Is the "Black Push" Over?

[Shocky]

The black champions simply served a role, as transitional champions. Mark Henry got used as an ECW champion, because Kane and Big Show had already had that role, and the WWE wanted something fresh. But the second Matt Hardy was drafted to ECW, you knew the guy was going to get the strap from him sooner, before later. Likewise with Kingston as IC champion. No way was that meant to be anything more then a shocker, and a way to get the IC title off of Chris Jericho. It served it's purpose.

Shelton Benjamin is still US champion, and really doesn't look to lose that belt any time before backlash. Benjamin will have that strap as he will more then likely be in the MITB match at Mania again as US Champion. When you look at Cryme Tyme, they are getting the slow build to the title. They haven't capped off yet, hell they were just in a ten man tag match with the World Champion on Raw several weeks ago. I can actually see Cryme Tyme winning the gold against the Miz and morrison either at No Way Out, or even Wrestlemania.

When you look at the "Black Push" you also have to ask yourself this, which of the black wrestlers really stand out, and are more deserving of a title then a white wrestler that is currently holding it. Takea guy like R-Truth, he was brought in and feuded iwth Benjamin. If he wins, still a black champion.

Kofi Kingston is one of the most over wrestlers on Raw. Cryme Tyme still gets decent pops. Shelton Benjamin is still the US Champion. Mark Henry is still a dominant force on ECW. I really don't see how the "black push" went anywhere. YOu can't be a champion forever. Take a look at MVP. The losing streak is getting the guy over. The more he loses, the more the crowd gets behind the guy. MVP might very well be on the verge of a potential run at a world championship sometime this year. The Black Push isn't over, there simply isn't a viable option at this point.

 

[Lee]

Ok "The black push" is it over? Lets have a gander...

Raw;

Kofi Kingston; Came in and instantly impressed with his IC run, only to lose it and not go on a feud. Was also tag champ for a little while, still getting good reactions. Is his push over? Too early to say.

Cryme Tyme; Since their return they had a build up with Cena...since then they're just used as a job tag team, even JTG was pinned by MVP at survivor series...it would make logical sense to give Raw's only real tag team the belts...wouldn't it? Is their push over? YES

Ron Simmons; Even his DAMN! thing's over...

ECW;

Mark Henry; Lost the ECW belt in September and has still been in the ECW main event, even when the title's not the main event (EG Finlay v Henry). The push is not over yet.

Teddy Long; He took over as GM from Armando Estrada so really not much has changed...him going from SD to ECW is a move down, so really his push has stopped.

SmackDown

Shelton Benjamin; He's the US champion, but he's not reall done much with it. His push is no where near the start of his career so I would say his has ended

R-Truth; Had vignettes pushing him pretty high up...resigned to occasional partner of Funaki. Push ended.

Ezekiel Jackson; Has gone from bodyguard to wrestler so that's an improvement. Too early to tell.

MVP; From practically winning MITB to jobber, whilst this may be going somewhere as far as I am concerned... Push ended.

Interesting to note, there's no black referees...

I think compared to the start of the summer, the black superstars have declined in their push, so yeah...the black push has ended.

 

[The Roid Rage]

It is always easy to look from the outside in, and think you know either the business or the way they do business with in the business. We can speculate and ponder or debate or whatever you want to call it about what happened, why it truly happened, and what is going to happen. The truth of the matter is that none of you or I can really say any of it was due to any kind of racism, or that this so called "black push" ever ended or started. Ok, for a shade of time they gave some of the talent who happened to be black some pushes in the public eye, and it just so happens that shortly before that there was a blown up incident with Mark Henry and Michale Hayes. Ok, so to say that Mark Henry got his push as compensation for the "horrendous" acts of Michael Hayes is not far off.

At the time R-Truth was already on his way into the company with or without this scenario, so he has no real part in this so called "black push".

Shelton Benjamin has had the I.C and U.S. title before and on Smackdown one of the only legit established candidates for that title to take the place of Matt Hardy who they already knew was going to ECW, so that also has little to do with a "black push".

Take a look at the situation with Jericho loosing the I.C. title to Kofi Kingston. It was already well within the works for Jericho to be heading into the title picture and take the place of C.M. Punk in the championship scramble only to win it and so on, so what does that have to do with a black push? Kofi was simply in the right place at the right time and getting big responses from the crowd, so they strapped him up for a minute. He couldn't do anything with it so he lost it, nothing to do with race here either.

