The Hurt Syndicate Discuss The Importance Of Representation In Pro Wrestling
03/29/2025 01:10 PM
During a recent appearance on “The F Y'all Podcast,” The Hurt Syndicate's MVP and Shelton Benjamin addressed the comments made by stablemate Bobby Lashley at the AEW Full Gear 2024 post-show media scrum.
During the media scrum, Lashley was asked about facing a former black World Champion in AEW.
At the time, Lashley stated, I don't like that, I don't like that 'Black champion.' It's just a champion. We've normalized this already, and that's what I want to do with it. Winning a title as a 'Black champion', and there's other Black champions here, we can kind of erase that word now and we can just say champion."
MVP stated that although he supports Lashley's viewpoint, the importance of representation remains a notable concern.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
MVP on Bobby Lashley's previous comments: However, I also understand that representation matters. Growing up, I didn't have any Black action heroes, I didn't know that there were Black GI Joes, you know? We didn't have that growing up."
On the importance of role models: "It means something to be able to look up and see a champion that looks like you. I still believe that it does mean something, especially for Black men to have Black role models and to have Black heroes you can look up to and identify with."
Shelton Benjamin on how things have changed during his career: "Having done this for 25 years and most of my career being with WWE, and I remember a time when I entered WWE, the only Black champions I saw were tag team champions. So, that's all I really aspired to until I actually got there and realized that, you know, I won my tag team title three months into my full-time career, so now what?"
MVP on there being no world champions of color other than The Rock before Booker T: "There are certain things that are just blatantly obvious, you know? And some people are 'Oh, you're … come on … you want to make everything about race!' Because it is, motherf***er, because it is. I know I'm going to get a whole bunch of feedback on that, but you know what this podcast is? F*** y'all."
The post The Hurt Syndicate Discuss The Importance Of Representation In Pro Wrestling appeared first on eWrestlingNews.com.
