People who watch wrestling often argue about the legitimacy of the art form with friends who don’t. The skeptic often points to staged punches and kicks, ignoring actual table crashes, glass dots and other physical demands that most humans are not made for. The wrestling fan usually replies by observing the level of performance, athleticism and emotion needed to turn it into a spectacle. Bianca Belair’s Royal Rumble victory, stamped by a joyfully tearful victory speech, exemplifies this.
And also the response from your colleagues.
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You don’t have to go so far as to profess your admiration through a cracked voice in the middle of a school gym to claim how real it still is for you … damn it! But in the midst of a collective call for equality in response for American racism in 2020, as well as today, the first day of Black History Month 2021, Belair’s victory must resonate differently from other victories in recent memory. The women’s Royal Rumble took place for the first time in 2018 and, in its fourth edition, Belair became the first black woman and the second general black fighter to win a Rumble, after The Rock’s victory in 2000. The male Rumble has been held annually since 1988, then you could do the math on how historic your representation and victory is.
For her, personally, the company directed a WWE Chronicle of Belair on your network in the days leading up to the event. Belair detailed his battle with depression as he jumped from the University of South Carolina to Texas A&M and the University of Tennessee on scholarships. (She even won All-SEC and All-America honors while in Tennessee.)
As for the art of pro wrestling, Belair’s performance itself was the best of a Royal Rumble woman, as well as one of the best we’ve seen in general. Belair entered third place in the 30-woman contest, remaining in the ring for 56 minutes and 52 seconds (record for women in the Rumble), accumulating four eliminations and persevering in several disputes.
Naturally, as human beings, we tend to look forward and speculate. Whether it’s the next season of your favorite show, the next NBA marquee, or the 10 minutes you can relax before you need to do your laundry because you’re out of basketball shorts and black socks to quarantine.
In this case, the wrestling community is salivating at the thought Sasha Banks defending her WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship against Belair at this year’s WrestleMania. Banks, the five-time female champion of Raw, is currently in her longest reign for the title by far and at its highest level undisputed since joining the main NXT squad almost six years ago. WrestleMania 37 will be held at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida (which is where the Super Bowl LV will be held on Sunday), the venue intended last year before COVID arrived. As in 2020, the event will take place in two days; on April 10 and 11. If Belair chooses Banks over Asuka – the current female champion of Raw – it will be the first title played by two black women at a WrestleMania. If the two banks in Belair remain at the elite level of performance they have demonstrated in recent months, it will be a meeting worthy of a major event.
Banks and Belair are the best they’ve been at the moment. We hope the WWE will give people what they want.