Wrestling with politics

Donald Trump & Hulk Hogan
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Through the years there have been staged runs for the White House in the world of professional wrestling. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan once declared his candidacy for President of the United States on Monday Nitro. Mr. Bob Backlund had done the same thing, even calling out a Bill Clinton impersonator prior the 1996 election.

Trump & Jesse Ventura

Then there's the real side of wrestlers getting involved in politics. As you see by the main picture Donald Trump is going to be discussed, just hang on, I'm getting there. Jesse Ventura served as the mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and eventually ended up running as the Reform Party candidate for Governor. He won the race and shook up things in the Land of a Thousand Lakes. He's teased runs at the White House in the past, but has never made the move. Most recently he's endorsed Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson as he runs for President again.

Ventura is clearly staying away from Trump, who at one time seemed to be an ally of the Body. In 2004 after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Ventura told Trump during a ringside interview "we may need a wrestler in the White House in 2008." Donald told Jesse then that he's support him 100%.

Trump at WrestleMania 23 with Vince McMahon & Bobby Lashley
Courtesy: WWE

Trump is now the Republican nominee for President. But did you know he has more of wrestling connection than his interview with Ventura 12 years ago? Trump Tower hosted back to back WrestleManias in the late 80s. And in 2007 he actually got into the ring and scuffled with WWE owner Vince McMahon. The two each had a wrestler represent them in a match in which the losing billionaire would also lose his hair. Trump and his man Bobby Lashley prevailed and Mr. McMahon looked like Daddy Warbucks in the weeks that followed.

In 2013 I was on hand in Madison Square Garden as Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. If you're not a wrestling fan and still reading this, thank you. But also for clarification, many years ago WWE created a celebrity wing to honor those non-wrestlers who have helped to give the company main stream media attention.

Donald Trump's WWE Hall of Fame induction
Courtesy: WWE

Trump was a good sport that night. You could tell he was a fan of the business or at least WWE. In the past, WWE has done a campaign called Smackdown Your Vote in an attempt to get members of the WWE Universe (wrestling fans) involved in the political process. Candidates have been invited to tape messages to air on the flagship shows. It'll be interesting to see if WWE does anything extra this year since a member of the Hall of Fame has made it to the final ballot.

Others who have served or attempted to serve in politics after life in the ring include B. Brian Blair who served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner in Florida. Jerry "The King" Lawler wanted to rule Memphis politics, but came up short in his bid for Mayor of that city. And Linda McMahon, the now former WWE CEO, ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the United States Senate. She wanted to represent Connecticut in Washington, D.C.

Wrestling with Politics

Hogan's Presidential Announcement
Monday Nitro, November 9, 1998

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Linda McMahon is making a second run for the U.S. Senate on this Election Day (November 6, 2012).  I'll be curious to see what will happen in the WWE if Mrs. McMahon ends up winning the seat.  We all know Jesse Ventura was the first wrestler to become governor (he won the race in Minnesota in 1998), and through the years he's hinted at a run for the Oval Office.

"Monica" & Hulk

A week after Ventura was elected to his state's highest office, WCW and Hulk Hogan pulled one of the lamest publicity stunts in the history of the company.  Hogan announced his plans to run for President of the United States.  The company went so far as to hire a Monica Lewinsky look-a-like to present Hogan with a cigar.  This was during the final days of the scandal with Lewinsky and then President Bill Clinton.

The segment ended with Scott Hall turning on fellow nWo members Eric Bischoff and Hogan.  He was  saved by Kevin Nash as Hollywood choked out Hall with a feather boa.  Thankfully the presidential idea didn't last long.

President Backlund?
Photo courtesy: WWE

This was nothing new though, as in 1995, Bob Backlund had announced aspirations for the White House as well when he was in the WWF.  I don't remember that angle really going anywhere either or having much of a point.

But the point of this blog, if you haven't voted yet, do it.  Polls are still open for a few hours if you are reading this on November 6.  Ha.

Politically Correct, When It's Convenient

AW Enterprises
Photo from: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger & Chad Smart

@my123cents on Twitter


The recent release of Abraham Washington has raised a lot of criticism in the online world.  Chad and I decided to weigh in on the situation too.  Chad is out of town for the weekend and emailed me a few of his comments, so I figured I would tie both our thoughts into one blog because for the most part we are in agreement on the termination.




For those of you not familiar with the situation, a couple of weeks ago on Raw, AW said Titus O'Neal was "like Kobe Bryant in a Colorado hotel room...unstoppable."  A few years ago Kobe Bryant was ACCUSED of raping a woman in a Colorado hotel.  He was never convicted, in fact the case ended up being thrown out.


