The content analysis used throughout the research along with quantitative and qualitative data analysis has definitively answer the question presented in the beginning: How are racial stereotypes reinforced within the four prominent American wrestling companies and how do they benefit these wrestlers? Themes found in the analysis showed that physical appearance of these wrestlers were the focus on reinforcing these stereotypes, how the wrestlers dressed and represent their culture are anything but subtle from the data shown throughout. In addition, the way in which white wrestlers speak to wrestlers of colour focus on stereotypes of said coloured wrestler’s race. Rather than athletic ability or wrestling skill they focus on race and degrading them because of their racial identity.
Various scholars have also shown that marginalized groups in professional wrestling become almost caricatures of their entire group of people (Black and Harrison 2018). On the other hand, scholars have also been able to show white wrestlers and characters in all forms of media are almost the main characters, the avatars per se for audiences, they are what audiences assume are the default or the only option in that media (Nishi, Montoya 2015). These are what I hoped to highlight by drawing the contrasts that white wrestlers had compared to the wrestlers of colour, such as the suits and ties and prominent positions in each company. However, the world of wrestling is not without hope for a better future. Scholars have shown that despite the racial injustices in wrestling, the writings of some scholars believe that in wrestling, racial diversity have increased over the last decades beyond the “Golden age” of wrestling (Koh 2021).
Future Research
When considering future research, I really wanted to investigate how women of colour are treated in wrestling. From past experiences watching wrestling, they were subjected to the same things as white identifying women in wrestling yet put in more segments with men and sometimes seen almost animalistic in certain case and I think there is a lot to decode in that. It intrigues me on how women of colour would be treated and what positions in the world of wrestling they would be put in, and furthermore how these positions may change overtime. I would also like to see how race would be the portrayed differently in wrestling companies outside of the United States such as Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. I would like to see if there is any sort of correlation or difference in how race is portrayed because at the end of the day, race is an social construct that lends itself for interpretation by any. All in all, it becomes a reflection of our society showing how wrestlers despite playing characters are being seen as reality to some fans and younger audiences; said audiences may develop assumptions based off these exaggerated characters and ultimately cause regression in our society. This needs to not only be acknowledged but rectified because pro wrestling may be scripted but the feeling between fans and performers are undoubtedly authentic.