Lack of Black Champs

[NotoriousMEAT]

I looked and couldn't find a previous thread about this, and if there is then I apologize. This is my first thread, and the idea for it came from watching the video on WWE.com about Ron Simmons for Black History Month. I knew he was the first black world champion, but watching that got me thinking about how many black world champions there had actually been. I could only think of 4, those being..

Ron Simmons - WCW World Champion
The Rock - WWE Champion, WCW Champion
Booker T- WCW World Champion, World Heavyweight Champion
Ron Killings - NWA World Heavyweight Champion

I did my research and found those 4 to be it, and was pretty surprised. Only 4 black World Champions in 100 plus years of professional wrestling!?

Then the ECW Championship was brought to my attention, which there has always been a debate about. During ECW's original run there was never a black champion. However under the WWE banner, 3 black champions were crowned. Bobby Lashley twice, Mark Henry, and Ezekiel Jackson. There was a time when I would have accepted the ECW Title as a World Championship. From RVD up till about CM Punk. I might even say Chavo, because for that night it felt like Chavo had finally won a big title. But as Kane won it and people were saying he won his 2nd World Title, I just couldn't help but feel like they were stupid for comparing that to the WWE title. Then watching old vets who never won jack like Mark Henry and Matt Hardy fight for it made it seem like they had accepted something less. Swagger randomly winning it made it seem like a prop to get someone new over, Christian winning it seemed like a demotion after 2 reigns as NWA World Champ, and Zeke's reign barely counts. So in conclusion, the WWECW title doesn't count in my book, and keeps my total at 4 World Champions.


That covers the people who have been, now lets look at some people who SHOULD have been... at least in my opinion.

Monty Brown may not have been the best wrestler in TNA at the time. But he was crazy over with the fans during a time where everyone was sick of Jarrett.

MVP is someone I think WWE really messed up with. Dude has all the qualities to be a World Champion, and one of the many faces of WWE. I hope he comes back and gets that chance.

Bobby Lashley since I don't count the ECW Title. Again, maybe not someone who's the very best in the ring. But I think he came around nicely in his short time in WWE. He had the look, the fan support, and more then enough potential. If he hadn't left WWE when he did, by now I'm sure he'd be on the list at the top of this thread.

Orlando Jordan is a person some people may scoff at when talking of potential World Champions. But there was a time in WWE when he was the United States Champion, right hand man to the WWE Champion at the time, JBL, and due to association, feuded with John Cena. He had all the skill in the world and only really needed a character.

Ron Simmons is on my list because of how I felt WWE dropped the ball with him. So many times they had the opportunity to push him to the level he had been at in WCW, and they failed.


Those are just guys off the top of my head.

As for the future.. I hope to see guys like Ezekiel Jackson and The Pope get reigns as World Champion. And I'm sure Kofi Kingston might get the belt in the few years due to his popularity. And I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Shelton Benjamin become ROH World Champion if he stays dedicated to putting on good matches and stays with the company for a good period of time, as a way of saying he finally won what he always deserved.



Anyways, that brings up my questions. Basically stuff I answered in this thread, though I don't expect you to do as much explaining.

1. Does the low number of black World Champions surprise you? Or do you not see many black wrestlers in history deserving a world title?

2. Do you consider the ECW Championship during it's time in WWE as a legit World Championship?

3. And finally, which black wrestlers do you think should be a world champion? That goes for past, present, and future.

Explain and make a case.

 

[Rayne]

Wrestling is a race game. There are plenty of people who will tell you that's not true, and these are the same people that tell you that racism really doesn't exist in America anymore. Black people can get served at lunch tables, have access to apply to the same positions as whites, and thus our race problems are solved and further discussion of race in America is taboo. Hell, the '60's sucked for America if you weren't getting stoned.

All that boils down to is that America- and I only speak for this country because I don't live anywhere else- is still a racial society, and wrestling has capitalized on racial issues since before Bruno Sammartino first raised his hand in victory to a Madison Square Garden full of Polish and Italians.

It still happens today. Alberto Del Rio gets pushed to the moon because he's the only Hispanic guy they have that can draw besides Rey Rey. The Great Khali is a top performer on the Indian version of RAW (it's amazing what you can do with a little bit of editing.) But the WWE hasn't been able to brand a black world's champion since The Rock; Booker T came to them gift wrapped.

There are two routes to go with the "Black World Champion"- when someone finds a credible third route, get your ass to Stamford and don't screw up your contract negotiation. The first route no one has the balls to go with, for good reason- the angry, threatening black champion. That's blatantly exploiting white fear to sell your angle while playing off racial stereotypes, and I'd think your advertisers might have an embolism if you proposed that kind of story arc. I think it'd draw quite well, but it might play into racial fears too obviously, and remember- earnest discussion of race in America is still taboo.

