10 WWE Storylines That Were Probably Racist

1. Triple H Puts Booker T In His Place

This is probably one of the most famous instances of overt racism creeping into WWE. In the lead-up to WrestleMania XIX, Triple H began deriding his opponent, Booker T, saying €œpeople like you€ don€™t deserve to be World Champion. Triple H mocked Booker T.€™s hair and spinarooni, asking him to dance for him. It felt like people were watching something from our parents€™ generation, where saying stuff like that was just €œthe way it was.€ Putting aside the despicable nature of the comments, Triple H definitely put himself in the heel category, and the fans were just begging Booker to shut his mouth up at WrestleMania. Jim Ross€™ commentary as Booker made his way to the ring €“ talking about how Booker was the youngest of seven, his mother died when he was 12 and he paid for his criminal mistakes €“ set the stage for a triumphant climax to this less than savory story at the biggest PPV of the year. So naturally, Triple H kicked out of Booker€™s Harlem Hangover, hit a Pedigree and then laid on the mat for 20 seconds before pinning him. End of story. No day of reckoning for Triple H, no wrestling justice served. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4RebbQqQz4 Did Triple H generate a lot of heat for his Mania match against Booker T? Definitely. Was he the most hated guy in Safeco Field and Booker the babyface everyone was pulling for? Absolutely. Was it worth the promo and angle they used to get there? Well, that€™s the question with a lot of these examples. It seems like WWE believes that interjecting race and racism into their angles add a layer of depth to the storytelling. But as evidenced by these examples, the use of race and racism doesn€™t magically elevate a person or angle. In the long run, it€™s just an element that isn€™t needed in professional wrestling.