The night the comment was made Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler came back from a commercial and apologized.  I had to rewind my DVR because I didn't even catch the comment.  I figured AW would probably get slapped with a brief suspension and/or a fine and be back to action soon enough.  But when he appeared the next night at the SmackDown! taping, I figured it was all water under the bridge.  Then nearly two weeks after the incident, WWE released Washington from his contract.


A rep from the WWE issued this statement to TMZ: "Unfortunately, Brian Jossie, playing the character of A.W. was terminated because he continued to exhibit poor judgment by making offensive and inappropriate comments on live television and on social media."

AW Enterprises celebrate
Photo from WWE

I've talked with some of my friends about this and probably the worst thing about the joke is that it's so irrelevant at this point.  The whole Kobe situation first came to light nearly 10 years ago.  I think for many people the joke went right over their heads.  But Linda McMahon is running for the U.S. Senate again this year, and let's face it, AW just became a victim of that.  There was nothing wrong with what he said and the WWE is pretty hypocritical for letting him go (keep reading for those examples)




Chad's 1-2-3 Cents:

AW's comment was barely a joke. No offensive words were said. The charges against Kobe were thrown out, so actual "rape" gets less punishment than a poorly worded comment about it.

Mike Tyson at the WWE Hall of Fame
Photo from WWE

Think about it this way too.  The WWE fires AW for making a veiled reference to an alleged rape four months after inducting Mike Tyson into their Hall of Fame.  If you remember, Mike Tyson was convicted of raping a woman 20 years ago.  At the time of his conviction, Tyson faced up to 60 years in prison for his actions, instead he served three years of a six-year sentence.  Remember, Tyson RAPED a woman and not only was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but he became a huge part of the company in 1998 when Steve Austin was red hot.  AW made a joke about an ALLEGED rape and got fired.

AW's firing of course set him off in the world of social meeting, posting several tweets about his former employer and how they do business.  Would AW have been brought back in 5 months had he kept his mouth shut ala Daniel Bryan (he choked Justin Roberts with a tie on Raw during the Nexus invasion and was fired during Linda's first run for senate)

More double standards:

Several years ago, Vince McMahon in a backstage segment called John Cena, "my nigga." This was said right in front of Booker T and Sharmel (not that it matters who it was said in front of, but rather the fact that it was even said.) We don't recall any backlash on this incident.

 Randy Orton's past backstage behavior (defecating in diva's bags) and barely getting a slap on the wrist.  

  

DX can still say "Suck It."  Just a few years ago they did the whole "Vince likes Cock" angle, which included a t-shirt with a rooster and that phrase.  That's not exactly a family friendly or "conservative" message to send is it?

Does the TMZ culture we live in cause WWE to overreact because any little "controversy" will be spread and debated for hours/days whereas 10 years ago any remark would have died an hour after the show ended?

More of Kevin's 1-2-3 Cents:

Chad makes several valid points.  This is a company that ran an angle on necrophilia several years ago. They've had hints of incest in story lines in the past.  And they even used stock footage of the OJ Simpson Bronco chase during Roddy Piper and Goldust's match at Wrestlemania XII.  I know OJ was never convicted of the double murder of his ex-wife and her friend, but he did stand trial before the footage was used by WWE.  Controversy and envelope pushing are the things that lead to many of the successful story lines for the WWE.

  

Linda McMahon is running for senate

I think it's clear if Linda McMahon wasn't running for office AW would still be employed.  It's not fair to the fans or the wrestlers that the WWE is toning itself down for politics.  It's even worse that someone would attempt to use the situation against McMahon in her run.

People who don't know wrestling need to be educated that this is entertainment.  The wrestlers and managers and divas are all playing roles.  It's a continuous story on TV.  Lighten up folks there are bigger fish to fry than some guy making a lame joke nearly a decade late.

But the bottom line (as Stone Cold would say) is that the WWE is the McMahon's company and they can fire anyone for any reason they see fit.  We as fans don't have to like it.  But at the end of the day, it's Vince's right to do it.

You know we want to hear your thoughts.  Post them here or on Facebook.  Thanks for the support.

Mania Memories: Sweet 16

Triple H & Stephanie (WWE)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

I kind of ragged on the WWE and the Attitude Era in yesterday's post about Wrestlemania 15.  When Wrestlemania 16 rolled around in 2000, the company had a pretty tight choke hold on the competition and was less than a year away from a wrestling monopoly.

The event featured the first ever Fatal Fourway elimination main event for the world heavyweight title.  The combatants featured champion Triple H defending against the Rock, Mick Foley, and the Big Show.  Certainly not a bad lineup for a Wrestlemania main event.  My problem with this show was the involvement of all four members of the McMahon family.  Stephanie of course was in the corner of Triple H.  Shane supported the Big Show, Linda was with Mick, and Vince got behind the Rock as the chairman had recently turned face.