Then there's option #2- the Black Babyface. The Rock was a babyface even when he was trying to be a heel; the WWF erred in originally pushing him, not realizing the criteria for 'babyface' had changed drastically in the past five years. Bobby Lashley was King Babyface; he was perfect for this role, and would have been a multiple-time WWE champion by now. However, he left wrestling to pursue getting embarrased in the MMA minor leagues. Hope to see you back soon, Bobby. It looked for a while that Kofi Kingston was being prepped for this role; however, that's stuttered and died, and it looks like Kofi's going to hold the IC title many, many times.

There is currently no one waiting in the wings. Ezekiel Jackson isn't that guy; The Pope is going to be held back in TNA by the top guys there now, and he wouldn't be given the shot in WWE. It ain't easy turning a black guy into a fan favorite in this country; America still expects him to creep up behind you while you're getting into your car. Call it sad, call it fact, it is what it is. I don't claim to like it, but it's why you don't see many black world champions.

 

[ABMorales787]

It's not all that surprising. There really haven't been major black men who stick out in the wrestling world. Same thing with Asians in the US. While most cases can be attributed some degree of racial belief within the company, it's not always the case. Michael Hayes doesn't write for every company. You can't say pushing them hasn't been attempted. You've had all kinds of champions in American Pro Wrestling over the years. Samoans, Mexicans, Canadians, Puerto Ricans, Irish, masked, unmasked, etc. Sure, at the end of the day it's mostly white, but you have to expect that on a field where it's predominant. I wouldn't say there's racism.

 

[AUSSIE_pride92]

I don't see it been a racial thing.. we just haven't seen many black people with the potential.. well it might just be the case that we haven't been shown many black people with potential but I'm not going to sit here and argue about whether it's because of race or not.. because that could get ugly and offend people so lets just keep it simple and mention what black men could of been big stars but weren't, I just don't think it's a racial thing due to reasons like-Mark Henry, he doesn't get treated any different to a white wrestler with the same skills..

the only person that I can think of off the top of my head that could of been HUGE if they had of worked on it.. is Orlando Jordan, this man could talk and he had the look and the athleticism if they had of just stuck with him and given him time to improve in the ring he would of defiantly been something special but eh, shit happens I guess.. a lot of good talent gets left behind and forgotten.. it always has happened and always will, because sometimes there is someone else that is slightly better than you and bang your gone and forgotten.

 

[Slyfox696]

You want to know why there haven't been more black World Champions? Because the fans don't want them. Look in any WWE crowd and tell me what you see. You see a crowd made up of primarily white people. Historically speaking, pro wrestling has never really been an event black people buy tickets to. And while it may not be a racist thing, traditionally white fans have not been interested in a black champion.

Now one might ask about Del Rio and Khali, but as has been mentioned, those guys have markets they can help the WWE serve. Wrestling is big in Mexico, and The Great Khali is big in his area of the world. But the WWE doesn't have strong ties to a "black country". And if black people in America are historically not willing to throw down their money on wrestling, why build characters for a demographic that doesn't exist?

At the end of the day, wrestling promoters care about one color...green. As long as they are making money, they don't care who is bringing it in. The only reason there have not been more black world champions is because there just hasn't been a market for them.


I will say, however, it seems more of the black community is interested in wrestling now than ever before. If that market continues to grow, you will see more black champions.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Sly, this brings up the age-old 'chicken and the egg' debate.

You hit the nail on the head with the Hispanic Champions and the fact that there is a ready made Hispanic market due to the presence "Lucha Libre" has in places like Mexico.

The question is asked - will the WWE wait until there are more black fans to create more black champions? Or should the WWE have more black champions to attract more black fans?

Baseball is dealing with this issue. There is a small percentage of black baseball players right now, thanks in part to thelack of availability of baseball in many urban areas as opposed to basketball and football. Furthermore, there is a blight of black baseball player role models. Many people believe that if the main role models for baseball went beyond Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield, more young black men would be attracted to baseball. You can make the same argument for wrestling.

I think this may have to hit the main page now.

 

[Calderownz]

There are less black wrestlers, for one. Because of that, you have as a company less options with the black guys you want to push. Less black wrestlers make it harder to find a good black wrestler that can talk.

However, the wrestling business would use Hitler as the top guy if he drew. It's business.

