Canada has been eye-gouged by World Wrestling Entertainment, which is forcing some popular Canuck grapplers, including Winnipeg's Chris Jericho, to bill themselves as Americans.
Jericho, one of the top stars of the Vince McMahon-led company, is now announced as being from New York.
Wrestling insiders and fans say the move was made by WWE management to further encourage American fans to cheer for "good guys" like Jericho and current WWE world champion Chris Benoit. Benoit, who is from Edmonton, is now announced as hailing from Atlanta.
The fact politics have entered the squared circle has hit a nerve with hundreds of wrestling fans north of the border, who have organized a petition which blasts WWE for anti-Canadian behaviour.
"We believe this is an attempt by the WWE to ... try and hide the fact that they are Canadian. This message proves that the WWE doesn't care about Canada," the petition reads.
Two others fan favourites, Toronto residents Edge and Gail Kim, are now announced as being from Florida and Korea respectively. A handful of despised WWE wrestlers are still billed as being from Canada on the assumption that American fans will have an easier time booing them.
The anti-American tag team known as "La Resistance" -- their shtick includes waving the French flag and blasting the Yanks for their role in the Iraq war -- recently had their announced hometowns changed from Paris to Montreal.
Jericho, 32, was born Chris Irvine, the son of former National Hockey Leaguer and Winnipeg Jets radio commentator Ted Irvine.
He grew up in Winnipeg, got a journalism diploma from Red River College, and even wrote a few freelance articles for the Free Press in the early 1990s.
Jericho joined WWE in 1999 and was always announced as being from "Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada" to the cheers of packed arenas until recent weeks. He married a Winnipeg woman two years ago and still returns to the city several times a year.
David Meltzer, a U.S.-based wrestling journalist who has published a weekly newsletter for thousands of readers in 30 countries for the past 22 years, said WWE has obviously underestimated its Canadian fan base while attempting to capitalize on American nationalism.
"Even when I don't agree with decisions WWE makes, I usually understand the rationale for the decisions. This one totally mystifies me," said Meltzer.
"There is no positive to it and at least some people are going to be put off by it."
He said the wrestlers had no say in the decision by WWE management to suddenly change their hometowns.
WWE officials didn't respond to requests for comment on the issue. Curiously, the controversy comes at a time when WWE is making even bigger strides into the Canadian market.
Granted it's a really minor detail, but it really doesn't make that much sense. Are wrestling fans really that easily led? I guess it's possible, but it seems like the WWE is really dumbing down the product here. What ever happened to Attitude era Vince who said that the fans should choose who to cheer and who to boo, the good guy/ bad guy of wrestling was dead and everything these days is more a shade of grey
It is strange alright, at first I thought it was a sly way of kickstarting a Benoit heel turn leading into Backlash but now they've done it to practically every Canuck face and tweener on the roster. I wonder if WWE will allow wrestlers to be announced as from their hometowns in Canadian events?
It sounds like he is intentionally ignoring that Jericho was born in New York. Sure he grew up in Canada, but it seems like that SHOULD have been mentioned in the article.
SHOTGUNSHEP-probably the only wiener over 400 posts to have a rating under 3. I didn't know I was THAT bad. I try to convince myself that everyone who has rated me is just jealous. You guys just can't get rid of me.
Maybe they'll use boxing language and when they're in Canada announce Benoit as, "Making his way to the ring from Edmonton, Alberta by way of Atlanta, Georgia and weighing in at..."
The La Resistance thing is what puzzles me the most. Did they even attempt to explain that one? Grenier was billed as being French and we're not supposed to even notice he's waving a different flag. Also, Conway was supposed to be American the whole time, and now we're supposed to think of him as Quebecois? Wassupwidat? Maybe they'll explain it on Heat.
The fact politics have entered the squared circle has hit a nerve with hundreds of wrestling fans north of the border, who have organized a petition which blasts WWE for anti-Canadian behaviour.
I can't believe how big a deal some people are making this out to be. Really, if they started billing Val Venis from South Africa, I wouldn't care less.
The whole thing is just insanely stupid and pointless, and I can't see it benefiting them in any way that makes up for them pissing off a large chunk of the Canadian viewing audience. I thought when they switched Benoit's hometown, they were just doing it to lessen the riotous response that him dropping the belt to Triple H in Edmonton would have created.
I mean, really, does announcing Benoit as from Atlanta or Jericho as from New York, no matter how factually correct it may be, benefit their crowd response in anyway shape or form?
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"I mean, really, does announcing Benoit as from Atlanta or Jericho as from New York, no matter how factually correct it may be, benefit their crowd response in anyway shape or form?"
If it's such a non-issue then why can't people just shut the Hell up about it and let the baby have its bottle? They think it's going to help, it probably won't, it shouldn't matter either way. It's not like Benoit/s suddenly started in The Patriot's old tights, he and Jericho are still acknowledged as Canadians by announcers and fans.
Originally posted by geemoneyI can't believe how big a deal some people are making this out to be. Really, if they started billing Val Venis from South Africa, I wouldn't care less.
