They Look Like Me: The Success of Cultural Representation in Pro Wrestling

The world is fully in technicolor. As in, the world is such a melting pot of diverse cultures, communities, and societies.  From Blacks to Whites, Christians to Muslims to Jews, from women to men, to non-binary, wrestling is no different in embracing all the various walks of life for people.  This was made even more apparent during Wrestlemania XL weekend, as not only did WWE put on their annual biggest show of the year, but AEW, ROH, NJPW, CMLL, and the annual Wrestlecon all had shows presented throughout what's been affectionately referred to as "Wrestling week."  The week of 4/1/2024-4/7/2024, specifically, was highlighted.

One of the more talked about items of the weekend was the fact of Black and Latin representation, as both communities were heavily featured throughout the weekend.  In ROH, Women's Champion, Athena (who's currently in the middle of the most historic run of her career holding the title for a record 485 days and counting) successfully the championship against former three-time AEW Woman's Champion, Hikaru Shida at ROH Supercard Of Honor.  On the same night, AEW upstart, Queen Amina, faced teenage notable, Billie Starkz, in the finals of the ROH Women's TV Championship tournament.  Although unsuccessful, Amina was still one-half of the combatants of the first ever Women's TV Title tourney.  The next day, on NXT's PLE Stand & Deliver, Carmelo Hayes faced former friend, Trick Williams, in the main event, making it the first time two Black men main evented an NXT PLE.  Likewise on the same show, NXT North American Champion, Nigeria-native, Oba Femi, successfully defended the championship against Dijak and Josh Briggs in a PHYSICAL Triple Threat Match. 

 

Just a few hours after Stand & Deliver, it was time for night one of WrestleMania XL, where the event was kicked off by Grammy Award-winner, Coko Jones, singing the National Anthem. Not to mention, Philly emcee and Maybach Music artist, Meek Mill, narrated the cold opens for both evenings, with the title track from his Dreams & Nightmares album being part of them. Once that was done, more Black representation was on display, especially in the form of former WWE Women's Champions, Bianca Belair and the recently returning Naomi teaming up with former AEW star and TBS Champion, Jade Cargill (who was making only her second in-ring match in WWE) to face Damage CTRL members, Asuka & Kairi Sane (together WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, The Kabuki Warriors) and Dakota Kai.  This marked the first time three Black women teamed up together for a match at Wrestlemania. Although not the longest match of the night, they were successful in their match. On the same night, The New Day were involved in a HELLACIOUS six-team Ladder Match to determine Raw & Smackdown Tag Team Champions.  Although the multi-time former champions fell short of grabbing either championship, the fifty-three-year-old R-Truth picked up his first Mania win ever, when he grabbed a hold of the Raw Tag Team Titles, as he and partner The Miz became new champions.  Also, Grammy Award winner, Lil' Wayne, brought Jay Uso down to the ring, doing a few bars from one of his most known hits, "A Milli", then escorting Uso down to ringside while frequently stating, "It's on you" to Uso's theme song.  Of course, we can't forget about the main event of night one, which pitted Cody Rhodes and WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, facing the real-life cousins of WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, and the temporarily returning The Rock, in a match that was deemed, "The biggest tag team match in Wrestlemania history."  Clearly, even after being away from the ring for eleven years for an entire match, The Rock showed that he still had it, even in his younger to mid-fifties, plus was in stunning physical shape.  After over forty very hard-fought minutes, Reigns and Mr. Johnson were victorious.  

The next night was every bit as exciting, if not more so from a story standpoint.  From a cultural aspect, the Black community were just as prevalent. CMA Awards-nominated Country music duo, The War & Treaty, kicked off the evening with a stunning rendition of "America the Beautiful". Later, the faction known as The Pride (which consists of former WWE & NXT Tag Team Champions, The Street Profits, former multi-time WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley, and B-Fab) facing the group of The Final Testament (consisting of Karrion Kross, the returning Authors of Pain, and Scarlett, the real-life wife of Kross) in a Philly Street Fight.  If this wasn't enough, Grammy Award nominee & BET, AMA, & Billboard Music Award winner, Snoop Dogg, was at the broadcast table for commentary (which was QUITE hilarious at times).  Perhaps the low-key MVP of the entire Mania weekend was ring announcer, Samantha Irvin, who delivered next level ring introductions and wins throughout both days/evenings of Mania. The former America's Got Talent semi-finalist raised her ring introduction game to entirely new heights throughout the weekend (including stopping by the annual Walemania event, hosted by another Grammy nominated, Maybach Music artist, Wale, to perform on stage, singing as well as showing her tremendous ability of playing the flute). While audibly emotional from announcing the wins of Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes and their respective historic wins, the future Mrs. Trevor "Ricochet" Mann was critically acclaimed by both insiders and fans alike for her riveting range and passion for the aforementioned ring introductions and wins, thus officially putting her in the conversation of best wrestling in-ring announcer and certainly among the best ever, with even iconic boxing/wrestling ring announcer Michael Buffer describing her as "brilliant" for her tone and pacing (shouts to NXT's Alicia Taylor, who helped Irvine with her loud and aggressive vocal introductions and whom herself is one of the best announcers around).  Much like Kofi Kingston's historic win at Wrestlemania 35 to become the WWE Champion, this was very much a historic and landmark weekend for the Black community within wrestling, especially WWE.  Although we are no strangers, necessarily, to making history, as Bianca and Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Mone in AEW) demonstrated by being the first Black women to main event a Wrestlemania, anytime it gets seen, it shows how far we've come within the business.

