WWE Treatment of Black Wrestlers.....Thank You WWE

[Angels]

Uh...Wow. This cannot possibly make any sense to you.

Oh this make perfect sense to me, maybe not to you but seeing as the idea that race can't be a factor in any decision the wwe makes seems to be your prerogative, nothing I say will make sense to you.

Well Kofi will stay in his spot. A very important. He will stay there because of his own inability. The WWE has tried pushing him up the card a bunch of times but he never comes through. O'neil is around 35 or 36, not prime years to start a big push. He will be more of a midcard guy in the future. His age hurts his value a lot. Its not like these two deserve huge pushes.

When exactly has WWE tried pushing him up the card? I can't recall him having any matches for the number 1 contender ship.

World title was a midcard title by the time it got to Del Rio. Nothing impressive with that at all. He was big in Mexico, so they really wanted him to work. That's why they kept shoving him down our throats but Del Rio was never interesting. Big E however, is not big in Mexico. That's the difference here.

Definitely Disagree, The World Title was the main event of smackdown, now true the world title was always second place before the wwe title, but it wasn't in mid card status like the IC championship was, of course recently it was different as the brand distinguish became less and less

Being popular doesn't mean you are a draw. You don't seem to understand that.

When did I ever correlate being popular to being a draw, you are constantly trying to put words into my argument that I never stated. At least have the decency to stick to comments I actually talk about instead of placing comments on top of me that I never said.

This will be fun.
From February 4th to May 11th Big E had a record of 12 wins and 1 lose.
Cesaro had in the same time frame 2 wins and 8 loses.

Care to try again? Oh and I didn't cherry pick, I can go much deeper into this to show you have literally no clue what you are talking about.

Actually you don't have a clue on what you are talking about and are just making up numbers to attempt and provide and prove a point. To actually make a point, you need actual data such as this

http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/big-e-6446.html

So whose the one not know what they are talking about?

Barrett did have any creative behind until he lost the belt. He fell off the face of the planet and lost nearly every match he had while champion. In fact he went 10 for 14 after beating Miz for the title on the Raw after mania last year.a

You really need to examine where you are getting you're data from, or maybe you are just making things up. In any case, here is a link to help prove my point once again.

http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/bad-news-barrett-6096.html

Ziggler is way better than Kingston on the mic. They are not even close. Swagger was the world champ and not the WWE champion. He actually lost to Kingston clean during his reign (Swagger was booked as a midcarder even with the belt). Kingston has nothing that makes him standout and deserve to be anything higher than a midcarder.

Definitely agree to disagree, both ziggler and kingston are absolutely horrid on the mic, I mean straight atrocious.



[/quote]Kofi has been losing for years but is never hurt by them. That is where his value is. Don't be a mark. Most fans wont remember next week that he lost to 3MB. Also most don't remember he beat Orton last year. Most don't care. Kingston doesn't do anything that make people want to care. [/quote]

Well you obviously don't want Kofi's matches on youtube, otherwise you will see people actually do care.[/quote]

Try again.

At what? Showing you aren't subjective at looking at things? I don't need to try anything, you are already proving my point.

 

[therockiswwf]

http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/bad-news-barrett-6096.html

I will finish responding to the rest of your loony post tomorrow (it's 2 am where I am). But just so you know, that is exactly the site I used. Where did you think I got those numbers from?

Well you obviously don't want Kofi's matches on youtube, otherwise you will see people actually do care.

Go to any wrestlers match on youtube and you will find why hasn't WWE pushed this guy more. Also using Youtube comments to judge mass appeal is not the best idea in the world.

 

[Jericho91]

Oh, and then there's the Rock. Y'know, the black guy that held the title from Royal Rumble through Wrestlemania last year. The guy that ended CM Punks 443 day reign as champion. The guy that defended the title at Wrestlemania despite the fact that it was his fifth or sixth match in almost a decade. But yeah, he doesn't count, because...well, I guess because he kills your theory.

The Rock can't be used as an example to justify your points because he is Samoan American. Not African American. Theory killed ?? Wouldn't think so.