Hey, if it was just Benoit or Jericho I don't think people would have such a big problem with it, but when EVERY Canadian (except heels Trish & Christian) has their hometown changed, that's going to rub people the wrong way.
Changing La Resistance makes some sense (even if it was handled poorly) since I doubt that they would get many boos in Edmonton if they were still from France. But as soon as you bill them from Quebec they'll get boos from the rest of Canada.
I just don't see what kind of upside they expect from this. What, are people who were uninterested in Benoit and Jericho suddenly supposed to say, "Well, shit! They're Americans now! I love them!"? And of course this is going to piss off some Canadian fans. I mean, the best outcome from this that I can see is people like myself, who really don't care.
It might seem strange to some, but this kind of thing really does matter to an awful lot of Canadians. We're a country with a massive identity crisis. Being an extremely vast country with a relatively small population, situated next to the most dominant cultural force on Earth, many Canadians share a kind of national anxiety that on the world stage, we're somehow just lost in America's shadow, or, perhaps, in its glare. I undertsand that New Zealanders have a similar relationship with Australia. The Scots/Welsh/Irish feel similarly about England. Ukranians have that relationship with Russia. Can you imagine an Irish celebrity announcing himself as English, even if he had moved to England for business purposes? I certainly can't. Here's another example: Russel Crowe, even though he lives in Australia now, is always quick to point out in interviews that he is actually from New Zealand. If it's true that the WWE has initiated a policy to regulate the patriotism of its workers, that seems incredibly callow to me.
In related news, The City of Edmonton certainly hasn't forgotten where Chris Benoit is really from. Check this out:
"CHRIS BENOIT™ MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO EDMONTON AS THE NEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!
"Come out to welcome Chris back to Alberta, when he arrives in Edmonton on Tuesday, April 13!
"His Worship Mayor Bill Smith to bestow honour on Thursday April 15 at Edmonton City Hall.
"Edmonton, Alberta – April 7, 2004 – On Tuesday April 13, World Wrestling Entertainment™’s Monday Night RAW™ World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Benoit, will be returning to his native Edmonton. Benoit earned his title winning the main event Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania® XX on March 14, which was the highest grossing Pay-Per-View event in WWE™ history and took place in front of a sold out crowd at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.
"Chris will be returning to Edmonton on Tuesday April 13 – arriving at the Edmonton International Airport (Arrivals level, South Terminal) at 1:00 pm. We’re expecting that many of Chris’ fans will turn out to welcome him home!
"In addition, Chris will be honoured by the Mayor of Edmonton, His Worship Bill Smith when he declares April 18 as “Chris Benoit Day” at Edmonton City Hall on Thursday April 15, 12:00 p.m. We invite all media, proud Edmontonians and WWE fans to participate in this event! Mayor Bill Smith says: “Excitement is building for Chris Benoit Day, as local wrestling fans prepare to welcome their home town hero for Backlash® on April 18. It will be a great time in Edmonton."
My 1st recollection of the WWF(E) telling Americans we hate Canadians was with the Rougeau Brothers in the 1980s. I found an interesting interview done in May, 2000 with Jacques Rougeau Jr. Jacques' theory was that the Rougeaus *wanted* Americans to like them, but since "we" didn't, Vince turned them into heels. Also, can someone tell me of the animosity between the Dynamite Kid and Jacques the interview refers to? Anyway, here is the link:
I figure that the thing really freaking me out over the La Resistance Paris - Quebec shuffle is that Rob Conway has started speaking with a French accent...WTF???
"In addition, Chris will be honoured by the Mayor of Edmonton, His Worship Bill Smith when he declares April 18 as “Chris Benoit Day” at Edmonton City Hall on Thursday April 15, 12:00 p.m. We invite all media, proud Edmontonians and WWE fans to participate in this event! Mayor Bill Smith says: “Excitement is building for Chris Benoit Day, as local wrestling fans prepare to welcome their home town hero for Backlash® on April 18. It will be a great time in Edmonton."
That is just surreal. Chris Benoit Day... wow.
Marco: But we can chew nails and shoot 'em out as bullets, right? Quinn: Nails, chains -- you won't have titanium teeth for nothing. Murphy: Nails are like candy to robots! And we'll eat tires instead of licorice. Debbie: GAH! No we won't!! Murphy: Maybe YOU won't.
Originally posted by oldschoolhero"I mean, really, does announcing Benoit as from Atlanta or Jericho as from New York, no matter how factually correct it may be, benefit their crowd response in anyway shape or form?"
If it's such a non-issue then why can't people just shut the Hell up about it and let the baby have its bottle? They think it's going to help, it probably won't, it shouldn't matter either way. It's not like Benoit/s suddenly started in The Patriot's old tights, he and Jericho are still acknowledged as Canadians by announcers and fans.
You forget that this is a wrestling message board and people need something to moan about.
If the guy is a sportwriter than it explains a lot.
Are you a professional halfwit or talented amateur?
Someone was asking earlier on where Gail Kim was from well she is Canadian from Toronto actually (she trained at the same gym as Trish) This is her bio taken from her old site www.lafelina.com when she wrestled for G.L.O.R.