  

The Latin community also had a very exciting, busy, and history-making weekend as well.  AEW/ROH's Eddie Kingston faced Mark Briscoe in the main event of ROH Supercard Of Honor for the ROH World Title.  Although unsuccessful in his defense, the match was hard-hitting and emotional, as it marked the eleven-year anniversary of the late Jay Briscoe, Mark's incredible brother, winning his first ROH World Title.  Also, in CMLL, the much revered and respected lucha legend, Blue Panther, faced one of the game's all-time best in-ring technicians in Bryan Danielson. Danielson has been vocal about his pure love and admiration for Blue Panther, referring to him as his favorite luchador of all-time.  At Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, Danielson and his BCC group of Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli, teamed with Matt Sydal to face Team CMLL, consisting of the aforementioned Panther, Ultimo Guerrero, Mistico, and Volador Jr.  Four of the most legendary luchadors of modern wrestling facing four of the best in the world from the States was a tremendous affair, in which Team CMLL emerged the winners.  Afterwards, Danielson challenged Panther to a one-on-one match the very next week, and the match was on.  Danielson defeated his lucha hero but gained immense respect from Panther.  On the AEW side of things, Kommander faced former Trios and World Tag Team Champion, Penta El Cero Miedo in an excellent contest on Collision.  

However, we go back, once again, to night one of Mania XL, in which Hall of Famer, Rey Mysterio, teamed with one of the world's best in the recently returning Andrade to face LWO's leader, Santos Escobar and Rey's ungrateful and despised son (and Judgement Day member) Dominick Mysterio, in a match that was totally filled with Latin culture in wrestling. With both Mysterio's LWO faction at ringside, alongside Escobar's Legado Del Fantasma opposing them.  An exciting match for all involved and for the viewers watching.  In the match before it, the aforementioned Ladder Match for the tag belts, Puerto Rico-born Damien Priest was defending the tag belts with Judgment Day partner, Finn Balor.  Although they didn't emerge with either tag title, this would not be the last we would see Priest this weekend.  We fast forward to the WWE Women's Championship match between Io Skyy and Bayley.  Again, a culturally representative match as a woman of Latin heritage (Bayley) challenged a Japanese woman (Skyy) for the title.  Excellent contest and one of the best matches of the weekend, but Bayley (in her first one on one match ever at Mania) won the championship from an unbelievable talent in Skyy. Bayley is one of only a few Latin & Mexican women to be champion throughout history, alongside the likes of Ronda Rousey (her mother is of Venezuelan descent), Nikki Bella (father is Mexican), former WWE stars, Melina and Eve Torres. Earlier in the year, Bayley made more cultural history becoming the first Latina to win the women's Royal Rumble match, while also setting a new Rumble match record of sixty-four minutes, just pushing past Rhea Ripley's prior record of sixty-three minutes the prior year. 

 The first match of the second night was for the World Heavyweight Title, as Drew McIntyre challenged champion, Seth Rollins, for the title. Rollins, after a hard-fought effort, especially after the tremendous match the prior night, succumbed to McIntyre and lost the title.  As McIntyre was verbally bullying and "rubbing it in the face" of CM Punk, who was doing commentary for the match, Punk attacked the new champion. This allowed Priest, who had just lost the tag titles the night before, to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase with the contract inside to challenge for any title he chooses for up to a year after he won it.  He took advantage of a prone and physically vulnerable McIntyre to take the Priest finisher, South of Heaven (named after one of Priest's favorite metal songs from Grammy Award winning thrash metal band, Slayer), to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. This marked only the second time in WWE history a Puerto Rican-born wrestler became World Champion since Pedro Morales in 1971, over fifty years ago! 