African American WWE Superstars:

MVP
Mark Henry
Booker T
JTG
Ron Simmons Aka Farooq
Big E Langston
Titus O'Neal
Darren Young
Bobby Lashley
Ahmed Johnson
Orlando Jordan
Shelton Benjamin
Elijah Burke
Kamala
Ernest Miller
Percy Watson
Abraham Washington
Tiny "Zeus" Lister

Probably much more as the list goes on.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

And for black wrestlers not being as talented, I'm sorry but that's a complete insult. Big E is just as talented as Cesaro, both are impressively strong with incredible movesets, while I give Big E the slight advantage in terms of explosiveness. But Big E has been reduced to grade a jobber while Cesaro is getting pushed to high heaven. So I have to disagree, it's clearly showing up as a race issue, and it's even more noticeable when looking at the upcoming smackdown results.

While you are right to an extent(insofar as "skin colour" or "race" keeps one down in corporations and the wrestling business alike), your assertion that Big E is "as talented as Cesaro" is foolish and wrong. I have seen Daniel Bryan vs Cesaro from ROH. I have seen Cesaro and Chris Hero from ROH, and Cesaro as he wrestles in the WWE. Mind you, nobody comes close to have the natural agility, athleticism, charisma, and finesse with which Cesaro executes his every move. Heck, the Swing is one of the dozens of incredible moves Cesaro does but Swing caught on and became one of his WWE signatures. Big E on the other hand is nothing but an extension of Ahmed Johnson and Bobby Lashley. Same half a dozen power moves, an unimpressive finisher, clotheslines. That's about all the talent Big E has. He's definitely well-built and in your ideal WWE, Big E's career trajectory should be exactly similar to John Cena's because he's the black John Cena, probably more talented in the ring than Cena ever was and ever will be. (Even Lashley was far better a wrestler than Cena back in 2007 but he lost and vanished).

If you're arguing that Kofi Kingston, Big E, etc. are very talented and deserve world titles, you're very wrong. The last really great "black" wrestling talent was Booker T. Nobody even comes close to being as talented as Booker T, on the mic, in the ring. Had this been the year 2003, I'd definitely curse HHH and think that Booker T is WHC material and deserves the big gold belt. Big E? Not so much.

 

[Alex]

I'll say this.

The ratio of black wrestlers to white wrestlers is very large. For every black wrestler there's ten white wrestlers. And for every ten black wrestlers, maybe one is worth putting in the main event scene.

On the WWE roster currently there's Big E who's worth something. Yes he's being misused but so are loads of white midcarders like Ziggler. The rest are either past their prime (Henry, R-Truth) solid midcarders (Kofi) or just not worth much (Xavier Woods, JTG)

Don't forget around 2006/7 WWE were pushing Bobby Lashley and MVP. Lashley was dominant on ECW (holding the ECW title) and had some matches with Cena. MVP was the longest reigning US Champion in Smackdown history. The only reason they never got to win either the World or WWE title was because the crowd faltered on them. Lashley was dull as hell and they decided to give MVP a losing streak ending his momentum. The crowd lost interest and eventually they left. This isn't just a black thing, this sort of thing has happened with wrestlers of any race.

At the end of the day there aren't as many black wrestlers out there as white wrestlers. And just like not every white guy can be as charismatic as Steve Austin or Hulk Hogan, not every black guy can be as charismatic as The Rock or Booker T.

 

[MisterRob]

The Rock can't be used as an example to justify your points because he is Samoan American. Not African American. Theory killed ?? Wouldn't think so.

The Rock is half Samoan and half black. So yes, being half black, he certainly does count in this argument. Or are you saying he doesn't count because he's only HALF black, so the WWE isn't so racist against him? That might make a little sense if he was also half WHITE, but he's not. He's alf Samoan. The Rock has NO white in him.


On to the topic of this thread:

This whole "WWE is racist" argument is tired and old, and it really doesn't hold up. The Rock is half black and he's one of, if not the, biggest wrestling star of recent memory who the WWE had no problem making the face of their company and pushing to the moon. Why? Because he had the complete package that a wrestler needs to become that big of a star.

If the wrestler, regardless of his race or color, has the tools to be the World champion and become a top star in the WWE, then the WWE is going to do everything they can to make that person a top star. Why? Because it makes them money. It makes their business more successful. If you think they're going to screw themselves out of money and success because a wrestler is black, you're out of your mind. This is 2014, get over it.

