The Characters

“Tim Robinson” 
Season 1, Episode 7
3/11/2016

While most people on Netflix were probably checking out DJ Tanner from Fuller House La Magistral Cradling Los Pollos Locos, they were probably too high on their nostalgia trip to check out another Netflix original show that featured wrestling.

Most shows that feature wrestling sometimes will go that extra mile and incorporate the promos/interviews that’s become one of the major staples of pro wrestling. In Tim Robinson’s episode of The Characters (which is a good episode all around), he decides to lampoon the classic wrestling promo, but, more importantly, take a not-so-subtle jab at “Jumpin'” Jeff Farmer’s infamous wrestling promo. Although, after Tuesday’s WWE Draft, comedians might be parodying Kalisto’s terrible backstage interview from here on out.

Back to the sketch. It’s 1980-something, and we’re live from Tampa Bay, Florida, a hotbed for professional wrestling in the 80’s. Tampa Bay Wrestling Association’s own “Fighting” Jack Fletcher is getting interviewed by Rusty Vickers (a perfect wrestling interviewer name, if any) about his upcoming match against Dump Truck Wallace. What follows is an awkward promo cut by an awkward-looking wrestler. In between some tongue-tied wording and borderline homoerotic fan fiction, Fletcher vows to avenge his first loss

The match goes as well as you’d expect for some guy who looks like Fletcher. He moves on from Wallace, and sets his sight on Cosskie The Russian, because it is the 1980’s, and every wrestling federation had a evil Russian wrestler. Fletcher also promises to whip Cosskie and dedicates his win to America. The best part about this is how, in true babyface fashion, Fletcher owns up to his losses. He makes no excuses. He takes full responsibility for letting the American flag get torched. He also reminds Cosskie that he didn’t appreciate Cosskie spitting on him. He calls for the rematch, gets it, and it ends with the same result. We never actually see the matches play out, we just get to hear it in subsequent promos from Jack Fletcher himself.

At this point, he’s come to terms with the fact that most of the roster can beat him except for Shiekhzilla, a Middle Eastern heel wrestler. Again, because it’s the 80’s. After the match, Fletcher recognizes his mistake in taking on Shiekhzilla, but mostly because he’s been wrestling longer. It’s no wonder he beat him. But he was able to outsmart his opponent by crapping his pants in order to avoid from get getting choked to death. Can’t blame him for trying. The American flag still got torched though. This eventually leads to a four-way match, in which Fletcher takes on all of his previous opponents. I’ll let you figure out how that match ended.