Is Donald Trump Returning To The Wrestling Ring?
"By God... that's Donald Trump's music!"
Could we be hearing legendary wrestling broadcaster Jim Ross scream those words within World Wrestling Entertainment sometime soon?
As with all things in the world of wrestling that already mixes fantasy with reality - never say never.
Speaking with Fox News's Will Cain on Wednesday, WWE CEO and President Nick Khan was asked about the possibility of the former President and current GOP presidential candidate returning to the squared circle - a place that he has been multiple times before.
NICK KHAN: WE WELCOME ALL POLITICS
“We welcome all people at WWE and at UFC, so we don’t see ourselves as a political entity in any way, shape or form,” Khan began. “In fact, over the last 10 to 15 years, we’ve stayed away from that because we want everyone to know that they’re welcome here. Red states, we sell out blue states. We sell out. It’s not what we’re focused on. What we’re focused on is the in-ring product and how it delivers to the fans. And if politicians are fans of our product, they’re welcome.”
Damn, I do smell what the Rock is cookin!
IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN
Honestly, if you're Nick Khan you absolutely have to bring Trump back, if only because of the sheer chaos (and ratings) that it would bring the company that recently just signed the largest sports streaming deal in history with Netflix at a value of $500 billion over 10 years.
Wrestling is built on faces vs. heels. And who is more polarizing than the former President?
You thought the Iranian-loving Iron Sheik character was divisive in the ‘80s when real-life conflicts were happening between America and the Middle East? Hell, Trump would get as much heat as the despicable Iron Sheik AND the American hero Sgt. Slaughter.
It'd be absolute ratings gold.
Although you could see Khan's face initially cringe as he was answering Cain's question and trying to be as politically correct and 'down the middle' as he could, about halfway through, he began changing his tone as if he was already trying to defend why he brought Trump on a WWE program.
“I think for all of us who come from the outside there’s always a bit of imposter syndrome of ‘When am I going to get discovered for not being who people might think I am.’ And then you realize at a certain point, like, ‘No, it’s not imposter syndrome. It’s just normal life for our fans.’ Most of them are folks who have earned their way into the seat that they’re in. And by the way, that applies to the expensive seats. That applies to the not expensive seats. So I think whenever they see somebody who has a similar story to them, someone who’s built something, who wants to build something, it resonates."
Donald Trump with Stone Cold Steve Austin and former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. (Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic)
TRUMP HAS WRESTLED IN THE WWE BEFORE
Nick Khan isn't an idiot. He knows that if he somehow brought Donald Trump back into a wrestling storyline or even had him just appear at a WWE event, the mainstream media would go absolutely bizzerk. But Khan also realizes that just like the UFC, there is a large part of the WWE Universe and fans that actually do support Trump, or at least some of his policies.
WOULD TRUMP DO IT?
There's absolutely no question that Trump would be down to do something with the WWE. I mean, when you really think about it, he already is a character. Just listen to him get on a microphone and go off script and say God knows what - it's exactly like something a wrestler would do when he's shooting an in-ring promo.
He also knows his way around the ring.
Back in 2007 as The Apprentice was winding down, Trump actually appeared on WWE television multiple times in a feud between himself as the face and Vince McMahon as the heel. The two would eventually square off at WrestleMania 23 in a Battle of the Billionaires match. What was at stake? The loser would have to have their hair shaved off.
Could you imagine if something similar was suggested today? All the haters would tune in just because of their sick fantasies of something bad happening to him.
Spoiler alert - Trump got the WrestleMania victory but only after he initially shoved McMahon to the ground and later, clotheslined him. Something tells me he passed the Presidential Fitness Test.
I can't wait for Trump to bring this up during his next campaign stop. Hell, maybe he'll start walking out to the podium to Stone Cold Steve Austin's glass-shattering music!
He'll have to come up with a wrestling finishing move though.
How about the Biden Bodyslam or the BidenSlam?
DO YOU THINK THE WWE SHOULD WELCOME BACK DONALD TRUMP?
TWEET ME YOUR OPINIONS: @TheGunzShow