Booker T was a top star in the WWE during his years, even a World champion. Sure, he wasn't THE top star the company, but he didn't deserve to be at that time, either. But Booker T had great success in the WWE, and being black didn't hold him back.

Bobby Lashley had the look, the size, and the wrestling skill that WWE thought could make him a future World champion and a top star. Did they hold him back? If you say yes you're full of shit. They pushed him to the moon, they gave him every opportunity he could've needed and pushed him down our throats even when he wasn't getting over as much as he should've been. He had no charisma and was horrible the mic, but WWE still shoved him down the WWE Universes throats.. yet WWE holds black people back? Lashley is a case that contradicts the OP entirely, because Lashley didn't deserve the push he got right then. And then Lashley took his ball and left, maybe that's why they're not giving Big E the Lashley treatement? Maybe they want him to prove he's there for the long term before they push him to the moon.

It's not as if they haven't given Big E a huge push in his short time in the WWE. He was given the spotlight with Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee, when they were one of the top angles in the entire WWE at the time, before Big E went on his own and got a massive push in winning the Intercontinental championship and holding it for a long reign. What more can you ask for? You expect him to be given the Goldberg treatment and suddenly become the next World champion, even though right now in the WWE landscape there's no spot for him in that role.

Big E's lost a few times recently. He's not falling off the radar and being buried, so get over it. His character is in a transition right now, and soon enough he'll be back on the uprise. I think you're claiming Big E deserves more then he does right now.. the guys looked like a beast and is now viewed as a credible player in the WWE landscape. He hasn't proven he has the full package to be anything else right now. His mic skills are non-existent.

Kofi Kingston, on the other hand, is simply lost in the shuffle right now. That can be said about lots of wrestlers, and ones just as good as Kofi. It has nothing to do with his race, its simply because the upper tier of the WWE right now is stacked with up and coming talent. Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, even Big E Langston. Then you have Wade Barrett and Sheamus. Where exactly do you want Kofi to fit into things right now? Are you saying Kofi is on the same level in terms of skills and attributes as all of those others I just named? Nope.

 

[Mongoose McQueen]

To the poster above me, The Rock is not fully black he is Samoan and there is a difference IMO. As for the treatment of black wrestlers, not to sound racist or anything but what does Big E bring to the table that we have not already seen? Mark Henry is good but he's been poorly booked for months now.

 

[Gibby]

It's clear to anyone not being deliberately myopic that the WWE has a vestigial issue in producing black superstars. In fact, let's just address the issue: WWE has had a clear and qualifiable history at failing to give a three dimensional portrait of any other type of character other than straight white North American dudes. This applies to Hispanics, Asians, Europeans, women, anything you can name. One or two examples doesn't disprove this, and whilst pro-wrestling isn't exactly Leo Tolstoy, it really harms its credibility if it can't accurately reflect the fullest extent of the culture that enjoys its programming.

Perhaps the current levels of talent in main roster black talent isn't super-high. I also think that Vince and co really want to push a credible black star to the top. But: observe that most people, on hearing that KENTA, considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, has signed - that the best they could possibly hope for is a Tajiri-style run; minor titles, comedy skits, never in major matches.

David Shoemaker's article on Grantland is really illuminating and shouldn't be underestimated. http://grantland.com/features/excerpt-david-shoemaker-new-book-concise-history-racism-wrestling/

Angels: you'd be better served right now watching Dragon Gate, which has Rich Swann kicking all kinds of ass, or ROH, which has good guys like ACH and Cedric Alexander in more prominent roles.

 

[TheJF]

Just wanna put my 2 pennies worth in here.

What it appears Angels is asking for(demanding) is what is known as positive discrimination. It seems like he wants the black wrestlers to be pushed because they are black rather than because they are good enough. This is wrong.

If the black wrestlers currently were good enough and deserving of a higher place on the card (in the current landscape, as opposed to on ability) then I too would argue that they deserve a push. However, as has been pointed out, the black wrestlers currently appearing on tv are where they need to be right now. Kofi is being the mid card enhancement talent that can bounce from big matches with upper card guys to lower card guys and not miss a beat, Henry is being used to enhance the guys at the top of the card and on the way to the top of the card, Woods/Truth are being used to enhance Rusev.

Right now, these superstars are serving a purpose and are far more useful doing this and being present on TV then they would be just wrestling dark matches and house shows.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

If the black wrestlers currently were good enough and deserving of a higher place on the card (in the current landscape, as opposed to on ability) then I too would argue that they deserve a push.

