Wrestlers admire Trump because he is one of them

In the United States, voting is already underway to elect the President who will take the place of Joe Biden, and there is less and less time until November 5th, the day the polls will close and the vote counting will begin. For weeks, the world's top analysts have been talking about the most uncertain American election ever, with the two candidates essentially tied. In a situation where the dogma is "every vote counts," it is interesting to see how much Donald Trump is focusing on the world of wrestling.

Already during the Republican conference following the July 13th attack, we witnessed the incredible scene of Hulk Hogan on stage, tearing off his shirt to reveal one with the names of Trump and Vance, all accompanied by the phrase "Let Trumpamania run wild, Brother," which echoed his historic catchphrase. We saw something similar a few days ago at the Republican event held at Madison Square Garden. To this we can add Trump's presence on the podcast "Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway," hosted by Undertaker, and the videos showing The Donald accompanied by the Brothers of Destruction, namely Undertaker and Kane.

To be clear: WWE has not officially taken a stance; not all professional wrestlers are in favor of Trump, for example, Dave Bautista supports Kamala Harris. But the approach of the Republican candidate and the response obtained from the category are extremely interesting. And the reasons behind this phenomenon, in addition to the pragmatic ones, i.e. reaching a demographic that is otherwise difficult to reach, are mainly two: Trump's past in WWE and the nature of Wrestling that The Donald himself has not hesitated to apply to politics. Let's take a closer look at these points.

Trump and WWE: a Hall of Famer in the White House

The 45th President of the United States grew up in Queens watching wrestling and admiring his heroes of the time. His path has many points in common with the rise of former WWE CEO Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Both took the reins of their family businesses, turning them into true empires with their faces imprinted on them. They laid the foundations in Reagan's America, prospered in the ultra-deregulated capitalism of the 1980s, and faced an endless number of scandals and trials, both corporate and personal. Their paths crossed for the first time in 1988, when the federation (then WWF) was looking for a venue for the fourth edition of WrestleMania. Many in the country tried to secure the event, but Trump won out, proposing one of his buildings in Atlantic City.

Fast forward twenty years. We are in the midst of the popularity of the reality show The Apprentice, with the catchphrase "You're Fired" used by everyone, including Vince McMahon. During a special episode of RAW, in which the Big Boss was in the midst of unbridled self-celebration, here comes The Donald onto the stage. His entrance is accompanied by a rain of dollar bills falling on the audience. The crowd is ecstatic in front of a Trump who embodies the "Face" (the good guy) of the situation, the perfect setup for a story that would find its conclusion at WrestleMania 23. For the occasion, they choose a champion (Umaga for McMahon, Lashley for Trump) to fight in their place: the loser would be shaved live worldwide. During the "road to WrestleMania," Trump's appearances are frequent. On these occasions, Trump gives his first public speeches and, looking back at the interventions today, we can see the foundations of the politician he would become.

At WrestleMania 23, Umaga is defeated and Vincent McMahon is shaved bald, with a triumphant and satisfied Trump by his side, in one of the most remembered moments in the history of the "Showcase of the Immortals." The Pay-per-view becomes the most profitable in the company's history up to that point. In the following years, there will be no shortage of other appearances and storylines featuring The Donald at the center, who in 2013 was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Politics like Wrestling

Conventional actors on stage and screen have an unspoken agreement with the audience: it is clear to everyone that what is happening is not real. Otherwise, viewers would be terrified when someone dies in a movie, for example. In professional wrestling, however, the wrestlers pretend that everything is real, even when they are offstage. The audience applauds and plays along. It is kayfabe, the art of making what is staged seem real, the subtle line between fiction and reality that keeps sports entertainment afloat. Trump is the only WWE Hall of Famer to become President of the United States. And he became the 45th President by exploiting his past in WWE. This statement falls exactly on that line and is so significant that the Republican candidate exploits it in the most important moment of the election campaign. Trump uses the theatricality of this format to manipulate his audience.

Think of the recent attack, when he raised his fist in a gesture of challenge almost immediately after. "Fight," he shouted at the crowd and the cameras. The incident highlights Trump's awareness of the image he wants to project, even in chaotic situations, and how he uses those moments to reinforce his message. First, he transformed American politics into a WWE ring, then he took on the role of "heel," the wrestling villain who breaks the rules and provokes the audience in search of strong reactions. Trump has no problem openly lying to people. He is so uninhibited and over the top that his way of lying is, due to the typical pact between wrestler and spectator in wrestling, paradoxically more honest. What remains to be seen, based on the outcome of the vote, is whether this storyline will bring an end to an era or the beginning of something else.