It was main event time, however, as Cody Rhodes attempted to "finish his story" and become WWE Universal Champion by challenging the historic champion, Roman Reigns, in a "Bloodline Rules" match, which was virtually a No DQ match.  Drama, suspense, emotional rollercoasters...you name it, this match had it.  After being overbooked like nobody's business (interference from both Usos, Solo Sakoa, The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker), Rhodes, with tears in his eyes, delivered the third and final Cross Rhodes finisher as he looked up at the Wrestlemania sign to the 1-2-3 for perhaps the most emotional World Title win in many years.  Rhodes is also half Latin, as his mother is of Cuban descent, thus making him the latest in only a handful of Latin World champions throughout WWE history, alongside the likes of Rey Mysterio, the aforementioned Pedro Morales, and the late, great Eddie Guerrero.  

Of course, Asians were represented excellently, as Io Skyy became the second Japanese woman to hold the Women's title behind former rival (both here and in Japan), Asuka, when she cashed in her women's MITB briefcase on Bianca Belair to become the champion and held the title for nearly eight months.  Of course, the previously mentioned Asuka could possibly be considered the most revered and decorated Japanese wrestler in WWE history, with multiple titles throughout WWE, including her historic run in NXT.  On Mania weekend, trailblazer, Bull Nakano, was inducted into their Hall of Fame with Damage CTRL all seated to watch this tremendous accomplishment (with Asuka in tears watching a hero of hers obtain such a prestigious honor).  Other cultures/communities were heavily represented strongly including Muslims (Sami Zayn), Indian (Akam of AOP's heritage), the Jewish faith (Paul Heyman) and of course Samoan/Pacific Island (The Bloodline and Dakota Kai) at Mania.  

Cultural & community representation is vitally important in every aspect of society, whether it's sports, entertainment, or any other profession, the ability to be able to recognize someone that looks like you, acts like you, and the like is always something that needs to continue to be a progressive narrative.  The LGBTQ+ community was in effect for indie wrestler, Effy, and his annual Big Gay Brunch and his Big Gay Bash events over the weekend, that puts a spotlight on wrestlers within the LGBTQ+ community, and this is an example of more inclusion within wrestling. Open members of the community include Sonny Kiss, TNA's Gisele Shaw, WWE's Sonya Deville, AEW stars Nyla Rose, Layla Hirsch and The Acclaimed's Anthony Bowens, Fred Rosser (formerly Darren Young of WWE) and deceased stars such as Chris Kanyon, Grand Wizard, and Pat Patterson. Surely, there are racists, sexists, misogynists, homophobes, and fascists that will try to poison the landscape of wrestling or anything else in our society in general.  Look at the hate that Bianca got for being on the bonus deluxe edition of WWE 2K24 with Rhea, or even when Jade, Naomi, and the aforementioned Bianca were all in the ring pointing at the Wrestlemania sign after Smackdown went off the air.  In what should've been a VERY historic moment (and it was by the way), it was filled with open racism and hate.  Fortunately, there's more love and acceptance than ever before so these types of humans are not in the majority.  Inclusion and representation are important and in the words of Bianca, "Representation isn't a request anymore, it's a requirement."  Until next time, folks!

Match Of The Month (March)

Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita

AEW Revolution '24

3/3/2024

 March was another excellent month of wrestling.  Coming off a very exciting month of February, March came in like a lion, as AEW presented Revolution in Greensboro, NC. This event marked the final in-ring performance for Sting, as this was his last match teaming with Darby Allen to face The Young Bucks (more on that shortly).  However, while that was definitely the match everyone came to see and the world was on the edge of their seats to witness, there was another match that the world was waiting on, and this was quite the anticipatory matchup on paper.  While Sting was making his exit from professional wrestling, AEW's newest phenom, Will Ospreay, was making his official AEW in-ring debut facing Konosuke Takeshita, a young Japanese talent that has been highly revered himself over the years, especially during his time with AEW.  As both guys are members of Don Callis' Family, this was seen as a "who's the best" type of affair that Callis put together between arguably his two brightest stars.  Ospreay is CLEARLY a babyface here in a notoriously heel faction, as Ospreay is no stranger being in Callis Family business.  The thirty-one-year-old Brit had Callis in his corner during the EPIC Ospreay vs. Omega matchup at AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door II in Toronto.  Ospreay also was involved in a Trios matchup with Takeshita and former member Sammie Guevara (very brief member at that) facing the team of Jericho, Omega, and the ever-talented Kota Ibushi (Omega's partner as The Golden Lovers in DDT and NJPW).  Since then, Ospreay transitioned over into becoming a babyface again (even after his MONUMENTAL encounter just a couple of weeks prior at RevPro High Stakes against Michael Oku) and it became a matter of an odd man out situation with Ospreay getting tremendously cheered by fans.  With both these extraordinary talents in the ring, the fans greeted both men with "This is awesome" chants and "Holy shit" chants before they even locked up.  Once the match got going, this was phenomenal.  While these two were in the feeling out process for the first several minutes, the action understandably turned up quite a bit, and it was off to the races.  Ospreay demonstrated his exceptional flying abilities not too long thereafter, along with his finesse offense and overall magnificent ring presence and the ability to captivate you with seemingly every move he would execute or even attempt.  Takeshita, on the other hand, wasn't far from him.  His moves were impactful, but at times very deliberate.  He can fly and execute innovative offense almost like Ospreay can and, in fact, met Ospreay at every level. Both men knew how to counter each other quite often with suplexes, Spanish Fly offense and the like.  Within ten minutes, the crowd was on their feet giving them more "This is awesome" chants. While there were suplexes, plenty of chops and physicality, perhaps the one spot that made people cringe was approaching. Keep in mind, Ospreay almost legit knocked out Takeshita with a BRUTAL 360 forearm that was NASTY looking at it on slow-mo.  Once Takeshita shook the cobwebs loose, he responded with a thunderous forearm of his own that was stiff as hell likewise.  There was a moment in which Takeshita in fact executed seemingly a brain buster on the top turnbuckle, however Ospreay pretty much slid down the corner post and damn near landed legitimately on his head on the way down. Thankfully, his hip and ass area suffered more physical effects than his head and neck area did. From there, once again, it was offense after offense, counter after counter, close fall after close fall.  This was truly becoming an all-timer.  However, after a barrage of offense from both men, Ospreay got Takeshita with a Styles Clash, only to set up Takeshita for a Storm Driver '92 and his vicious finisher, The Hidden Blade, for the one-two-three.  This match was by every stretch of the imagination incredible.  Ospreay had indeed arrived in AEW and put on yet another masterful clinic against another guy who needs to be on everyone's best in the world list in Konosuke Takeshita.  Afterwards, a former member of Ospreay's New Japan faction, United Empire, emerged, as Kyle Fletcher came from the back.  Fletcher, who's the ROH TV Champion, had been stuck in England due to Visa issues, but finally got those worked out.  He is also one half of the fantastic team, Aussie Open, with Mark Davis, who's sidelined with a broken wrist that he sustained in their match against FTR at All Out.  Fletcher and Ospreay hugged each other in a reunion of sorts, but Callis made am tach between them at the following Dynamite that was almost every bit as stellar as this match was.  In one week (in fact 3 days apart, Ospreay managed to deliver two MOTY candidates to continue this otherworldly momentum he's on.  It's clear Ospreay is poised for the next level of his stardom, and with the past few matches he's had this year, a repeat of Wrestler of the year in several publications may be in sight yet again. Check the match out here.