This doesn't strike me as true because as someone earlier pointed out, people like Jack Swagger, ADR, The Miz, and Dolph Ziggler have been given shots with either the previous WHC or WWE title. Those guys weren't exactly making waves during their reigns. The fact that the only black guy to hold the lower top-card title in the last 5 years was Mark Henry. And let's face it, at this point of his career that was clearly more of a "thank you" or "I'm sorry your career is pathetically undecorated" title reign (which he sure as hell took lemons to make lemonade with). There certainly does seem to be a racial bias in the WWE creative team. If we're willing to put the strap on guys like Ziggler and ADR to see what they're capable of, then there's no reason why someone like Kofi or R-Truth couldn't have been given a run at some point with at the now defunct WHC title or WWE title. Clearly these titles have not only been in the hands of well-received top-carders. I think ignoring the issue as coincidence is just plain ignorance and naivety.

Someone liek Big E is no worse than Cesaro, in my opinion. Both are unimpressive on the mic, both can accomplish feats of strength, neither are booed, and both move well in the ring. Cesaro's only face-appeal is the Cesaro Swing. Outside of that, they are the perfect 2 guys to compare. If Cesaro makes it to the top of the card before Big E, then I wouldn't be surpised one bit. Two cardboard guys with the same level of talent...one looks white the other looks black...If one gets pushed instead of the other, I usually know which it will be. One can argue whether it's just a pesky coincidence but cannot argue the trend.

 

[bxbigshow]

This topic was brought up before in the summer of 2010. Here was my response then, REMEMBER….this was 4 years ago, right before Mark Henry's small reign:

I love how whenever this topic is brought up everyone attacks the poster and says his argument holds no merit and the topic is irrelevant. Yet WZ Forums can have 157 topics dedicated to CM Punk's best 6 minutes ever or Zack Ryder's YouTube show, or the lack of respect for the Bournes, Christians, and Daniel Bryans of the world.

1) While I feel that black wrestlers are not prominently pushed by WWE, I don't feel they're 'held back'. Now before the R-Truth/Henry rebuttals fly in when I say prominently pushed I use it in this term. Jack Swagger= transitional champion/failed experiment, Sheamus= HHH's buddy, transitional champion, failed experiment who landed safely in the mid-card and can recover. Christian= Edge's little buddy, WWE Veteran, really a transitional champion, now a SD! main-eventer.

But do you honestly believe you will see WWE place the World/WWE title on a black man as an "experiment" (Swagger), sudden transition to gauge reaction (Sheamus), a thank you for your service (Kane/Christian/Rey's 2nd run)? R-Truth would've been the closest any black man has been to the WWE Title SINCE THE ROCK! Booker T was World Champion (the 2nd main title). Isn't that at least odd?

Yes Mark Henry and R-Truth are being used more often now, but it not believable that they will wear either major title. People complain that Cena/Miz/Swagger/Sheamus were given titles and "forced down our throats", will we ever get that complaint about a black man? Doubt it.

2) I see WWE ( & even TNA) as NASCAR right now. I want to see a black driver (champion), but those that are available just aren't 'trusted' with the big seat. So unless a team owner (or Vince) decides to just fuck it and try it, they can always justify why they're not trying it. NASCAR can blame sponsors and the like, Vince can hide behind his "I listen to the fans" excuse.

Shelton Benjiman was the best prospect in basically the last decade, but a few unmotivated matches early killed him forever. No recovery possible. Yet Rob Van Dam, while also a high spotter, wrestled stiff, lazy, and unmotivated all the way to the WWE Title. Kofi Kingston gets the "botcher" tag, when we've had Van Dam and Jeff Hardy hold not the World (secondary main title) but the WWE Championship, the company's representative. It comes across as odd, that the reasons that a few are not given the chance are easily overlooked when it came to someone else. Fans react to Kofi and Shelton put on great matches more than his mediocre ones. But they for some reason "didn't deserve it".

3) The Rock ruined it for everyone else. As a WWE Superstar he surpassed everyone's expectation and became arguably one of the Top 5 talents of all-time. As a Black WWE Superstar...easily number one by a long shot, number 2 probably not born yet. Serena Williams is lucky she is close in age with Venus, because that shadow could've been way bigger. There will never be a black golfer as good as Tiger Woods, IMO, because that golf shoe is too big to fill. Its too hard to try.

