What's the story?
In line with their celebration of Black History Month, WWE recognised the contribution and achievements of Former American President, Barack Obama. WWE aired a one-minute video package of Obama, with WWE’s resident African American stars speaking about the man.
Rosa Parks and Jackie Robinson are two other luminaries who had been recognised by WWE as well, in a similar format. A video of Obama’s tribute has been linked below.
In case you didn’t know...
WWE celebrates Black History Month every year to celebrate the accomplishments of men and women of colour. While wrestlers of African-American origin have been recognised in the past, this year WWE looked outside the squared circle to find role models from the African-American community.
Vince McMahon has been very vocal about Martin Luther King being an inspiration to him, and thus, this month has become an annual tradition. Obama himself has been part of WWE’s programming in the past, most notably in Tribute to the Troops, addressing the armed forces.
The heart of the matter
Superstars Mark Henry, Sasha Banks, Cedric Alexander and Kofi Kingston were all part of the tribute to Barack Obama. Sasha Banks said- ‘Calm and collected, Obama’s success served as a reminder for what so many people before him worked so hard to achieve, and in turn, they work hard to end injustice at home and around the world.’
Mark Henry added:
‘Barack Obama led the nation through an uncertain time, but his inspirational message of hope and change was embraced around the nation and celebrated around the world.’
What’s next?
We're certain that Black History Month will continue to remain an annual tradition for WWE, and even this year, more Superstars of colour will be recognised by WWE. Will this mean that more African-American Superstars will get pushed? Only time will tell for sure.
Sportskeeda’s take
Across the internet, fans have speculated that WWE only conducts this program as a means to appeal to all communities. That said, we feel it's a wonderful initiative at least on the surface and is also a welcome distraction during any show, especially if its three hours long.
At the same time, to play Devil's Advocate, we wonder if this vignette could have been better served as a tribute to Ivan Koloff and Nicole Bass.
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