But it seems that anytime a McMahon is involved in a storyline the focus leaves the wrestlers and goes onto the family.  This was the case at Wrestlemania 16, as we saw Vince McMahon once again screwing someone out of a title opportunity.  He turned on the Rock, setting up a feud between the Great One and the father son and soon to be son-in-law.  I believe this is the first Wrestlemania (and until last year, the only Wrestlemania) to see the heel win the main event.

Edge & Christian (WWE)

There were plenty of bright spots on the show too.  This Mania featured the first triple threat tag team ladder match.  Edge and Christian won the tag team titles by defeating the Dudley Boyz and the Hardys.  All three teams helped give the tag team division a much needed boost.  The match was filled with plenty of crazy spots and I have to say I respect the fact that these guys would put their bodies on the line in such a way for the entertainment of the fans.  And this wasn't the last time they'd do this style of matchup.

Before his match

Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Kurt Angle put on a great a exhibition in a two fall, triple threat match.  The interesting thing about this match was that Angle entered it as the Intercontinental and European champion.  By the time the night was over, he was belt less, and fans got a chance to see an incredible match between three of the best competitors in all of wrestling as far as I'm concerned.

T & A beat Head Cheese, Kane & Rikishi teamed up to beat DX members Road Dogg and X Pac, and Bull Buchanon & the Big Bossman beat D'Lo Brown & the Godfather.  Four tag team matches on the card, not a bad showing at all.  There was also a six person tag match as Chyna joined forces with Too Cool to beat the Radicalz of Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Perry Saturn.  Hardcore Holly recaptured the Hardcore title in a battle royal, and in the card's only singles match,  Terri Runnels beat the Kat in a Catfight with Val Venis as the special guest referee.  Moolah supported Terri in the match and Mae Young was in Kat's corner.  I'm pretty sure the Undertaker was hurt this year as well and missed 2000.

Sixteen had a different approach for sure with all the speciality and tag team matches.  I don't necessarily think it hurt the show as the matches were pretty good.  But it wasn't like the traditional Wrestlemania either, which is something I missed. What are your thoughts?  Post them here or on our Facebook wall.

Linda's Loss, WWE's Gain?

Linda with WWE Hall of Famer Nick Bockwinkel @ WM 26 Axxess

Linda McMahon came up short in her bid to win the U.S. Senate race in Connecticut.  I was actually surprised by this outcome.  Despite lagging in the polls, I thought with all the press surrounding this race it might be enough to give Linda a boost.

As a journalist, I of course follow politics.  Like many Americans, I was tuned into the results during prime time last night.  I'm not going to name names or networks, but an anchor and the panel was talking about this race.  It was early in the night, and Richard Blumenthal was already being called the winner.  That's fine with me, the numbers are what they are.  It's the remark made by the anchor, something along the lines of being a businesswoman and her ties to the WWE didn't help her with female voters.  It was a negative comment that wasn't necessary.  To me it was an insult to wrestling fans too.  Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Moving on.  Linda said in her concession speech last night that she plans to stay involved in politics, hinting at another possible run for office.  This would suggest that she will not be returning to her post at the WWE.  Will this hurt or help the company?

It seems that for a while things have been a little illogical in the storylines.  Things aren't matching up, not making sense.  I guess wrestling has always had that reputation.  But I'm wondering if Vince was also focusing on Linda's run and the attacks on the company that he took his eye off what's important.  Maybe he did that a long time ago.

If Linda isn't done with politics, I would guess that the PG rated programming will continue.  This stands to benefit the E in terms of being able to market more to families and kids.  More toys and tshirts being sold to youngsters.  Maybe we'll get the return of the WWE ice cream bars.  Remember those in the mid 80's?  And with the launch of the new network next year, more programming options aimed at youngsters.  Cartoons.  Sitcoms.  Cheesy movies.  The possibilities are endless.  

But what about the old school fans, like you and me.  Or you and I.  I'm not sure which it is.  But you know what I'm talking about.  I don't mind the PG rating stuff so much.  But it seems every year we get a little further away from the wrestling and focus more on the entertainment.  Sometimes that's okay, but if the sample of what we got the other night on Raw is an indication of future "entertainment" segments, I'll continue to zip through on my DVR. 

I would also like to think now maybe some of the heat from the main stream media will go away again.  The unfair criticism.  The Martha Harts and Michael Benoits of the world have less of a voice now that Linda has lost.  The media I suspect doesn't care as much about their concerns.  

Linda losing isn't going to be a boost in the arm for the WWE.  The only thing that will bring it back to that level of greatness that it was in the late 90's is a good competitor.  Right now, that's not happening.  Unless some other company comes along in the immediate future, I don't see a whole lot changing on the landscape here.  TNA tried and quite honestly failed to get the job done.