So for a black wrestler to become WWE Champion, the stigma is you need to be The Rock, or at least on his level. You must be head and shoulders above not only every black wrestler on the roster, but every wrestler on the roster. A qualification not needed for white wrestlers since the turnover is constant. Booker T? His WWE run with the Word Title came when the Eddie G rub to Rey Rey was wearing off and they needed to transition the title to Batista. While I'm not complaining, he was basically right place/right time. Any heel could've had that spot but he was entertaining with the King thing.

4) While I feel it is a valid argument, unfortunately right now isn't the best spot to have it. Only because out of the entire 'black' roster Truth/Kofi/Zeke Jackson have IMO a legitimate claim to a "deserved opportunity". R-Truth can work a mic and a match, Kofi can impress in the ring/has fan reaction so he can easily "fluke" a win and prove himself (ala Miz). Zeke looks like he could beat anyone at anytime so he can "Sheamus" his way to a MAIN BELT.

To conclude, in WWE's history the only black main event champions have been The Rock and Booker T. That shows that whether justified or not, there is a MAJOR imbalance. Hogan was suppose to job to Bad News Brown, but he politicked out of it. Ahmed Johnson was set up next but injury halted that.

After The Rock, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjiman was the next hope, but Lashley was too into his girlfriend and screwed himself while Shelton paid his WWE career for the mistakes he might've made in his first single run. Cryme Tyme had crowd reaction, a "rub" from Cena being his boys and all, and still no tag title. Don't give me the "can't put together a match" argument because its not like Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade was tearing the house down.

I think its time for WWE to take the initiative and TRY a black champion. R-Truth as a heel could easily carry the belt for a few months and transition it back to Cena in time for WMainia season. Have Big Zeke win a breakout battle royal and prove himself for the World Title. There will never be a black champion until Vince or Trips has the balls to crown a black champion.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

This issue is more a concern of talent rather than race. Sure, you've got some very skilled individuals in Kofi Kingston and R-Truth who have performed very well over the years in their roles but they simply lack the aspects that make them the complete package that someone like John Cena or Randy Orton have that got them to the top (and the answer doesn't involve having a particular skin colour).

I'd like to add that Mark Henry had an excellent run as champion to which was a thank you present by the WWE for everything that he has done for the company (and was well-deserved) and now, he is helping put over guys like Cesaro who are considered to be the future of the business. Kofi Kingston has spent more time as champion than a contender and has been very impressive in Royal Rumbles & Money in the Bank Ladder matches. R-Truth was given some serious air time for many years and even got a main event slot against The Rock during a time when the Rock only faced high-calibre opponents.

Look, I could complain about the lack of Australian wrestlers on the roster as well as them not receiving as proper roles as the American wrestlers, or for a better comparison (considering global positioning), Samoan wrestlers but that's not the entire reason I'm watching the WWE. I watch to be entertained by a variety of characters and storylines, not because I want to watch a bunch of Aussie wrestlers fight each other. If I wanted to do that, I'd go to the local independent promotions.

 

[rge2010]

Black wrestlers are few and far between in the WWE. And the ones they have just arent very good. Henry has been a solid mid/main eventer for a number of years, Kofi has done okay at midcard level but the rest are utter rubbish. Otunga, R-truth, Woods, Young, JTG etc.

WWE always did right by Booker T, Bobby Lashley and a few other ****prejudiced remark removed****.

 

[bxbigshow]

Still from that 2010 discussion on this topic...

Okay for anyone posting and referring to the "pushes" going on now (Truth/Henry), its null. The 1st post is only referring to the WWE/WHC belts. Thats it, no tv time/midcard titles, token tournament spots....THE BIG BOY BELTS. So please go somewhere with that "get what you can take" attitude.

Can anyone answer these questions?

*If Shelton being a great in-ring worker, over with fans, yet bland on the mic is undeserving of a transitional/tryout run as a BIG BOY BELT HOLDER. Why did Jeff Hardy get a shot? He was 'great' in the ring, over, yet horrid in promos...but he gets the BBB.

