeers faded away.

Appreciate the good reply, thanks.

Welcome.