Cryme Tyme, what push did they get? I haven't seen them with any titles so what big push did they get? They had been fired or at least sent down to FCW because they were floundering and then brought back due to a hollow tag team division, so what big push did they get again???

Who's next??? Ezekiel Jackson??? Unless you just started watching wrestling yesterday you had to know a guy his size wasn't there to be a bodyguard for long, and so his time came and he started wrestling, no push, he just finally started doing what they had intended for him to do the whole time. Once again, where is the push??? Furthermore what does any of that have to do with race???

MVP, no push at all, in fact a loosing streak. This may work to his advantage in the long run but still, no push. He has been a let down anyways and never performed up to his hype, he has been given in return what he earned.


Why did someone even bother mentioning Theodore Long??? As if any of this had anything to do with him??? what push does a GM get, and how does moving from one show to another have to do with anything??? He wasn't demoted, wasn't pushed, and had nothing to do with the whole issue at hand. Just because he's black you have to bring him up? That's dumb.


Same goes for Ron Simmons, he was never meant to be anything but a comic relief with the whole "Damn!" thing, and that wasn't a push either. So as we conclude no one really got any big push besides Mark Henry who deserved it only for compensatory reasons and his record of long term commitment to the WWE because no one else is interested. So, in closing there wasn't actually a black push of any kind, the chips all fell into place for Kofi, Shelton, and Henry, to get their titles and it just so happened at just about the same times. This had little if anything to do with race, it's all about business, even the situation with Mark Henry was all business.

You see, business rules over all. It rules over opinion, color, sex, religion, everything. If someone get's upset in the business and you want to avoid a fiasco, you do business in a way that benefits both parties. After the situation has worked itself out, back to business as usual. That's how it is, and I think that that is possibly a bigger issue than color or sex or anything else. For the time, color issues superseded business, after that was done, it goes back to business ruling all. That's what I am trying to get across. None of those other things matter to the people making decisions, they don't care if your black or white, or if your a woman or man, or Muslim or Christian. The people who get the biggest fan response good or bad get the kudos, the people who sell the most merchandise get the t.v. time, and the ones who get a huge response good or bad and sell merchandise get titles or places in the title picture. It is as simple as that. Neither the WWE, or the business is racist at all. The business only sees one color, Green.

 

[SGT_Robinson]

I think the bigger question to ask is if anyone honestly cares? I mean, not withstanding the nice sub-plot of race being thrown into the mix, but did any of those individuals truly have a nice range of talent to carry them anywhere to begin with?

Shelton Benjamin was about the closest you could get to an overall decent wrestler, but the guy is as stale as month old bread. He's a great wrestler, fun to watch and an enjoyment in gimmick (ie. ladder) matches.. but if I have to sit through him attempting to cut more promos, I think I'm going to mute the t.v. and begin talking for him just to see if it can make me find it any more enjoyable.

Meanwhile, Mark Henry isn't really getting depushed, I mean he's still "the" top guy (heel) on the E.C.W. brand until at least next Tuesday when Jack Swagger may or may not unseat Matt Hardy. And even after that they've set up what could be semi-interesting in a possible Triple Threat feud.

Kofi Kingston's disappearance has truly shocked me. I think he has a nice overall equal-ness to him that makes him a worthy Intercontinental leader, and definately worth putting in a Tag Team with Punk for boosting that division. Instead, he's randomly getting his ass handed to him by Mike Knox of all people.. I just don't get that.

Finally, Cryme Tyme.. well, they don't need the Tag Team Championships because they're doing what they were brought back for.. they interact well with the fans. They don't need gold, they need the ability to sell everyone ELSE'S merch. which is more or less what they do. As long as people find their rap-like lyrics and catchy "money, money, yeah, yeah" catch-phrase entertaining.. they'll have a job.

Shelton stale?????? More like getting pushed down. He got some get wins over Triple H and then later Triple H used his backstage power to get his wins back. Shelton should have been where Randy Orton is right now. At the top as a Main Eventer...not still a mid carder.

Cryme Tyme got fired for their backstage argument with Lance Cade and Murdoch. Then brought back where they SHOULD have won the WWE Tage titles. Cryme Time where the ONLY legit tag team BEFORE the New Hart Foundation came in. Now the WWE is sho scared they are putting stars together and MAKING THEM tag teams!!!!!!! But that is another subject.

R-Truth........When he was K-Kwik WWE did not want to use his. Now they have him jobbing to Drew McIntyre to PUSH him!!!!! ???????


Mark Henry brought to Raw....pinned Randy Orton and then got jobbed back to Orton in same tag match or whatever to Orton.