*Kofi Kingston somehow equals botchfest, not great on the mic, waay over with kids...but somehow is "undeserving" of the BBB. But once again Jeff Hardy and RVD get the BBB. Why?

*Everyone refers to Bobby Lashley as "WWE would've given it to him, but HE left". But where in Vince's track record shows that an African-American would've had the BBB anyways? Vince has nothing in his backround to say that Lashley was a lock for the BBB. No one would be surprised if Lashley stayed this long and never got the WWE/WHC title. (and for those who want to answer that with The Rock, please see next question...)

*Why is it for African Americans the Rock is the bar that everyone must meet in order to deserve a run with the BBB? When for non-blacks a Swagger/Sheamus/Christian/Khali/Rey is enough? If every black baseball player had to be Jackie Robinson on the field to qualify to be on the field...blacks would've been back out of baseball within the decade. Its a convienent EXCUSE used to justify a bias. "Bring me a black man that can do what Dwayne did." has been used a few times on this thread. I ask:

*Can you bring me a non-black first time WWE/WHC champ since The Rock's last run (2002) that can equal Rock in every way? (Mic Skills, In-Ring, Marketing)

I'll answer for you: John Cena, thats it. And only when we get topics like these the IWC admits that. Any other time: he's stale, can't wrestle, sucks, bringing down the business, been on top too long. It's very hypocritical of you really.

So to sum it up. since 2002 (Rock's last reign) only Booker T won a World Title (Big Boy Belt), but for black people Rock is the be-all-end-all. But WWE has had approx. 18 first time BBB holders and non of them black. And only one of them (Cena) can "rival" The Rock.

Isn't that odd that WWE can tryout, transition, reward for service 18 non-blacks since 2002 but not 1 African American?


I'm saying that there is always a reason (I say excuse) for WWE not putting the title on this black person or that one. But conviently when I present a non-black wrestler with the same complications theres always a reason (I say excuse) to justify it. That is usually when suspicion arises.

I'm also saying that in the case of Sheamus/Swagger...they were test subjects. Given the title to see crowd reaction and find out if they can hang at the top of the card.

If it worked (Sheamus) then WWE found someone they can go to in the future.

If it didn't (Swagger) they can drop him back to midcard and try again in the future, no harm no foul.

But as far as a black wrestler goes, they will never do this. He has to already be guaranteed money for Vince to consider it. How is that fair? Why can't WWE take a chance on a black wrestler (as far as the top title) the same way they do with a non-black?

Thats my question. Non-black = we'll try. Black = sorry, you're not The Rock

 

[RJF80]

How can u say Big E is jobbing, he lost ic title few days ago..And rematch. I think they are just trying to give the ic title a jump start, and Barrett is over at moment and Big E isn't. In a month or two if Big E is losing then tell us he's jobbing.

 

[Torgo]

Heres my two bits:

I dont think its a race thing AT ALL. Nor do i think that it is an issue of talent. I think its more of a "crowd connectedness" thing. The crowd, as far as ive seen, never really has connected with Big E.

*If Shelton being a great in-ring worker, over with fans, yet bland on the mic is undeserving of a transitional/tryout run as a BIG BOY BELT HOLDER. Why did Jeff Hardy get a shot? He was 'great' in the ring, over, yet horrid in promos...but he gets the BBB.

Case in point...The Gold Standard was never more over than Jeff Hardy. You cant say that, ever. True Jeff couldnt talk worth shit, but his ring action blew everyone away. benjamin was a bland guy, whatever color.

So to sum it up. since 2002 (Rock's last reign) only Booker T won a World Title (Big Boy Belt), but for black people Rock is the be-all-end-all. But WWE has had approx. 18 first time BBB holders and non of them black. And only one of them (Cena) can "rival" The Rock.

Ok, good point. Now let me say this: How many black wrestlers have WWE had since 2002? And, of those few, which ones honestly were BBB material? Its not being racist, its merely a lack of good solid BBB talent. Also, as i said before, the crowd just cant seem to get behind the black wrestlers. Thats why we dont often see the black wrestlers in the BBB. dont give me the race card, alllright? Do you really want Xavier Woods in the WWE WHC picture?

 

[Merkin353]

You could always assume it's the fans that are racist & don't cheer for black superstars based on their own ignorance. If Vince doesn't see money in them than they will become jobbers.