For the record, Bobo Brazil was also the first African American heavyweight champion. Long story short, NWA tried to deny it but it happened.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

As it now appears on Wrestlezone.com:

Before I dive into what is certain to be a very controversial and hotly-debated cultural topic, I want to do some housekeeping first. For starters, HOW 'BOUT THOSE GREEN BAY PACKERS!? As a long time fan of the Green and Gold, I was in my GLORY last Sunday watching the Pack beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. I even decorated one of my foam-and-plastic WWE replica belts with Packers regalia to celebrate. When Clay Matthews put that belt on Aaron Rodger's shoulder, I about lost it. Certainly looking forward to Friday's Smackdown show in Green Bay. Hope something awesome happens...

I also want to thank all of the readers who e-mailed me last week regarding my feelings on the Royal Rumble. It was a mixed bag - I'd say 60% of responders liked it and agreed with me, 10% were neutral, and 30% thought I was off my rocker. It was all welcomed dialogue and I enjoyed many of your e-mails.

This week's topic is sure to blow last week's response out of the water. What better way to address Black History Month than to take a good, hard look at race in professional wrestling.

Every so often on the forums, the racial divide in professional wrestling comes into question. Some go as far as to call the WWE racist because of their lack of black champions. At least WCW could hang their hat on Ron Simmons' short lived World Title reign in the early 90's as a footnote to the Sting / Vader feud. WWE apologists point to The Rock the way golf apologists point to Tiger Woods, despite the fact that The Rock identified more with his Samoan / Pacific Islander heritage than his African-American heritage.

Here's a quick (and by no means exhaustive) list of notable black professional wrestlers in history: 2-Cold Scorpio, Abdullah the Butcher, Ahmed Johnson, Awesome Kong, Consequences Creed, Bad News Brown, Big Daddy V, Jay Lethal, Bobby Lashley, The Boogyman, Booker T, Bobo Brazil, Brother Devon Dudley, Butch Reed, Curtis Hughes, D-Lo Brown, Elijah Burke, Elix Skipper, Ernest Miller, Ernie Ladd, Ron Simmons, The Godfather, JTG, Jackie Moore, Jazz, Harold "Ice Train" Haog, Junkyard Dog, Ron Killings, Kamala, Koko B. Ware, Lawrence Taylor, Mark Henry, Maven, Monty Brown, MVP, New Jack, Norman Smiley, New Jack, The Rock, Sapphire, Shad Gaspard, Queen Sharmell, Shelton Benjamin, Slick, Stevie Ray, Theodore Long, Tony "Saba Simba" Atlas, Virgil, Zeus.

There are some legends on that list, no question. Bobo Brazil once defeated Buddy Rodgers for the NWA Title, only to drop it months later under the pretense that Rodgers had medical issues. Even still, Brazil is a legend, a hall of famer, and a trailblazer for black professional wrestlers. Bad News Brown could well have been champion. Bobby Lashley was a champion before leaving for MMA. Booker T may well have had the most successful run on that list, save for the Rock. Ask MVP and Shelton Benjamin how their pushes went.

It's also alarming to look at the use of black stereotypes in professional wrestling. Despite his assertion otherwise, there was something somewhat racist about turning Tony Atlas into "Saba Simba." The Godfather got over thanks in part to the pimp stereotype. The vignettes for Cryme Tyme were funny as anything - but were as blatantly stereotypical as anything I'd seen in a long time. Don't even get me started on Virgil.

Forum admin Slyfox696 brings up a terrific point. He points out: "You want to know why there haven't been more black World Champions? Because the fans don't want them. Look in any WWE crowd and tell me what you see. You see a crowd made up of primarily white people. Historically speaking, pro wrestling has never really been an event black people buy tickets to. And while it may not be a racist thing, traditionally white fans have not been interested in a black champion."

He's absolutely right, however I argue that pro wrestling has an issue similar to pro baseball. There are a lack of black champions because of a lack of black fans. But are there a lack of black fans because of a lack of black champions? Hispanic wrestlers such as Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and even Alberto del Rio now have been able to get over because a) ECW and WCW helped bring the popular, fast paced Lucha Libre style to the mainstream in the 90's, and b) pro wrestling has been a huge part of the Mexican and the Hispanic cultures for ages. But look at that list of black wrestlers! There's a LOAD of legitimate talent, and yet (taking the Rock out of the equation for the reasons listed above), it looks at first glance as though Booker T has more title reigns than everyone else on the list combined!!!

WWE and TNA are, first and foremost, businesses. They are not government contractors, so arguments about affirmative action and the like are non-applicable. But the buying power of the Black / African American culture is growing each and every year, and we've certainly seen that to be true with the entertainment industry. Baseball is lacking young black players because baseball lacks the role models to that culture that exist in basketball and football. Pro wrestling, since it is scripted entertainment, has the power and opportunity to influence the market. If they create the black champions and the black role models, I firmly believe that the market will follow and be successful. Waiting for the market to exist before minting the young black stars may just perpetuate the existing perception of the industry - that professional wrestling is dominated at the top by whites and always will be. There may be no better time for the industry to take a look at the opportunity and try to work away from its past.

