Month: September 2014

The Bundy 5

The Bundy 5: Alcohol & Drug Addiction Storylines

James Martinez

IMG_2340As September draws to a close I figured I’d highlight the fact that September is National Recovery Month which raises awareness about recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Addictions that the pro wrestling industry is all too familiar with. And while wrestling fans once chugged along with their favorite beer guzzlers like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Sandman, and rolled a fatty for 4:20 friendly wrestlers like Rob Van Dam and The Godfather, in today’s wrestling landscape that’s no longer the case. While it’s not entirely condemned, because only heels are straight edge, it’s definitely frowned upon. Pro wrestling has even tried to make public service announcements out of wrestlers’ real-life past addictions. Here’s five of them.

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Paid for by the Following

Paid for by the Following: Budweiser

James Martinez

IMG_2368Thanks to Budweiser’s Real Men of Genius musical campaign, the pro wrestling wardrobe designer finally got his just due. Of course, like most men highlighted in these songs the wardrobe designer was ridiculed to no end. It’s basically the one-minute version of the joke you’ve always heard from your friends who hate that you watch wrestling, but in the form of a not-so-subtle song.

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Art of Gimmickry

The Overly Latino Wrestler

James Martinez

bandidosSeeing as National Hispanic Heritage Month officially started on September 15th, I thought this would be a good enough reason to look at The Overly Latino Wrestler. From the Mexican luchadores to the Puerto Rican grapplers. Whether they are salsa-dancing, fiery Lotharios or lowrider driving, gang bangers (and not in the Porn Hub way), the Latino wrestler has been a long-time fixture in the American professional wrestling scene. You might have noticed him. He’s the one who always cuts a promo in Spanish after having already said it in English because how else are we supposed to know he’s Latino?

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A Winner is You

Zangief

James Martinez

IMG_2152Height: 7′
Weight: 256 lbs.
Hometown: Russia
Finisher: Final Atomic Buster
Video Game: Street Fighter series & Marvel vs. Capcom series

Often perceived as a villain, in particularly the few films he’s made appearances in, the “Red Cyclone” is actually considered to be “good natured, with a great sense of humor, and totally fearless.” according to the Capcom Wiki page of Street Fighter II: Special Championship Edition. The grappling Ruskie is also considered to be the first fighting video game character who relies on a rasslin’ moveset. So you can thank this man for your Kings, Wolf Hawkfields, and Big Bear/Raidens.

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What the World is Watching

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

James Martinez
 ItsAlwaysSunnyLogo“The Gang Wrestles for the Troops”
Season 5, Episode 7
10/29/2009
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been able to consistently find unique ways to have their group of drunken underachieving sociopaths exploit topics from the mundane to the taboo. Pro wrestling falls somewhere in between those two. Okay, maybe it’s not taboo (at least not since the Attitude Era) but when you mix in a healthy dose of jingoism and xenophobia you’re bound to rub some people the wrong way. Even Rusev and Lana’s schtick has made it into the mainstream news coverage. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia not only skewered the forever trite storyline of good vs. evil in the form of warlike foreign policy, but also lampooned the depressing, all-too-real, downward spiral most pro wrestlers’ lives take when they’re no longer headlining sold-out arenas.

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