You could always assume that the WWE is racist based on the fact that minorities are always used in some stereotypical gimmick (los matadores, Rusev & really I could go on all day) Also you can say that every time a black wrestler is in the ring 9 times out of 10 they have a black ref.

But what it all boils down to is this. It will always be assumed that minorities & women have to fight 10 times harder to make it in America because there is evidence to back up this claim. I doubt the WWE is any different. Lets look at a black woman. Naomi / Trinity. A deserving African American woman who should have held the divas title by now but no they call up the whitest girl possible who is still a little green. & by no fault of her own, Paige is only 21 & I see a great future. But I can see the argument.

 

[bxbigshow]

Ok, good point. Now let me say this: How many black wrestlers have WWE had since 2002? And, of those few, which ones honestly were BBB material? Its not being racist, its merely a lack of good solid BBB talent. Also, as i said before, the crowd just cant seem to get behind the black wrestlers. Thats why we dont often see the black wrestlers in the BBB. dont give me the race card, alllright? Do you really want Xavier Woods in the WWE WHC picture?

To clarify: At the time of those posts (2010) there was a lot of discussion of Mark Henry deserving a run, which he did get thankfully. And the most insulting one was that Bobby Lashley was SURE to be the next BBB-holder but he left, implying that he stopped himself from that goal. And all I was, and am asking was where in Vince McMahon's track record was that ever a possibility?

The Rock? He was 100 times better than anyone on the roster despite color. To ignore that would be to further push the point.

Booker T? He came into WWE with an already established BBB backround, so the credit for his 1 reign up North can't all be credited to Vince.

R Truth had a strong run around that time with Cena that got stalled because CM Punk was leaving, and while I had no issue with that, it was another setback.

Let me be clear since people can not read my entire response(s) and get full context. I am not playing a race card. I feel that eventhough black wrestlers have not been pushed as hard as their white counterparts, I do not feel that they are being held down either. At the same time, numbers can not be ignored, and questions can not go unasked. That's all...

 

[closet_fan]

To me it comes down to talent, fan response and what you do with what you're given when you get the chance to be in the ring. It's not race. Like people have said, if Vince sees money in you, he'll push you to the moon regardless of race.

Titus O'Neil wanted a singles run because he thought he was good enough. They gave him a shot. They broke him off from Darren Young, but he hasn't done anything since becoming a singles wrestler. He had some singles matches, didn't prove to officials that he deserved a push and was brought back down.

R-Truth got a title shot, but couldn't generate enough fan heat to keep his push going.

Fans simply don't gravitate to black wrestlers. It's sad, but it is what it is. They won't push someone who people don't care about for the simple fact he/she isn't white.

 

[Slash-LN]

Maybe instead of focusing on the negatives you should look at the fact that you have multiple wrestlers of your race to get behind.

How do you think Asians and people of other races feel when they have like one person to root for of their race or none at all?

Someone in this thread complained about Alicia Fox's reign saying it only lasted about a week when in reality it lasted nearly two months.

Someone else in this thread made a list of African American wrestlers in the history of the WWE but then left some out.

Anyway I don't get why it always has to be a black vs. white thing.
Like I said above at least your race gets t.v. time and titles.

If it really matters to you that much then watch the companies that are making black wrestlers their World champion. Because it's just WWE that doesn't push black wrestlers right?

Just chill out and enjoy the show.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Considering Mark Henry is the only black wrestler that should be in the upper-midcard level (which he is given by his title feud with Cena last year) I would say they are getting treated fairly.

Kofi is a guy who is a mid carder, always will be and there's nothing wrong with that. He isn't a strong enough character to warrant being in the main event and yeah he does lose a lot these days but that's not a race thing. Kofi often gets a mid card push, then steps aside for a bit so another guy can get a mid card push and then he gets pushed again, its that way for everyone though, a lot of guys go through that (most not black, I know right! SHOCKER!).

R-Truth and Xavier Woods are lower card talents at this point, they have no business being anywhere else so I'm not gonna call the race card on this one, no matter what their skin color is they are low level talents at this point.

Big E has gotten treated pretty damn well up to this point. Sure he just lost the IC title but he isn't made to look weak. When he got his push he didn't do much with it but I would bet WWE has some plans for Big E, they just want him to improve his skillset before they put those plans in motion.