 

[Rivenwolf]

The comment of "Lack of black fans means, lack of Black champions". Is plain ignorant. Again as you stated, The Rock is Samoan, where are the samoan fans. The Simple fact is WWE doesn't give those guys a good push. If you're on the side of lack of black fans, then having a hell Black champion fits even better.
You can make the same argument with Tattooed champions. Taker,Orton,Punk just off the top of my head have a extreme amount of tattos. I myself have 5 smaller tats so what they have is a lot to me. However with that said, I do like the sleeves look.
The facts remain the same you can build a face just as you build a heel skin color doesn't have to play a role. The fact is Americans get behind Rey,Guerrerro, Rock etc. If you build a decent face/heel the fans with love/hate that person. However WWE has to give someone a chance first.

 

[donutman]

You want to know why there haven't been more black World Champions? Because the fans don't want them. Look in any WWE crowd and tell me what you see. You see a crowd made up of primarily white people. Historically speaking, pro wrestling has never really been an event black people buy tickets to. And while it may not be a racist thing, traditionally white fans have not been interested in a black champion.

Now one might ask about Del Rio and Khali, but as has been mentioned, those guys have markets they can help the WWE serve. Wrestling is big in Mexico, and The Great Khali is big in his area of the world. But the WWE doesn't have strong ties to a "black country". And if black people in America are historically not willing to throw down their money on wrestling, why build characters for a demographic that doesn't exist?

At the end of the day, wrestling promoters care about one color...green. As long as they are making money, they don't care who is bringing it in. The only reason there have not been more black world champions is because there just hasn't been a market for them.


I will say, however, it seems more of the black community is interested in wrestling now than ever before. If that market continues to grow, you will see more black champions.

I disagree 100% and the comment where you said "white fans don't want to see a black champion" is an incredibly racist statement to make. Maybe racist white people don't want to see a black champion but I bet the majority of whites wouldn't care if the world champ is black as long as he was deserving. Obviously, people tend to cheer and relate to people that look like them, nothing wrong with that. That is a big reason why UFC is so hot right now with young white males as opposed to Boxing where there are no significant white boxing stars. But that doesn't mean they won't cheer for someone because they don't have the right skin color.

Chris Fitzpatrick makes a great point when he mentions that wrestling is scripted and they have the power to influence the market. I definitely agree with his opinion. Look at John Cena. He shot to the top of the WWE under his hip hop gimmick. We know that hip hop is a huge in the black community. And the success of Hip Hop Cena shows proof that there is a market for hip hop culture in pro wrestling. Now I'm not saying we have to go stereotypical to get a black champ but it shows an untapped market for pro wrestling.

In fact, many black fans were Cena fans because he was the only person that was representing their culture, they didn't care he was white. The majority of people that I've seen that had a problem with his hip hop gimmick were whites. Even going as far as to call him "wigger" while many young black fans looked up to Cena.

The problem is not the lack of black fans. How are we even sure that a black world champ won't be a big draw considering the small sample size that is available? It's pro wrestling, it's up to the writers and bookers and the higher ups to improve that market, which is there for the taking. Just look guys like Kofi and R-Truth, completely over with many fans, whites included. So to say that white people aren't interested in a black champion, is pretty ridiculous.

 

[Hawkeye]

I know I've been shit on by various members of this forum for wanting to become a wrestler,but I can honestly say it's because of Booker T. From the moment he came to WWE during the invasion, I was a fan. I watched all of his matches and through the help of youtube, was recently able to watch some of his old matches in WCW. I was enthralled with the way he could incite emotion from the crowd whether he was face or heel. He was always passionate and emotional in the ring you could see his face change with the tide of the match. He could really tell the story and I always wanted to see it unfold. As a black man, he inspired me to do something I didn't think was possible: Become a World Champion in a pseudo sport.

 

[the420something]

Hey guys, I'm half-black(Jamaican specifically)/half-indian. I've been a lifelong fan of WWF/E and for the last 5 years or so Pro-Wrestling as a whole. I agree that there has been a lack of not only black, but minority wrestlers as a whole. But I really think it's a writers issue.

I think one of the main reasons Kofi's stalling is that he has no gimmick beyond, "I used to be Jamaican." Shelton being "The Gold Standard" only drew attention to his color. It's not helping that DiNiro is "The Black Pope." JTG's from "da hood". R-Truth literally does a song and dance every time he comes out. Booker was a transitional champion his first world title (He was a better choice than Jarrett.) I mean he was a gamble that developed into gold. (See CM Punk)

I don't want to see a Black champion, just because he's a black. Kofi started to develop a personality against Orton. Than he just went back to being just formerly Jamaican.

