On Macho Man and Mike Tyson....

3:41 pm - Tue, Jan 31, 2012: 2 notes

On Macho Man and Mike Tyson….

Recently Thomas Holzerman posted a great blog entry regarding forgiveness and Mike Tyson.

Mike Tyson did some terrible things in his life. Even if one would discount the rape conviction stemming from an incident in an Indianapolis hotel room in the early ’90s due to race-baiting by the prosecution (a questionable accusation to levy on the state), there’s the troubling and harrowing fact that he beat and allegedly raped his ex-wife, Robin Givens. When he got out of prison, out of the frustration of losing a boxing match, he bit the ear off another competitor. There is no denying his past nor condoning the things he did. However, how long must a man do penance to make up for his past misdeeds?

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That being said, if anyone has paid the price for his crimes and done enough rehabilitate himself, it’s Tyson. He’s been to prison twice, admitted he was a drug user, got clean, found religion (and whether anyone wants to debate the merits of whether religion is a good thing overall, it’s done Tyson a lot of good), admitted he’s had problems to the world and suffered through the harrowing tragedy of losing his daughter to a freak accident. The man has done penance, and if people want to forgive him, then I feel like they’re well within their rights to do so.

The converse is true, if not a bit disconcerting. While I have forgiven Tyson, I don’t begrudge anyone the right not to forgive him. Again, rape is traumatic for the victim, and I still think it’s comically underestimated by the legal system and by society at large. That being said, all I’d really ask for is that people respect the decisions of those to forgive Tyson (and again, forgiveness doesn’t equal condoning or ignoring the acts he committed). He seems like a guy who really has learned a lesson. If anything, folks should be mad at WWE not for inducting him into the Hall of Fame now, but for bringing him aboard before he learned those lessons.

Besides being a great read, it really got me thinking.

One of the most common sentiments I’ve seen since the announcement of Tyson for the Hall of Fame is ‘Why Tyson and not Macho Man?’

Ignoring the fact the celebrity inductions are drastically different than wrestler inductions, and that if not Tyson another non-wrestler would go in his place, I have to ask: how far does forgiveness go in the current wrestling community? Let’s face the facts: wrestling is a hard, mostly thankless business. This is an industry that has a long and painful history of lifestyles tainted with violence outside of the ring, infidelity, and substance abuse. Very few of our favourite wrestlers are exempt from one or the other. Yet to a certain extent most fans choose to ignore or gloss over these facts.

In more than one instance (and I hate to quote, of all things, a Randy Orton DVD) the general attitude is “But he’s better now!” I feel like this, as well as the terms “allegedly” and “rumoured” play a large part in dismissing any misdeeds committed by those in the industry.

Shawn Michaels is very open about his past history of substance abuse and subsequent religious conversion and lifestyle change. As such, no one batted an eye at his induction. No one said “Inducting someone who used to have cocaine-fueled orgies with members of the Kliq sets a bad precedent.” He’s a legend, he’s better now, and he deserves the accolades heaped upon him.

What of Macho Man? I agree that he, more than most, deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. But how can the same people decrying Tyson for allegations of abuse not address any misdeeds in Macho Man’s past? Because he’s better now, and he’s my favourite wrestler, and Vince McMahon is a petty douchebag who should have put him in sooner!

Rumours and allegations regarding the tumultuous relationship between Savage and Ms. Elizabeth have been widely speculated on for, frankly, most of my life. Rumours that he would lock her in his dressing room or physically strike her in fits of jealousy. Not to mention any hints of infidelity, and if you are willing to believe, at one time with certain underage girl related to his boss. But again, prior to his death you could say that he’s better now. Posthumous inductions also add a certain glow of forgiveness to a wrestlers career that blocks out rotten pasts.

If you believe the rumours, Jimmy Snuka killed a woman, Abdullah the Butcher knowingly put people at risk by potentially infecting them with Hep C, Duke Droese roofied and raped a number of girls, and the Kliq would defecate in anything.

Lies, misdirection, and cover-ups exist in every industry that involves scrutiny by the public eye, and only the most naïve of fans would believe that these things don’t occur in wrestling. Most often incidents just become part of the industry’s mythos, only questioned on wrestling forums and, occasionally, touched on in shoot interviews.

So why are we so quick to demonize someone who has very clearly rehabilitated himself, changed his life completely, endured horrible tragedy, but ignore any wrongdoing by someone we happen to be a bigger fan of? Please note that I am not attempting to equate rape to substance abuse. I am just genuinely curious why are we as a community are willing to paint one individual with a wide brush we wouldn’t dare apply to someone who has been a larger part of our life and/or wrestling fandom.

I am fine with Mike Tyson being inducted. If Macho Man does not go into the Hall of Fame this year, I won’t be heartbroken. Wouldn’t people be much more satisfied if top billing during the induction went to Savage, if he could be inducted by someone like Hulk Hogan, and alongside Ms. Elizabeth in the full scope of appreciation of his career? I know I would. As deserving as he is, to announce him at this point would feel slapdash and rushed, and remove any of the pomp and circumstance of the situation (pun potentially intended). Whatever building it is in should be sold out based on the simple fact that Macho Man is being inducted, and he shouldn’t be an afterthought once the event is already sold out.

Death doesn’t always wipe away bad blood, and I don’t dare presume to know how McMahon feels. There are many reasons why people are inducted, but these reasons can include nepotism and personal relationships, not just what you have contributed to the sport. In this case, I would want his induction to be for the right reasons, and in front of an audience of fans who finally get to see their childhood hero get the recognition he deserves.