Roundtable: Patriotism In Wrestling

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we discuss the history of patriotism in wrestling.

Do angles and storylines attacking America interest you?

Chad Gelfand: They don’t really interest especially in this day and age. It just feels like a played out concept.

Jack Goodwillie: Not anymore. Until they come up with a fresh, new angle or perspective, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to keep going to that well, especially in 2018 where there’s been a lot of fence mending and no front page international incidents (i.e., Cold War, etc.)

Devonte Grant: I don’t care about patriotism in wrestling. I don’t remember any stellar matches coming from those, anyway.

Steven Jackson: I have always found storylines and angles attacking any nation quite shallow. Being from the U.K., I have always felt slightly distanced from the USA patriotically as a pro wrestling fan. While past storylines have been interesting, I find dueling personalities create much better angles for my tastes

Anthony Mahalis: Not really anymore. It’s pretty much the same old stuff. I think that was part of the reason Rusev got stale.

John Corrigan: I don’t have a loved one serving in the military or any recent immigrant success stories in my family, so attacking America just doesn’t resonate with me like a break-up or comeback does.

Have anti-American storylines ever gone over the line?

Gelfand: The Muhammad Hassan angle with The Undertaker where they had men dressed like terrorists attack the Deadman comes to mind. The angle was in poor taste and it effectively killed the Hassan character.

Goodwillie: Not to me. If you’re going to do that type of storyline, you have to be willing to push the envelope with it. They did that with Muhammad Hassan, but folded the moment UPN applied a little network pressure on WWE to cut the cord.

Grant: Yeah, that Muhammad Hassan storyline was atrocious.

Jackson: In regards to things going too far, I never have thought that things have gone too far. But I know a lot of people found Muhammad Hassan’s run very controversial because of its authenticity. I also think any national feuds where flags have been burnt or racist remarks are made are very uncomfortable ways of generating heat.

Mahalis: I don’t think so. You know what you are doing when you are watching WWE programming. Sometimes you have to toe the line, but it is all for entertainment purposes. Sometimes, the entertainment just doesn’t work out.

Corrigan: Pro wrestling is the one place where nothing is over the line.

Will patriotic angles always have a place in wrestling?

Gelfand: I’m not sure about other wrestling companies, but I think it will always have a place in WWE since Vince McMahon is so big on patriotism.

Goodwillie: Yes, because the Hulk Hogan character, the foundation for what the WWE is today, was built on anti-USA story lines, and the history of the business looms large with promoters, performers and fans alike. History exists for us to learn from it, and in the case of wrestling, sometimes reminisce about a better place and time.

Grant: Yes, for better or worse.

Jackson: I think that patriotism will always have a place in pro wrestling, as it does in any sport. We are currently in the middle of the 2018 World Cup, and the patriotism shown by all teams is what makes the tournament so exciting to watch. Similarly in pro wrestling, I recently tweeted that there will be over five continents and 10 individual countries represented by the participants of this year’s annual PWG “Battle of Los Angeles”. Given that PWG is an independent promotion, compared with WWE’s monopoly of the industry, to have that much diversity for one tournament shows how many nationalities can be positively represented in this day and age. We should embrace the diversity of patriotism and enjoy different styles of wrestling, rather than use difference to forward a storyline.

Mahalis: It probably always will as long as there are interesting characters to execute it. You just have to be careful to not go to that well too often.

Corrigan: I don’t think so. As the world becomes smaller and more connected with the internet, and content is distributed to more places, the concept of the foreign menace has become outdated. While WWE may still go to that well, companies like Impact Wrestling, MLW and Lucha Underground are less likely to vilify their foreign audiences.

Who is your favorite foreign heel?

Gelfand: Bret Hart’s 1997 foreign heel run is legendary. It was such a cool dynamic how he was a huge heel in the United States and a big babyface in Canada.

Goodwillie: It’s Muhammad Hassan. Mark Copani is in no way Arabic (and might even be 100-percent Italian, come to think of it), but he played the character to a tee. With the ever-annoying Daivari by his side, I slowly began to take Hassan seriously as a main eventer. You’ll find tons of stories about the Hassan character from over the years, but Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard is going to be covering Hassan in the coming weeks, if not the day this roundtable comes out, so make sure to check it out!

Grant: Don’t have one. It’s really tough for me to take one-dimensional gimmicks seriously, especially as an adult. Now, I don’t consider wrestlers who are foreigners and happen to be heels as foreign heels. There are and have been quite a few talented wrestlers who are foreigners that are heels, I just wouldn’t consider them “foreign heels” because they’re super talented – they’re just heels to me. When I think of a foreign heel, I think of a one-dimensional gimmick on a rather limited wrestler who wants to put their “home country” (in quotes as it may only be kayfabe) over the U.S.

Jackson: My favorite foreign heel has to be the Iron Sheik. The response he used to get from the crowds in the 1980s was remarkable, and although it was “cheap heat”, the Iron Sheik always backed up everything he said by being a legitimate amateur wrestler

Mahalis: If we are speaking solely anti-USA heels, Christian was very entertaining when he was part of the Un-Americans.

Corrigan: Bret Hart in 97 was fire. “If you were going to give the United States of America an enema, you’d stick the hose right here in Pittsburgh.”

Who is your favorite American hero?

Gelfand: I’ve got to go with Kurt Angle. What’s more American than snapping people’s ankles and attacking people with a milk truck?

Goodwillie: I always crack up when we describe guys like Kurt Angle and Bret Hart as American and Canadian “heroes.” What did they overcome other than the obstacles athletes set for themselves? I know it’s just a gimmick but still…Anyway, my favorite American hero is none other than a man who personifies what it means to be an American, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The way he stood up to Bret Hart and the evil Canadians in 1997 really got his gimmick over as an American symbol, beyond just being a bad ass.

Grant: He’s fictional and not wrestling related, but Captain America.

Jackson: Having a favorite American hero is hard given that I am from the U.K. and I naturally gravitate towards U.K. wrestlers. My UK hero will always be the “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith because he wore the Union Jack with pride, and was a phenomenal wrestler. If I had to choose an American hero, I think it would have to be Kurt Angle. Angle was able to effectively use his patriotic views in both his babyface and heel periods. Plus, there is no better endorsement for being patriotic than not only wrestling in the Olympics, but getting a gold medal!

Mahalis: Hulk Hogan, end of story.

Corrigan: The Hulkster, baby. Battling the foreign monsters in the 80s, having a second act in the 90s, losing his family due to the excess of fame and greed in the 2000s and now asking for a second chance, Hogan embodies the trials and tribulations of the American celebrity.