I don't think the majority of white pro-wrestling fans are worried about having a black champion. The thing that's holding back JoMo now is the same thing that held Shelton back. Lack of talent.

Give me a minority wrestler that's more than race. White guys face the same problem. Zack Ryder's from Long Island. Woo Woo. The Highlanders were from Scotland. Their weight was announced in Stone.

I mean it can work (see Sheamus), but all in all its a boring premise of Character.

 

[DaGURUofWRESTLING]

YOHHHY is this an issue? Race already defines us as people now it has to be our wrestling. First Vince sees no color but green. He does not care if a smurf was working for him if he wasnt producing he would not push him. Their are alot of black performers past present that were talented. They did or did not get pushed because of that Star quality that was there or not there, Not because they were black. MVP was ok but he just lacked the IT factor that made me want to keep watching. Elijah Burke aka the pope sucked in wwe but is pretty good in TNA. Shelton the Gold Standard got a good push but sucked on the mic and never recovered from that MAMA travesty. So u c its not black and white its what sells and what dosent. And dont even bring the fans into it that is a big short cut to thinking. The Fans will pick and chosse who they react to from the selection given to them. Not because of race but because of talent and selling points. Ur an idiot if you think the fans are racist as a whole. And I will close as I will continue to close all of my posts.
F#@$ Madden Im the Real Deal. Step up if you want to test me.
Ps I love trivia Challenges.

 

[Slyfox696]

The comment of "Lack of black fans means, lack of Black champions". Is plain ignorant.

No, it's quite accurate.

Again as you stated, The Rock is Samoan, where are the samoan fans.

The Rock is half-Samoan...show me the other Samoan World Champions. Oh, you're having trouble finding them?

Thanks for proving my point.

The Simple fact is WWE doesn't give those guys a good push.

They give the guys who can draw money the push. It has nothing to do with the color of their skin, and everything to do how much money they can draw.

If you're on the side of lack of black fans, then having a hell Black champion fits even better.

No it doesn't. That's like saying if Macy's came out with a purse for men, then you'd suddenly see tons of men wearing purses.

Just because you have a black champion doesn't mean you'll draw black fans. Ask Booker T.

The facts remain the same you can build a face just as you build a heel skin color doesn't have to play a role.

And it doesn't. What plays a role is whether or not they can draw money.

However WWE has to give someone a chance first.

Shelton Benjamin was given a MILLION chances. He was given wins over Triple H, a great match with HBK on Raw, the shining light in the MITB...but he couldn't make people care about him. I loved watching Shelton Benjamin, but I was clearly in the minority. The WWE has given those chances...but the black wrestlers just aren't drawing.

I disagree 100% and the comment where you said "white fans don't want to see a black champion" is an incredibly racist statement to make.

No it isn't, it's an honest statement. Perhaps racism may be part of the reason white fans don't want to see a black champion in some cases, but the statement itself is far from racist. It's just an accurate portrayal of the way things are.

Don't go around accusing people of racism if you don't know what you're talking about.

Maybe racist white people don't want to see a black champion but I bet the majority of whites wouldn't care if the world champ is black as long as he was deserving.

And yet, black wrestlers don't draw nearly as well as white ones.

Obviously, people tend to cheer and relate to people that look like them, nothing wrong with that.

...uh, duh?

That's my point. In pro wrestling, it's ALL about how well you can get people to relate to you, to cheer or boo you. How well can you make people CARE about you? You just said people tend to gravitate to those who look like them...how does that NOT prove not statement about white fans and black wrestlers?

That is a big reason why UFC is so hot right now with young white males as opposed to Boxing where there are no significant white boxing stars. But that doesn't mean they won't cheer for someone because they don't have the right skin color.

Now wait a minute, you're getting confused.

Cheering for someone, and paying money to see them are two ENTIRELY different things. I'll occasionally enjoy watching an NBA basketball game, but that doesn't mean I'd ever pay money for one or for their merchandise. Don't get the two issues mixed up. No one is saying people won't cheer for a black champion, what I'm saying is they won't pay money to watch one.

BIG difference.

In fact, many black fans were Cena fans because he was the only person that was representing their culture, they didn't care he was white. The majority of people that I've seen that had a problem with his hip hop gimmick were whites. Even going as far as to call him "wigger" while many young black fans looked up to Cena.

So you agree many white fans don't want to see a black culture wrestler as their champion? Thanks for making my point for me.

The problem is not the lack of black fans.

But it is. You don't have to pull any complicated numbers, just go to a live event, or watch one on TV and tell me how many black people are there. If even 10% of the audience is black, I'd be shocked as could be.