WWE has pushed quite a few black superstars to the moon *cough* Lashley *cough*. At one point I'm sure race had something to do with how a person got pushed depending on the territory but that was like 20 years ago. WWE pushed the fuck out of guys like Lashley, Ahmed Johnson, Mark Henry, Booker T and even Kofi got a main event push at one point.

You can say its race that played a part, WWE certainly has politics like any business but those politics go for anyone, not just black wrestlers. There were times when I felt Booker T was underutilized and deserved a higher spot but I don't think it was a race thing as it was more of a Triple H thing, as for the rest of them, their deserved spot in relation to their actual spot was usually well founded.

 

[RicSpade]

You really can't put race into this whether you want to or not, this is just the down period in the WWE for racial athletes, I mean honestly you have a big bulgarian guy who needs to get over, Woods and Truth don't have a program because they aren't linked the with the Funkadactyls and Brodus is in NXT land now. I mean Truth and Woods are at least given TV time, Big E held the IC belt for a while and took on all challengers regardless how suckish his booking seemed, Barrett is over right now, Mark Henry has been back and forth with injuries, JTG I think is still with WWE, Darren Young is injured, Titus is at least getting TV time, Kofi while isn't winning he is at least showcasing his talents, so honestly the only reason you could be pissed is because there is no dominant black athlete, but the problem is most people believe the wrong guys are being pushed.

I could say there are about 15 guys who aren't white who get crapped on, but what can you do one day your the world heavyweight champion the next your being tossed out of the ring by a midget bull, its the belly of the beast, and eventually different guys get different spots, Rome wasn't built in a day

 

[772Attitude]

Being a black man, I think WWE is one of the last companies I would call racist. How ever, I would like to see the WWE try a little harder to get Black stars over with the crowd. For example, Jack Swagger's personality sucks but his in ring ability is great. So what does WWE do to cover his blandness? They give him a mouth piece in Zeb. Same for Cesaro. He's always had a good mouth piece to cover up the fact that he has no mic skills, making the crowd think he has more of a personality. Thus the crowd reacted to him more. They tried harder with Curtis Axel years ago. Again, they give him a mouth piece in Paul Heyman, now WWE has paired him up with Ryback and they're getting Tag Team title shots now. Hell Dolph Ziggler even had Vicki at one point so the crowd could give him some reaction. When was the last time that the WWE tried to help out a Black wrestler like that? To me its like they throw Black wrestlers to the wolves and if they get eaten alive then they just throw them away. If black wrestlers don't come with the total package then WWE doesn't give them a real chance to grow.

That's my Only real problem but like I said, WWE is one of the last companies I would call a racist company.

 

[bxbigshow]

As I read more responses I get more upset at the "get over it" mentality.
I understand how the world works, I get it. If the average WWE fan can not connect to a black man then Vince won't see a need to give them the title.
But at the same time, how would Vince get the average WWE fan to connect to a black man? That's the question, the reason (or excuse) is a self fulfilling prophecy as it will justify the behavior.

And I am loving the mentality of main event matches, or mid-card titles are equal to the "Face of the Company" tag the BBB-holder gets. It's almost a, "you have a spot on the show boy, be happy and dance" mentality.

I am only talking in the range of the WWE/WHC Championship. I don't care how many Royal Rumble "moments" you have, how many mid-card titles you've won, I only care about whether or not the powers that be in WWE sat down at a conference table and said a black guy's name as the next "guy"...and everyone either agreed or shut up. AND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

And for those who feel that Big E is only in a holding pattern and that one day he will get his chance, then the sun will come out when THAT tomorrow happens. Because they may also believe that Vince McMahon will be faced with a "Care Bear Stare" and change his mind/heart/practices all of a sudden.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

I dont think its a race thing AT ALL. Nor do i think that it is an issue of talent. I think its more of a "crowd connectedness" thing. The crowd, as far as ive seen, never really has connected with Big E.

You could always assume it's the fans that are racist & don't cheer for black superstars based on their own ignorance. If Vince doesn't see money in them than they will become jobbers.

But the point that's being made is that other non-black guys who have lacked in appeal, have been given opportunities with top-card belts (ADR got 2 chances, Ziggler and The Miz got 1).

They never "experiment" with black wrestlers. They are pretty much always eventually thrown in midcard or lower-midcard hell.