MVP....they have him on a losing streak gimmick. Then brought to Raw to change the picture. Have not seen that much cause of the WWE creative team and their mess.

One Black WWE Diva....Alicia Foxx........a small push.....

Ezekiel Jackson...still doing the same thing to me helping to push another's career...first The Brian Kendrick....Now in Regal's stable........


PAST Black WWE stars...

Junkyard Dog...the WWE never gave him a title!!!!!!! should have been the I-C Champ. But nope..They gave the belt and let it stay on the Honky Tonk man for over a year!!!

The Natural Butch Reed.....Coming on.. He destroyed people in the Mid-South.. Should have been the first Black World Champion...not Ron Simmons. He won the World Title in Jackson, Ms.....But due to a Ref error!!!!

Booker T/ King Booker....got a small push!!!!!!!


Jazz....Best Black Female wrestler......She got screwed over

Jacqueline...Another great Black Female wrestler. Had DX screw her out of the belt to have Stephanie McMahon win the WWE Womens title

 

[JBK2008]

I think the black push isn't over. Cryme Tyme is getting nice exposure every week. Shelton is turning face again and looks to be headed to the ECW Championship scene. Kofi looks to be facing Cody soon after last nights Bragging Rights. MVP and Mark Henry are going to be in the upper mid card and may even get the tag titles at some point. No I don't thinks it's over at all. It took a break and has come back if anything.

 

[BladeRunner]

Controversy creates cash, ha, just had to throw that in there.

Anyway, think about it. What if someone rejected giving you a job because you had brown eyes. Not because you weren't qualified, not because you didn't have it, but simply because of the color of your eyes. That's unfair.

Now, then they gave someone else a job because that guy had green eyes. Not because they were qualified, not because they had what it took, simply because they had green eyes. That too, is unfair.

My point is, hiring someone because of their skin color, or NOT hiring someone because of their skin color, both of these are wrong.

As to the point about a "black push". It's the same. Giving them a push because of their skin color, or NOT giving them a push because of their skin color, both of these are unfair and wrong.

It should be about talent and how over with the crowd they are, period. Right now, some of the black dudes in the WWE aren't as over, so WWE isn't pushing them as much. But think about it, it's not like minorities have never been popular in wrestling. The Rock is half black and you saw how popular he got. There are many minority wrestlers throughout the years who have done great jobs and everyone loved em. I say, just give it some time and you will see plenty of black folks and people of all colors will get over with the audience and then get a nice big push.

 

[Baximus]

Anyone worried about Vinny Mac holding the brothers down should be resting easy today after last night's Raw:

MVP and Henry beat Legacy and both looked strong during the lumberjack match.

Kofi gets more face time than anyone on the entire show and is now feuding with Randy Orton.


I'd say the 'black push', while overstated, is certainly still in progress.

 

[NSL]

I was thinking it was over, but it seems to be making a "comeback" of sorts. Kofi was the star of the show last night, picking up the win, and then the segment destroying "Randy's" car. It finally gave him some character, and renewed my faith in his abilities. If he gets a steady feud with Orton for a few weeks, and maybe a match at a PPV, that's huge.

Mark Henry and MVP also got decent TV time, picking up the big win over Legacy, and then during the main event, where they were ultimately the 2 that took out Big Show. Henry with the big splash, and then MVP with the running boot.

Those three have always been "next", and it'll be interesting to see where this leads them after a pretty good showing on RAW.

 

[psl19877]

Nope, I do not see it as being over just yet. It is dying down but it wont be over. I exspect to see MVP and Mark Henry take the WWE Tag Titles soon, as I also exspect Shelton Benjamin to get the Push sometime very soon that he so rightfully deserves in alot of peoples mind. So is it done??? No its not but it will be with in the coming months.

 

[Alex]

Well to be honest you just need someone who has great mic skills, great in-ring skills and has a good relationship backstage and they'll be pushed whether they're black or white as long as they make money for the company, because the only true colour is green

 

[gd]

Wow, this thread got pretty entertaining, didn't it? But yeah, I don't think there ever was a "black push" nor is there another one now. I think that the best wrestler at the time get pushed, and if they suck, they get depushed.

Kofi is doing well right now because he's over, Shelton has just always sucked, MarkVP is pretty decent, probably right about where they should be on the card. Cryme Tyme is pretty annoying. R Truth just beat CM Punk.

There probably is some racism somewhere in the WWE, like there is everywhere in the world, but I don't think the WWE is overly racist at all, they seem quite fair.