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Guest Editorials
EDITORIAL: Mayweather vs Big Show was a giant slap in the face to pro wrestling Mar 31, 2008 - 7:27:10 PM
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GUEST EDITORIAL
By David Miller, PWTorch.com Reader
Vince McMahon has no pride in his product. This was never more certain than it was last night when Floyd "Money" Mayweather defeated Big Show at WrestleMania. I watched the PPV with a group of friends. We are all independent pro wrestlers who gave our hearts and souls just the previous night to put on the most realistic, entertaining wrestling show we possibly could. We take great pride in what we do. It's hard to keep that pride when a guy who is not a wrestler and has never had any formal training steps into a pro wrestling ring on the biggest event of the year and defeats one of the sport's top players.
Never mind that Mayweather is a great athlete and a premiere boxer. Tiger Woods can't jump into a hod rod and win the Daytona 500. If he did, how foolish would Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jimmy Johnson look? LeBron James can't step in as quarterback for the Colts and win the Superbowl. Brock Lesnar, predominantly known as a pro wrestler, trained for months for his first UFC fight and lost because he was obviously out of his element.
The Big Show [artist Cory Gould (c) PWTorch]
Okay, we all know that the match was set up, that it wasn't a real fight. But did Vince McMahon ever consider the fact that the people who bought tickets to WrestleMania might actually be wrestling fans and that they just might want to see a wrestler win? Did anyone notice that Big Show was being heartily cheered when he was thrashing Mayweather? McMahon has a history of punking out his own wrestlers to outsiders who have no business in a wrestling ring. William Shatner embarrassed Jerry Lawler. Lawrence Taylor beat Bam Bam Bigelow. Mike Tyson spanked Shawn Michaels. And just last night, Snoop Dogg clotheslined Santino Marella. Like Snoop can even spell the word "clothesline."
What had been a fun-filled, exciting night for a group of young independent wrestlers who also happen to be huge wrestling fans quickly turned sour when, yet again, our beloved sport had just gotten punked out. Not by Floyd Mayweather, but by Vince McMahon and WWE. Why does Vince treat his own product like a "bastard stepchild"? Is he so ashamed that he's involved in wrestling that he'd rather have his troupe referred to as "superstars" or "sports entertainers"? Would it be so outrageous if a wrestler actually defeated an actor, rapper, basketball player, race car driver, or boxer in a wrestling match? Geez, what a novel idea!
In one of the most infamous worked-shoots in history, Jerry Lawler defended the integrity of professional wrestling when Hollywood actor Andy Kaufman made fun of the sport and its fans. Lawler had enough respect for his profession to give the fans what they wanted and deserved by hospitalizing Kaufman. Kaufman, realizing he had no business in wrestling, allowed Lawler to beat and humiliate him. He knew it would be good for business and, besides, he was honored just to be involved in wrestling. It's really too bad that Mayweather couldn't show that same respect and humility. But then again, if Vince McMahon has no respect for his business or it's fans, why should Mayweather?
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