How are we even sure that a black world champ won't be a big draw considering the small sample size that is available?

Because they never have been before???

It's pro wrestling, it's up to the writers and bookers and the higher ups to improve that market, which is there for the taking. Just look guys like Kofi and R-Truth, completely over with many fans, whites included. So to say that white people aren't interested in a black champion, is pretty ridiculous.

Yes, Kofi and R-Truth are so over with the fans, they've been mired in the midcard for years now. Good example.


Again, don't confuse people cheering for people paying money. They are two entirely separate issues.

 

[NotoriousMEAT]

Yeah there's a reason I didn't list Shelton on my list of deserving champs. While he did have all the talent in the world, as Sly just mentioned, it was pretty much his own fault he never climbed to top of the mountain. He could have great matches, when he wanted to. He could entertain you, if he felt like it. The theme of this being.. he was pretty lazy. At least that's what everybody was saying during the last few years of his run. They wanted to see some dedication and hard work out of him, but he never delivered.

While I forgot to mention the race issue and the underlining racism in pro wrestling, you guys all did a pretty good job of just picking that up yourselves. In some cases I'm sure there have been racist writers and promoters.. but perception could and probably is a big part of it. Yeah R-Truth is over, but do you think Vince pictures him dancing to the ring with the WWE Title around his waste? Cuz I don't. And that's not on him being black, it's just the gimmick and how they've done nothing to make me take him serious as a threat to the title.

Another thing I agree with, is I don't think most fans separate. I mean yeah there will always be racists, but I don't think the regular joe wrestling fan would choose to cheer or boo someone based off their skin color. The talent pool however hasn't been as deep as I thought it might have been before I posted this thread. My very short list of deserving champions showed me that. Sure a lot could be pointed to the gimmick's given to these black wrestlers. I wasn't alive at the time, but from what I've seen of Junkyard Dog, he never looked like a threat to challenge for the title. I've heard and read of his amazing talent, but a dude scooting around on all 4's with a chain around his neck doesn't scream "WORLD CHAMPION!". Another random one that pops into my head is The Godfather. Yeah, it was the attitude era... but who's gonna put their strap on a pimp? So add in the terrible gimmicks, and the small number of legit contenders, and it does kind of lead to a small number of possibilities.

I do have to disagree with whoever said MVP didn't have "IT". I think as a heel, he more then had IT. There was even some potential with him as a face for a period of time.. but I think as a heel he could really establish himself if they let him. Eventually he could become a face again, but now already known as a main eventer and thus becoming a bigger star (ex. Randy Orton).

 

[askhakim]

I understand the past history with guys like Thunderbolt Patterson and Bad News Allen being past over and under used. Presently, I have been scratching my head with guys Shelton Benjamin, MVP, Kofi Kingston, Kaval and now David Otunga getting stuck in the low to mid card range. I understand that Otunga has a long way to go and he is learning the ropes. As for the other four they all can perform well in the ring and in some cases carry a lot of the top guys in their matches. I am tired of the excuses about Kofi, Shelton and Kaval about their mic skills. Benoit, Bret Hart, Bob Backland all sucked on the mic and like countless other white dudes that got main event pushes. That is why the Rock run was the best and for all of you who talk about the Rock being more Samoan then black think of two things. He played at the U when it was really the U. Also, watch the video during and after the Nation days those shirt were kind of hood rich....

 

[J.R Walker]

There are two points that I am surprised no one has brought up yet. The first being that just because you don't see Black faces in the crowd doesn't mean black people aren't fans of the WWE. Go to any Black elementary school or middle school and I guarantee that you will see TONS of John Cena/Undertaker backpacks, toys, video games etc...

Second, just by raw numbers there are way more White people in America than there are Black people. Also the WWE travels ALL over the country and the fact is that the majority of African Americans reside in the South and the East Coast, that's just a fact. So looking at a crowd in Green Bay, Wisconsin or Denver Colorado and then making the judgment that Black people aren't fans of the WWE is kind of short sighted. Have any of you ever been to a WWE event in DC, Atlanta, Baltimore or any other city with a HUGE black population? The amount of Black fans will surprise you...

Finally, I don't see the validity of the "There are no Black champs, because there are no black fans" argument. There are plenty of Black fans all over the world, perhaps there just hasn't been a Black Superstar that has connected with the crowd, performed well and handled backstage politics well enough to become champion since Booker T.

Not everything is a conspiracy by the man to keep a brotha down.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Then the ECW Championship was brought to my attention, which there has always been a debate about. During ECW's original run there was never a black champion.

Sorry my man but surely Taz comes under the banner?

