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Hoping The Past Does Not Repeat

Please be patient with me, Wrestling Fans. I am about to attempt something I have not done in quite a while- a column! It has been so long since my last column that I think Shawn has actually done two in that time! But seriously, I want to thank Shawn once again for giving me this opportunity to sound off.

For me, it is very tough to write a column on professional wrestling during times like this. I would love to sit here and be able to make jokes about the affairs of the world- how France has turned heel or how Russia has left our corner when we wanted to tag them in as Barry Windham did to Lex Luger when he joined with the Four Horsemen in the glory days of WCW. But it’s just not the same this time around. The world is a much more serious place. I don’t want to be another “…since 9/11…” person, but the reality is that since that day, we look at things a bit differently. The WWE is no exception.

Think back to 1991. The United States was leading a coalition to drive Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, whom he invaded in an attempt to seize control of their vast oil riches. Patriotism was at an all-time high in this country. So what did Vince McMahon do? He took one of the most patriotic WWF superstars, Sgt. Slaughter, and turned his character into an Iraqi sympathizer. He also took another legendary wrestler and one-time nemesis of Slaughter, former WWF Champion the Iron Sheik, and put them on the same team. McMahon gave Slaughter the WWF title. By Slaughter’s own accounts, he received death threats and insults that would make Eddie Murphy blush. Of course, at WrestleMania VII, the evil Iraqi sympathizer was defeated by the All-American Hulk Hogan. Not a bad strategy to capitalize on the war and the strong patriotic sentiment of the country.

Flash forward to 2003. The U.S. is again battling Iraq. But things are different this time around. The mood of the country is different. If Vince McMahon would try to replicate the previous storyline, I think it would be the end of the WWE. I, for one, would no longer watch. I hope Vince realizes this and I think he does. Ratings are down from previous years and Vince seems to be willing to try anything. From Sable to Goldberg, former enemies are being seen as ratings points and bridges that were seemingly burned are “magically” being rebuilt. While I might question Vince’s approach to address the ratings decline, I would also applaud him for finally taking the high road by not capitalizing on more serious issues in the world. At the time, I honestly thought the Slaughter/Hogan angle of 1991 took some serious “grapefruits,” and I gave McMahon credit for trying it. Now, however, I would find this angle distasteful, exploitive, and downright wrong. Call it maturity, call it the wisdom that comes with age, or call it plain common sense; but any attempt at profiting from the current events in Iraq would just be wrong.

I don’t think people give enough credit to the entertainment value of professional wrestling. After 9/11/2001, Smackdown was the first big sporting/entertainment event to carry on and help lift our nation’s spirits. That had to be even more difficult than going on with Monday Night RAW the night after the death of Owen Hart. Yet the superstars of the WWE went out and put on a show for us. Their hearts were as heavy as ours, and they stepped up to the plate without being distasteful or exploitive. I have watched this business for 23 years, and more often than not I have been proud to say I am a fan. Now, as I explain to my 8 year-old son why our country is right and just for this current action, I can sit down with him on Mondays and Thursdays and escape for a couple of hours. Let’s hope that Vince McMahon doesn’t blur those lines…again.

Thanks wrestling fans! I’m Cam…I’m “The Man”…and I’ll see ya…at ringside!

Past Columns:

September 14, 2002 - Mainstream Media Folied Again!

October 6, 2002 - So What Are They Doing Right?

December 26, 2002 - Cam's 2002 Year-End Awards