Sting & Darby Allen vs. The Young Bucks

AEW World Tag Team Championships/Tornado Tag Team Match

AEW Revolution '24

3/3/2024

The runner-up Match of the Month was originally going to be the aforementioned Ospreay vs. Fletcher match on the 3/6 edition of AEW Dynamite, and rightfully so, as it was a STELLAR match and one of the best Dynamite matches in recent memory. However, because of the drama and emotions behind this match, the runner-up MOTM goes to the main event of AEW Revolution, which was Sting (in his final match) teaming with Darby Allen to face The Young Bucks in a Tornado Tag Team Match for the AEW World Tag Team Titles.  Since November, Sting has been stating he would retire at the 2024 Revolution PPV.  Leading up to the heart aching night, Sting had been a TREMENDOUS roll.  Along with the ever athletically feisty and gutsy Allen, the two were unstoppable together.  They were challenged (more or less) by a more sophisticated Bucks, as they were now going by their "birth names", Matthew & Nicholos Jackson.  In real-life, it's widely known that The Bucks, along with Kenny Omega, are EVPs of AEW, a move that still has generated tons of controversy over the years.  For this occasion, however, it fit and fit well, as they became more arrogant and power-driven then we had ever seen them.  On the 2/12 edition of Dynamite, Sting & Allen defeated Big Bill & Ricky Starks to become the AEW World Tag Team Champions, thus marking Sting's seventh Tag Team title in his career, alongside the likes of Rick Steiner and Lex Luger.  The victory was short-lived, as The Bucks, decked out in all white outfits, viciously assaulted Sting, Allen, and Sting's adult sons, Garrett and Steven with baseball bats.  A battered Sting and a bloodied Allen were laid out with the blood of Allen all over the outfits of the EVPs. While the next week, Darby addressed the Bucks (to critical panning by the way) and Sting was a no-show.  He showed up, as did Allen, on a video package the following week giving one of the most passionate and gripping promos he's done in years, as he incorporated in the real-life heartbreak of the passing of his father from the prior week, which presumptively is the reason he didn't appear the prior week.  The next week, Sting arrived in classic Sting fashion from the top of the ceiling reminiscent of his former "Crow" days battling the NWO in WCW back in '96 and '97. He and Darby went to work on the Bucks and the stage was now set for what was sure to be a memorable encounter for more than one reason and was it ever.  Having to follow the highly exceptional match of Ospreay vs. Takeshita was no easy task whatsoever, but the AEW World Title match of Samoa Joe vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page did a great job. It was now time for the main event, as The Bucks came out first.  The former two-time champions and one of the most innovative and influential tag teams of the modern era were ready for a third reign.  Next up, the introductions of Allen, as well as Ric Flair and a surprise appearance by fellow Hall of Famer, and arguably Flair's greatest in-ring rival, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, all happened to standing ovations for each.  From there, dry eyes became watery, as the video appeared on the screen of Sting watching old in-ring memories of him in what looked like a private theater.  While it SUCKED that we never got a chance to see his WCW, NWA, UWF, nor TNA/Impact work within the packages, he was able to see stills, images, as well as his work in AEW and NJPW with pride.  From there, the words, "It's showtime...for the last time" got us all in our feels.  We then had his eldest son, Garrett, come out, dressed up in Sting's gear from when he won his first NWA World title from Flair in Baltimore, MD at The Great American Bash of '90.  then, we saw Steven come out as "Wolfpack Sting", in which he donned a long hair wig and had his face painted in the black and red of The Wolfpack.  Then the real Sting came out, and to a thunderous, standing ovation with one of his old theme songs playing him out, Metallica's gritty, "Seek & Destroy".  The action started quickly, as all four of these men got involved attacking The Bucks.  However, things would turn up, and turn up big time.  We would see chairs, ladders, tables, and glass. The undoubted craziest spot of the match and the evening by far was when Allen attempted a Swanton Dive onto Nicholous, who was prone on a large plate of glass, and Allen missed, completely shattering the glass and ripping his back up to shreds in the process.  Keep in mind, Allen was on a sixteen-to-twenty-foot ladder when he dove.  Sting had to handle this fight two against one, and he did very valiantly for most of the fight.  In one of the most courageous and toughest displays of determination ever witnessed in today's era of wrestling, Sting was relentless in defending himself against the unpretty onslaught of The Bucks.  From low blows to chair shots to getting hip-tossed into a panel of glass and power bombed through a table, Sting endured it all.  At one point, even Flair tried to protect Sting and got superkicked for his troubles, as did Steamboat.  After half the match of being prone and hurt from the glass spot, Allen got back in action, and played a huge hand in the final few minutes, which saw Sting apply his legendary Scorpion Deathlock finisher to Matthew, and the elder Jackson brother tapped out to an ear-deafening pop from the Greensboro crowd.  Sting & Allen not only retained the Tag Team gold, but Sting retired undefeated.  With heavy emotion in the air, as well as a ton of pride and gratitude, the fans saluted Sting in his last commanding performance.  While many critics scoffed at the Allen spot, and some of how Sting was putting his body through its own bit of hell, the match as a whole was captivating, at times very uneasy to watch, but was a match Sting was more than proud of, and it was a performance worthy of going out in style for.  Although bell to bell, it didn't touch Ospreay vs. Takeshita, this match was special and told a story of a true legend and icon of the sport going out on his own terms and in a way nobody would ever forget.  To Steve "Sting" Borden, job well done!  Check the match out here.

Honorable Mentions

FTR vs. Castagnoli/Moxley/ AEW Revolution

Strickland vs. Joe vs. Page/AEW Revolution

Kingston vs. Danielson/AEW Revolution

Cassidy vs. Strong/AEW Revolution

Ospreay vs. Fletcher/AEW Dynamite 3/6/24

Hashimoto/Sharee vs. Cosmic Angels/Stardom Cinderella Tournament

Danielson vs. Taylor/AEW Collision 3/9/24

Oku vs. RUSH/wXw 16 Karat Gold Rush Tournament

Tsuji vs. Cobb/NJPW New Japan Cup

Danielson vs. Shibata/AEW Collision 3/16/24

Copeland vs. Cage/AEW Dynamite 3/20/24

Kingston vs. Okada/AEW Dynamite 3/20/24

Goto vs. Tsuji/NJPW New Japan Cup Finals