I think one of the main reasons Kofi's stalling is that he has no gimmick beyond, "I used to be Jamaican." Shelton being "The Gold Standard" only drew attention to his color. It's not helping that DiNiro is "The Black Pope." JTG's from "da hood". R-Truth literally does a song and dance every time he comes out. Booker was a transitional champion his first world title (He was a better choice than Jarrett.) I mean he was a gamble that developed into gold. (See CM Punk)

I don't want to see a Black champion, just because he's a black. Kofi started to develop a personality against Orton. Than he just went back to being just formerly Jamaican.

I don't think the majority of white pro-wrestling fans are worried about having a black champion. The thing that's holding back JoMo now is the same thing that held Shelton back. Lack of talent.

Give me a minority wrestler that's more than race. White guys face the same problem. Zack Ryder's from Long Island. Woo Woo. The Highlanders were from Scotland. Their weight was announced in Stone.

I mean it can work (see Sheamus), but all in all its a boring premise of Character.

And here is part of the problem, Kofi is from Ghana so why is he still operating under the Jamaican theme? Here's a simple fact - most wrestlers are based on stereotypes because wrestling is a cartoon world. Sheamus and Finlay - Irish stereotype; SCSA - Texas redneck; Sting (original) - Californian surfer dude; William Regal - English snob; JoMo - passing resemblance to dead rock star so rock star gimmick and there are numerous other examples. When you walk into a federation as a new guy, unless you have a significant history ala Kurt Angle, you are likely to be given a stereotype based on your genealogy or look - even Triple H started his WWe career as the Connecticut Blue Blood because of his background. The story on your success is what you do with your gimmick - the Rock had a stereotype gang member persona but used his charisma to develop into something bigger than a stereotype. Likewise Booker T started in a two man gang with Harlem Heat but it was slow burn in T's career - he worked up from Tag to TV to US to multiple World Champ and the fans travelled the road with him as he moved away from the stereotype character. The problem with Kofi, Mark Henry, MVP, Shelton, Truth - they have never moved away from their initial gimmick or given the crowds the reasons to embrace them to the extent they're given the ball to run with. JoMo, Ted DiBiase and Drew McIntyre are three caucasians currently suffering the same problems.

In the past the lack of black champs was very easily explained - they were few and title changes didn't occur often and the champ was likely to be someone who appealed to the paying crowds - mostly white blue collar workers (I would also imagine that with territories, racism would have been a major factor in certain areas). Now? Belts change continuously but generally amongst the same half dozen people - if you can take your gimmick (no matter how stereotypical) and make it work to your strengths and get over in your own right (that Sheamus fella, straight edge Punk) you may be one of those guys. The fact that there is not many posts on here asking 'Why has R Truth not been given a chance at being champion?' (unlike say - Christian who is continually bemoaned for not getting a run with the ball), might explain why there is no black wrestlers in the title picture at the moment and historically.

 

[NotoriousMEAT]

Sorry my man but surely Taz comes under the banner?

I don't think Taz is black. I'm pretty sure he's Italian or something, I mean his name is Peter Senerchia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj7mDqZPUUA

There's a video of the old show WWE Confidential. They cover Taz's life and interview both his parents. Neither look black.

 

[Subzdno8]

I am an African-American wrestling fan; and have been since I was 8y.o. I am 36 now, and still an avid fan. I have been to a couple of Rumbles, as well as various house shows. WWE, as well as independents.

I have ALWAYS wanted to see a black WWE heavyweight champion. That ECW title didn't count to me. Especially when I was a young kid. Then along came The Rock. It's true that he leaned more toward his Samoan heritage more so than his African-American heritage, but I was TREULY HOPEFUL that he would "pave the way" for at least a couple of black World Champs.

I am by no means big on Ezekiel Jackson's wrestling skills, but I do like his look. I would have liked them to "groom" him (OR MAYBE SOMEONE BRAND NEW OUT OF NOWHERE) as the black Goldberg type. NOT ACTUALLY CALLING HIM THE BLACK GOLDBERG, but quietly have him stacking up impressive wins, going undefeated week after week, show after show, and let the fans eat it up. Either wanting to see him lose, or wanting to see him keep winning. I know "mic work" is important in WWE, however Goldberg in his long streak, didi all his talking in the ring. No mic work until later on down his career's line. I don't want to see a black champion 'sneak in" to a title reign. I want to see a black Brock Lesnar/ Goldberg type. I want what Awesome Kong was to the TNA knockouts, a black man to be to the WWE Superstars. Just a straight BEAST! A dominant monster. Yes, I mark out for HHH, DX, nWo, Goldberg, & Lesnar; but I would LOVE to REALLY mark out for an awesome African-American MegaStar!!!

 

[NotoriousMEAT]

I would LOVE to REALLY mark out for an awesome African-American MegaStar!!!