The next year should be interesting in terms of where the WWE goes with the new network.  How will the post election era be?  Will Vince really run for President, or is he really "brain dead."   (Cue the flat line sound effect)

Keep Your Shirt On

One of the WWE t-shirts I own

Voters in Connecticut will not have to remove their WWE shirts, hats, or hoodies when they go to the polls Tuesday to vote.  Why would that even be a concern you might ask?  Well, it seems the Secretary of the State there, Susan Bysiewciz was concerned that if people showed up to vote in WWE merchandise they'd be campaigning for Linda McMahon.

Mrs. McMahon of course is the former CEO of the WWE.  She's currently running for the U.S. Senate.  Wednesday afternoon, a judge ruled that wearing items like a CeNation t-shirt or a DX do-rag would not influence undecided voters at the polls.  Ms. Bysiewciz wanted such items kept 75 feet away from the polling places, which is in accordance with Connecticut state law.  Vince McMahon filed suit Tuesday over the issue.  A judge ruled in his favor.

Clearly, this move to block WWE items was a political stunt and would not have been an issue with Linda McMahon had the same letter in parenthese behind her name.  (D) in this case.  I mean come on, Linda McMahon's face, likeness, image, etc. is no where on any piece of WWE merchandise I've ever seen.   So kudos to the judge for her decision.

Now on to the Stand Up for WWE campaign.  It's a good concept, but I think it's really only a part of the political machine.  Would we be seeing this if Linda McMahon wasn't running?  Or if she wasn't down in the polls?  I don't know, we'll never know really.

But I do think there is bias in this campaign in terms of how wrestling (the WWE specifically) and its fans are portrayed.    If Linda McMahon had served as CEO of the New York Yankees, would there be this much criticism?  Wrestling in general seems to be under a microscope more often and its fans are often stereotyped.

So by the judge laying the smackdown on this recent WWE merchandise ban is a victory for wrestling fans everywhere, whether you like WWE or TNA or ROH.

McMahon vs. Benoit

Meeting Chris Benoit in 2007

Where to start, where to start...  This is a slippery slope in the wrestling world.  Guys in the prime of their life and dropping dead.  Is it the industry's fault?  Where does personal responsibility fit into it? Should the government take more control?  So many questions, so many opinions.

If you're reading this there's a 99% chance you're a wrestling fan already. So there's no need to go through the rundown of men and women who have died prematurely. Some were accidents. Some were overdoses. Some were heart conditions that may or may not be related to the use of prescription drugs and steroids. 


Right now, I'm going to focus on Chris Benoit and the tragic end to his life and the lives of his wife and young son. As you can see from the photo above, I met Benoit back in 2007. This was less than four months before he took his life and Nancy and Daniel's. 

Of course, when you're meeting a wrestling you're there because it's someone you like. Why else would we wait in line for hours on a freezing February afternoon? Anyway, Chris was running late that day due to a flight delay, but he still made it to the autograph signing. He was polite and shook hands, signed books, and posed for pictures with all the fans who attended. This probably made him late for the house show that night too. But like I said, he was very kind and spoke a few words to me as I got his signature and posed for the picture. 


I know there are a lot of stories about Chris being a monster at home and abusive. Maybe he was. I want to believe it's not though. Maybe that's my own ignorance of wanting to protect someone I looked up to. I consider his death a tragedy, same goes for Nancy and Daniel. It's so very sad.


But here's the question.  Is wrestling to blame? Chris' father, Michael Benoit, believes it is. He's been very vocal in the years after his son's death, but got even louder about it earlier this week in Connecticut, the state where former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is running for senate.  Was the attack politically motivated? Perhaps, but like I mentioned before, Mr. Benoit has been speaking out against the WWE since the events of June 2007, so I don't know that this is a publicity stunt.

It's believed that brain damage may be to blame for Chris' actions. After years of chair shots to the head and other concussions, Chris' brain was damaged. This isn't to say that everyone who suffers from hits to the head will murder their family, but I think it could be a factor. Chris was also said to be suffering from depression over the loss of his friend Eddie Guerrero, another tragedy in and of itself. That likely played a role in what happened that day too.

In the years since "the incident" the WWE has made changes. This of course is a good thing. Chair shots to the head of have been banned. Wrestlers are tested more often for drugs. And all performers, past and present are offered free rehab to help kick their addictions. While the government may not be breathing down the WWE's neck 24/7, I do believe they are making great strides to prevent future tragedies.


Not every wrestling death can be or should be blamed on the industry. I will admit there is probably some sort of liability involved.  For example, did he or she feel like they had to use steroids to look the part and keep their job? Even if they felt that way, unless they were forced to do the illegal drug, isn't it their personal responsibility.


I hope this all makes sense. I kinda feel like I'm going back and forth even as I write this. Bottom line, the industry was filled with lots of wrongdoing in the past, but I do believe that the WWE has also taken a stand in fixing the problem.