Superstars with bodyguards

[CM Steel]

The WWE is slowly getting back to bringing back the old school managers like they had back in the day. With people like Zeb Colter, Ricardo Rodríguez, and AJ Lee. But for years now in the WWE there's always one superstar of Caucasian decent who has a manager or a bodyguard type of goffer at their side who happens to be african-american.

Like now we have Dolph Ziggler as a rising superstar in the WWE who is currently the WWE world heavyweight champion. With his personal bodyguard Big E. Langston. Who was recently called up from NXT to the main roster right before 2013. Big E Langston was known for being a babyface in NXT as the NXT champion. But now on the main WWE roster he's a heel by affiliation with Ziggler. This has been a thread in wrestling for years.

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase & Virgil
John Bradshaw Layfield & Orlando Jordan
"The" Brian Kendrick & Ezekiel Jackson
Chris Jericho (circa '99) & Curtis Hughes

This is a cycle that has been going on for too long. So for an african-american wrestler to be a star (no pun intended) in wrestling he has to get under a white wrestling superstar first? Is this old wrestling stereotype ever going away in wrestling for good or is it just wrestling nature?

 

[dynamitedux]

This is a cycle that has been going on for too long. So for an african-american wrestler to be a star (no pun intended) in wrestling he has to get under a white wrestling superstar first? Is this old wrestling stereotype ever going away in wrestling for good or is it just wrestling nature?

I thought this topic was going somewhere, and then you Russo'd it by calling the racism card, and calling the exception the norm.

You seem to have forgotten the large quantity of African-American wrestlers who weren't a white man's bodyguard, and have become successful wrestling superstars. (Quick note before anyone tries to be a smartass, they don't all have to become WWE champion to be considered successful.)

Nice examples, by the way. Virgil, Orlando Jordan, Big Zeke and Curtis Hughes? If anything, you've just shown that being a white man's bodyguard prevents people from becoming a star once they depart on their own.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

If the purpose of this thread is to point out that stereotypes are still heavily relied upon by the creative team, then let me speak for (what I'm guessing is) the majority when I say, "Uh DERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR." Do all wrestlers of Mexican heritage have to embrace their Mexican heritage? Does every Irishman have to be flaunted as a brute? Does every Black person have to have a Black sung/rapped theme song? The big, Black, bodyguard idea does seem to be played out a little bit but wouldn't you agree that it's not really as degrading when you consider how many Black wrestlers have not had to play that role? Shelton Benjamin, Kofi, R-Truth, Mark Henry, JTG, and Booker T probably agree.

Why exactly is the focus of this thread just about one of the many (and more recurring) stereotypes? And why is it such a big deal when it's considerably less frequent to happen than it is not to happen?

 

[Mustang Sally]

Is this old wrestling stereotype ever going away in wrestling for good or is it just wrestling nature?

'Course, if you want to get into this, we can also talk about how women have often been stuck as flunkies when accompanying men to the ring. From the time of Gorgeous George, who had a woman precede him to the squared circle, spraying the ring with an atomizer (unclear if she was dispensing perfume or disinfecting the place with Lysol), but she was clearly subservient to him. Then came "Slave Girl" Moolah who was a valet for Buddy Rogers. Slave Girl?

I loved the Randy Savage-Miss Elizabeth team, but the way she was depicted was awful in terms of a pairing of non-equals. Savage, always pointing his finger, indicating Liz should: "Go here. Go there. Stand here. Sit down" was as degrading as it comes. Yet, it was part of the act and I never took time to be outraged by it. (Today, we don't get mad anymore ....today, we're outraged at things that used to be taken as a matter of course).

Even today, A.J.'s present role hardly depicts a liberated woman. When you look at how shockingly limited her function is, you wonder what happened to her General Manager push. Today, all she does is kiss Dolph Ziggler before his contest....and jump on the ring apron to create a shrieking distraction each and every match to turn the contest in his favor.

The title of this topic deals with wrestlers with bodyguards, but the thrust of the thread is wrestlers with managers. In the scope of what she's doing, A.J. is functioning more as bodyguard for Dolph. Although she can't physically protect him, she makes it possible for him to win his matches, every bit as much as Big E does.

But, subservience? If you want to talk about African-Americans in that role, you should include women, too. If she's looking for an on-screen role, find a guy to cater to. It's a good part, and certainly preferable to sitting in the back waiting for Creative to find something for you to do....ask Natalya.

 

[Makaveli31]

What about Big Bubba Rogers, Diesel, Sid? A "bodyguard' gimmick is a way to get guys with impressive physiques who are "green" camera time. I don't think being black has anything to do with it.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I think you read WAY too much into this one. I don't think being a Bodyguard for anyone is determined by race. I think it's usually based on size. Yes, those big guys you mentioned all happened to be black. But to be honest, there have been more WHITE bodyguards in wrestling history.

For shame when that "white" guy (as he calls himself) Batista was Reverend Devon's Bodyguard!! What a Jobber!!

 

[Judah's Lion]

I think you read WAY too much into this one. I don't think being a Bodyguard for anyone is determined by race. I think it's usually based on size. Yes, those big guys you mentioned all happened to be black. But to be honest, there have been more WHITE bodyguards in wrestling history.

exactly this. yes, the OP, Mack Swagger -- whom i respect highly as a poster on these forums -- mentioned some big black men as bodyguards to white guys. but i think it had more to do with their size than their color. Virgil is pretty short, but he had a good build nonetheless. the other guys mentioned in the OP were just flat out huge.

but look at the big white guys as bodyguards: Diesel, Psycho Sid and Batista all come to mind. big bodyguards have been used for decades to add muscle, intimidation and wins to their respective wrestlers.

and Mustang Sally makes another great point. if we're gonna go down the track of how bad this booking is for the image of black people, why stop there? how about how the professional wrestling world depicts other minorities? the stereotypes and negative images in the history of this business are endless and often cringe-worthy.

women, asians, mentally handicapped, chubby to overweight people and even vikings. this is the least exhaustive list ever compiled. if you're looking for a terrible stereotype in wrestling, you won't have to look far.

a big guy that so happens to be black as a bodyguard is perhaps the least offensive one i've seen throughout the years.