Donnie the Wrestler

Donald Trump's long association with professional wrestling, and how it helped him win a second presidential term.

Old School

When I was in my second year at intermediate school in 1989 - well over 30 years ago - one of my guilty pleasures was to secretly occasionally watch some real trash television between the time school ended at 3.30pm and before my parents got home at 5.30pm.

My parents didn’t have Sky, but one of my friends did, so sometimes after school we’d go to his place and watch WWF - The World Wrestling Federation (now WWE due to losing a copyright battle with the World Wildlife Fund several years ago).

New Zealand was a bit of a back water destination in the 1980’s and things like parallel importing had only just started. A lot of US brands were previously kept out, and tariffs meant that school kids wore hideous “Nomads”, “Treks” or “Bata Bullets” which were the ugliest Kiwi made shoes you could imagine.

Because NZ was so isolated, anything from the USA seemed like some sort of alien fantasy world, and WWF was the craziest fantasy world of them all. I was addicted, but also vaguely ashamed.

In those years, Hulk Hogan was the biggest star there was (and possibly still is), and my friend and I would drink soda pop and arm wrestle and enjoy the corny story lines and outrageous costumes and trash talking.

The highlight of 1989 was Wrestlemania V, held at Trump Plaza and with a story line featuring Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, and who other than Donald Trump as the “Millionaire Bad Guy” (Billionaires didn’t exist back then).

Even back then I knew who Donald Trump was - such was his fame - but if I didn’t before Wrestlemania V, I sure knew after.

WWE and “Heat”

It was with my school memories in mind that last week I found myself watching the Netflix series “Mr McMahon” (Watch it!!) which is a 6 part mini-series covering this history of WWE - now a US$10 Billion company - but also the complicated interplay between the owner of WWE (Vince McMahon) and “Mr McMahon”, which is the crude, rude, loudmouth promoter character that McMahon plays, as the host of WWE.

Vince McMahon created the character “Mr McMahon” to spice up his presenting of WWE events, and basically create more “heat” from the audience. In the Netflix series, “Heat” is explained as audience participation, and audience participation = $$$ money $$$.

McMahon is such a recognisable person AND character that he has become an internet staple for thousands of memes, with his exaggerated facial expressions being perfect in a range of situations

McMahon explains that it doesn’t matter if the crowd is happy or angry - if they are ENGAGED (HEAT), they will spend money on their hero’s, they will come back, and they will participate. This is important to remember for later.

Good vs Evil

Another thing that is explained in the Netflix series Mr McMahon is the fact that in any wrestling match, there must always be a “Baby face” and “Heel”. These are wrestling terms that have been used for over 100 years that describes the good guy in a story, and the bad guy.

If you don’t have a baby face and a heel, then it’s just two boring guys in a ring without a story.

If you add the Good vs Evil dynamic, then Wrestling takes on its true spectacle, and that’s what makes it different from something like Boxing. Wrestling is a show, a performance, a kind of violent opera.

Hulk Hogan was always the all American hero, he always played the “Baby face” role. But after many years at WWE, Hulk got offered an un-beatable contract with the competition - WCW by Ted Turner - and had to accept because of the money.

Eventually, WCW failed, leaving just WWE as the king of Wrestling entertainment, and Hogan had to come back with his tail between his legs - and the crowd hated him! He was a traitor, and the crowd would no longer accept Hogan as the hero, the baby face.

WWE was almost about to give up on Hogan, but then they had the idea of turning him into the bad guy, the Heel, the traitor, and this began the “Attitude Era” of Westling with Hulk dressed in Black and part of the “NWO - New World Order”.

This is when Hogan became “Hollywood Hogan”. It didn’t matter that Hogan was now bad, he had a story that you could get worked up about.

Big Don

During my watching of “Mr Mcmahon” Trump appears several times in WWE event coverage. Trump has appeared in many WWE specials. Not only that, he speaks to the stadiums of thousands of wrestling people and gets them worked up. He might throw money or make outrageous statements and show up with an entourage of girls.

Vince McMahon (in the documentary) describes Trump as someone with Charisma or “Rizz”, someone who can get the crowd going, who understands “heat”, and what it means to play a “baby face” or a “heel” as required. As opposed to other celebrity guests who have been “duds” on the show.

Not only that, he loves it - Trump loves the crowd, and the wrestling crowd loves to engage, booing or cheering depending on if they like Trump or they hate him.

It seems undeniable to me that learning how to work a crowd, how to tell story lines in short sound bites in terms of good and evil “Mexicans are rapists”, had to be a helpful skill for Trump to develop. Trump knows that no matter what, at least he’ll be talked about, and people vote for someone they feel they know vs. and unknown.

In one of the WWE Story lines, Trump wages a bet with McMahon, and the loser shaves the other’s head. Now, perhaps there was no chance of Trump ever agreeing to lose, but just the possibility of Trump getting his head shaved drew a gigantic crowd and filled the stadium for WWE. In the end it’s Trump that shaves McMahons head for losing the bet.

The Finale

Right up to the late stages of Trumps campaign, he was still surrounded by wrestling. Hulk Hogan spoke in support of Trump at the democratic national convention.

And Hogan was right there with Trump on the night when Trump won the 47th Presidency.

So what is the morale of the story?

• Does Trump just love Wrestling?

• Is Trumps love of Wrestling just proof that the USA is trash ?

• Is Wrestling so influential in the USA that it helped Trump win?

I think the answer is that Trump loves playing a character, he loves a crowd, and he loves being adored - just the same was as wrestlers love the electricity of being in the ring.

And having 40 years of experience in working crowds, figuring out what to say, figuring out what generates “heat”, what to say to be liked, what to say to be hated, it’s no wonder Kamala never stood a chance.

Perhaps Trump, like Vince McMahon is partly himself, and partly playing a character.

So - Trump a “baby face” or a “Heel” ?

Only time will tell for sure, but one thing is for sure…

- we WILL be entertained !