Wrestling Forward: We’re failing LGBTQ wrestlers during Pride month
Ali on why he became a police officer
Ali is one of wrestling’s most inspirational people, and his journey to WWE encapsulates this. He wrestled on the independent scene in Chicago while working as a police officer in one of the country’s most corrupt cities where rampant police brutality breeds mistrust from a population that is targeted by a bigoted system.
Wrestling fans knew that Ali became a police officer to help be the change in the system, and he recently spoke at length about an incident that help inspired him to be a police officer, in addition to providing valuable insight on his experience.
This quote jumped out the most:
"“That in no way compares to the discrimination and horror stories of others, specifically African American brothers and sisters. I believed the job could be done right. I believe you can actually provide justice, be empathetic and serve the people. “So, I did what I could. This included calling out others cops on BS tactics and making sure to communicate and be as transparent as possible when dealing with the people we serve. I only rocked the badge for a few years but I will say this about my personal experience: There are some horrible cops. There are some amazing cops. There are some horrible people. There are some amazing people. Enough distrust and damage has been done, that in my personal opinion, it’s going to take law enforcement ‘taking the extra step’ to diffuse situations."
Ali is truly one of the brightest lights in this dark world. His measured response to an ignorant fan yesterday and his decision to donate his earnings from Super ShowDown to Charity:Water are further reminders of his light.
Kofi Kingston in Ghana
Kofi Kingston is another one of those intense beams of light in our world, and his trip to Ghana – the country he was born in – has also been nothing short of inspirational. The scenes captured on his trip to Ghana have been beautiful. He spoke to TMZ about his trip, and WWE cameras have been chronicling the company’s first African-born champion’s trip overseas.
Back in WWE, Kofi has continued his exceptional reign as WWE Champion as the clear MVP of the company right now. He is in the running as one of the best WWE Champions of the past 10 years even less than two months into his first reign as world champion.
Super SHE Down
Pro Wrestling EVE‘s Super SHE Down was the big wrestling show that took place on Friday, and the show, which featured Jordynne Grace vs. Toni Storm and first-time UK traveler Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter, was a huge success.
You can check out the show on their Facebook page here.
Women’s match cancelled in Saudi Arabia
WWE tried to get a match on the Super ShowDown card between Alexa Bliss and Natalya, which would have been a ground-breaking first women’s match in Saudi Arabia. But the Saudi Arabian government, unsurprisingly, did not approve the match, as first reported by the Wrestling Observer News’s Dave Meltzer.
My colleague, Ashley Nagrant, wrote that a women’s match wouldn’t have really solved the biggest issues with the show in Saudi Arabia, and neither she nor anyone else was surprised that the Crown Prince’s regime vetoed WWE’s idea.
Pro Wrestling EVE’s Dann Read suggests WWE knew all along that they’d never get Alexa vs. Natalya approved by Saudi Arabia and only flew them to the country to make it seem like they were trying to create progress. Though cynical, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Read were correct in this assertion, given everything we know about Vince McMahon’s leadership and PR tactics as WWE’s leader.
WWE want to portray themselves as agents of change in the region, but Saudi Arabia’s government clearly has no intention of bringing about meaningful social change in the country, which would involve equal rights for women. For a comprehensive piece about the problems with WWE’s involvement in Saudi Arabia and an insightful breakdown of the regime, check out this piece on Deadspin by Karim Zidan and David Bixenspan. They are two of the best writers in combat sports, and Zidan’s analysis of the region’s sociopolitical climate is particularly important.
Of course, no matter how much we scream about WWE’s involvement in Saudi Arabia, there’s nothing stopping it. While I think some people who defend WWE and Saudi Arabia by pointing to the injustices in the United States are arguing in bad faith and don’t quite understand the issue with working side-by-side with the Saudi Arabian regime – who are supported by the same people who carry out injustices in America – in their propaganda efforts, they do bring some salient points.
What’s the real difference between opting out of watching WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows while still supporting the company financially? I’ll leave out their arguments about the United States record on women’s rights, because while sexism is still rampant in America, Saudi Arabia’s women’s rights record is far more appalling…this article sums up the extend of the issues.
That said, I do not personally criticize any wrestling fan who chooses to enjoy the shows in Saudi Arabia. If you love wrestling and WWE, I’m not going to sit on my high horse and tell you that you have to engage in the – let’s admit it – faux activism of not watching the show. If you’re sickened by the show and prefer to watch objectively better events like the Women’s World Cup, more power to you. Join the club!
But remember, our impact is minimal, and it’s not worth losing friends or engaging bad-faith arguments over people’s personal choices. Everyone has their own limits and their own judgment of moral trade-offs. The clothes we wear and the electronic devices we use are all the result of exploitation, yet we still use them while rarely thinking about the steps taken to bring these coveted (necessary?) products to us.
I know I got kind of broad here, but what matters is this: Love each other, and if you want to do something small, consider engaging in more helpful forms of activism like Sami Zayn’s “Sami for Syria” campaign or volunteering in your own community.
It’s easier than getting the dopamine rush that comes with condemning the obvious on Twitter, targeting a foreign country that many of us don’t know much about beyond the undeniably awful things we’re told in media instead of spending the same amount of time looking inward. I’m not saying everyone does this, but I am saying to be mindful.