AEW star Big Swole is speaking up and giving her take on the black experience in pro wrestling.
2020 has been a year that the wrestling industry has begun to have many difficult conversations. The #SpeakingOut movement shed light on the treatment of women in the industry and led to the development of organizations like TRUST Wrestling.
Now, African American Superstars are speaking out about their treatment in the industry and the different obstacles they have to endure to find success. AEW’s Big Swole wrote down her thoughts on the matter and shared them with the world via Twitter.
During this time I chose writing as my form of release. Holding in so much at one time is exhausting, but now is not the time to give up either. Please take your time and allow healing to flow. Much love! https://t.co/UzgWekYiMf
— Big Swole ---- (@SwoleWorld) July 18, 2020
In her statement, which you can read in full below, she addresses issues with promoters saying “they have too many black wrestlers booked already” and asks why black wrestlers have issues they aren’t as prevalent in other participated sports.
We Just Want to Be Heard
The conversation that has been told but never heard is finally here. Imagine expressing your innermost concerns and having them fall on deaf ears for decades. Imagine being told “I already have enough Blacks on my roster.” This is what it is like being a Black professional wrestler. The keys to Black wrestlers’ success have been dangled up high but just close enough to give hope. Like the aliens looking at the claw in ‘Toy Story’, every once and awhile one reaches the claw but then the cycle starts all over again.
Why is it that Black people dominate and excel in other participated sports except for wrestling? What is it about this profession that is different from the inner workings of other professional sports? One of the main issues is there are people in this business who actively try to deter the careers of Black wrestlers. Whether it is intentional or unintentional it is happening and when someone speaks up about the ongoing racism, crickets and shaming follows. Black wrestlers are being cut off at the knees to fit this mold that is deemed acceptable in order to place a price on worthiness. Years of hard work has culminated into a position where the shut up and color customs are consolation prizes. There has been outpours of mistreatment and discrimination but again crickets. The time for listening, hearing, comprehending, advocating and allying is now. Be the change.
Swole also took time to commend WWE star Naomi as the hashtag #NaomiDeservesBetter trended on Twitter following Naomi’s loss to Lacey Evans on SmackDown.
#NaomiDeservesBetter
— Big Swole ---- (@SwoleWorld) July 18, 2020
Naomi BEEN that woman, ok?! I will take no slander of any kind regarding that Queen. https://t.co/fwvePSsBxi
Sir. Joe is it, lets not. I'm no where near Naomi's pedigree, she has put in the work and the fruit it has yielded is NOT enough. This is about her, her time not mine.
— Big Swole ---- (@SwoleWorld) July 18, 2020
You can currently see Big Swole every Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite on TNT.