The first thought that comes to my head is again Bobby Lashley. I really think he could have been, and still COULD be that guy. WWE has proven with Christian, Booker, and Nash that no matter what you go do, no matter how long you've been gone, they can bring you back and make you relevant in 1 night. If the rumors of Bobby considering wrestling again are true, then I really hope he makes the wise decision and goes back to WWE rather then TNA.

 

[Hawkeye]

I think another factor is how the black wrestler comes off to the audience. For example Booker T., born in Shreveport, raised in Houston. He does not sound like he does on the mic when you talk to him in person. Shelton is from Orangeburg, SC should have a very distinct accent. R-Truth from NC, should still have an accent.For fuck's sake Shane Helms and the Hardy Boys sound blacker than Truth half the time. All these guys mask their accents and it takes their ability to relate away from any potential black fans. Our older generation call these types of blacks "house n*****". Again I'm being totally honest here. It's the same not just in wrestling,but all over. Non-whites run from their accents like it's a plague. You all heard Byron Saxton. From VA and you sound like that? Like hell you do. Somebody's got to be paying attention though. If Dusty Rhodes could get over and not sound like a W.A.S.P what's the big deal?

For a better reference listen to Booker on commentary from last week then listen to when he called Hogan a n****

 

[THE Madcap]

As a black man, I will put my 2c's worth in...

IMO, there are an abundance of black wrestlers GOOD enough to be world champion. Thinking off the top of my head, the WWE has the below black superstars:

Booker T
R-Truth
JTG
Mark Henry
Darren Young
David Otunga
Michael Tarver
Ezekiel Jackson
Kofi Kingston

NONE of the above are good enough to be world champ, never will be. And this is nothing to do with race.

IC25 makes an interesting point in that the dynamics of the crowd means that there won't be a black world champ for a while. Whilst a business should always cater to its main demographic, I'm not yet sold on this. Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero were WWE champs, albeit on a network show that was popular with hispanics, but the crowds never reflected this. What I will say, is I totally agree with the WWE's use of stereotypes with black wrestlers. It's very easy and very lazy booking to make a black wrestler street or a rapper or a thug or an arrogant young flashy dude or a grunting, big, angry black dude, but oddly enough, it's what people want to see.

IMO, the only black wrestler outside of Booker T in recent years, that looked almost good enough to be a world champ, is Bobby Lashley. He was a poor(black) man's Brock Lesnar and I firmly believe, had we not have already had Lesner, Lashley would have been a BIG name, and still in the game today.

Maybe y'all should wait til Vinnie Mac signs ME up, I'd be an awesome Black WWE champ. I'm MONEY.

 

[CelticCorey]

How is Kofi Kingston not good enough to be World Champion? I would love to hear your explanation. As far as the person saying he is stuck in midcard, true; but that doesn't change that he isn't over. Look how over Christian is but no one will hear of it. I would pay to a show to go see Kofi Kingston or I would pay for a PPV if it had Kofi in the main event. Fans love him. He's marketable. He's been a properly built midcarder. It's obviously because of race. I would love to see a black champion and Kofi does it for me. I would love to see him as World Champ.

 

[THE Madcap]

How is Kofi Kingston not good enough to be World Champion? I would love to hear your explanation.

Because he's not good enough? If the WWE can give someone like Sheamus a WWE title after less than a year or let Alberto Del Rio win the Royal Rumble in 6 months, or elevate someone like The Miz from jobber to WWE champion in a year, why are WWE taking 3 years to elevate Kofi?

Because he's not good enough, crap on the mic, not marketable enough, has a confusing, stupid gimmick (I'm a Jamaican, with a Jamaican accent, but now I'm african with an American accent, but I still adopt Jamaican mannerisms and come out to a song by a dancehall artist)/ In fact, he's pretty much in the exact same position he was 2 year's ago.

As far as the person saying he is stuck in midcard, true; but that doesn't change that he isn't over. Look how over Christian is but no one will hear of it.

Over and being main event ready and world championship material are two complete entire entities. Santino is probably in the top 5 most over guys in the WWE, never ever going to be world champion though.

I would pay to a show to go see Kofi Kingston or I would pay for a PPV if it had Kofi in the main event.

You'd probably be alone in that. Kofi is NOT a draw.

Fans love him.

Yes

He's marketable.

Moreso than Cena, Orton, Punk, Edge, Sheamus, Del Rio, Santino, Miz, Big Show etc? Not quite.

He's been a properly built midcarder.

Where he will probably stay, because he isn't good enough. Crap mic skills, crap gimmick. In-ring ability isn't enough, look at Shelton Benjamin for example.

It's obviously because of race.

Evidence?

I would love to see a black champion

So would I, and most people, if he was good enough for the part.