The question always gets raised “Is WWE racist?” Yet there’s
nobody can ever agree on an answer. With El Patron, formerly known as Alberto
Del Rio appearing at AAA’s Tripplemania this weekend and discussing the racism
he faced in WWE the question has come up again about racism in WWE. This time,
the accusations are rising from a decorated champion, lending some credibility
to them.
For those of you who don’t know Del Rio was recently
released from WWE after an altercation with details that were left cloudy until
a recent interview with Televiso’s Primero Notica. Del Rio admitted to slapping
social media manager Cody Barbierri after comments he felt were offensive were
made. Del Rio did not state what comment was made but rumor has it that when
another employee told Barbierri to clean his plate in catering he stated it was
“the job of a Mexican like Del Rio.” Del Rio admitted to losing his temper when
Barbierri wouldn’t apologize. According to Del Rio when he spoke with Vince the
issue was solved.
However he was later told by HHH that he was going to be
suspended for one week which he understood. However he was later called
personally by HHH and told that he had to be fired. The reason for WWE’s change
in punishment isn’t known, but some such as Dave Meltzer has stated that
Barbierri threatened a lawsuit. After Del Rio’s release it wasn’t immediately
known who the employee he slapped was. That is until Barbierri launched attacks
on Del Rio via the WWE Twitter account and more racially laced rants on his
personal account. After seeing his tweets people weren’t shocked to learn that
Barbierri would be capable of racist remarks. But where does this leave WWE?
While some may argue that Del Rio was a multiple time
champion, let’s look at his reigns. Each of his title reigns began right before
a WWE tour of Mexico. While it’s obvious that he benefited from this it doesn’t
mean it isn’t racist. Others have been crowned champion because of a WWE Tour
in Mexico. Rey Mysterio has also received the benefits from this. That’s the
end of WWE’s beneficial racism. Let’s take a look at some of the other
incidents in WWE.
Michael Hayes is currently a head writer for WWE and has
been for some time, he’s also widely considered to be one of the most racist
men in pro wrestling today. In 2008 Hayes was suspended for telling Mark Henry
“I’m more of a nigger than you are.” You can’t consider this shocking when
Hayes made a name for himself by repeatedly calling Junkyard Dog “Boy” and even
painting the confederate flag on his face before some matches. But what happens when it isn’t a veteran like
Mark Henry? Current MMA Fighter and TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby
Lashley has stated in interviews that one of the reasons he left the company
was due to Hayes’ racism.
While backstage incidents may not be frequent, there is one
thing we can’t deny. It’s always debated
if Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the first black WWE Champion or not? While Rock
is definitely half black, his father was Soul Man Rocky Johnson, he’s always
been more true to his Samoan Heritage. It’s rare that you’ll hear him talk
about any culture besides his Samoan Culture. This has led to some debate about
whether The Rock considers himself black and if he’s the first black WWE
Champion or not. That’s a completely different debate; for the sake of this article
we’ll consider him the first black WWE Champion.
In its 62 years of existence WWE has had one black WWE in
Champion. When this is pointed out people most likely respond with
the standard “There hasn’t been a black wrestler good enough. They have to be
able to speak and wrestle.”
I admit, Kofi Kingston is an incredible wrestler,
but he’s also a horrible speaker. So Kofi is out of the running. But what about
those that came before him? R-Truth is known for rapping and dancing to the
ring. But in 2011 during his heel run, R-Truth was arguably the most hated man
on the roster. When R-Truth would enter the building would erupt in boos.
R-Truth’s run at the championship was ended by a cup of water. Was R-Truth not
good enough as a former TNA and NWA Champion? He obviously has the ring ability
and charisma to keep the crowd entertained when speaking. What about Booker T?
Booker T was a 6 time World Heavyweight Champion before retiring. It’s obvious
that he was very good. Even with all that, he could never grasp the WWE
Championship. What about MVP? He had the backing of the locker room. Including
people like The Undertaker, Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels. WWE responded by
putting him on a losing streak until he asked for his release. MVP was soon
champion in NJPW and one of their top draws. Ron Simmons was the first black
WCW champion. When he appeared in WWE his gimmick became “tough black guy #1.”
Towards the end of his career he simply became comedic relief.
There have also been countless others that could be
considered the total package meeting all the requirements to be WWE Champion,
but it never happened. 62 years and The Rock still stands alone. But it’s not
just about backstage and championships. What happens when racism spills over
into the ring?
Part two is available here
