crames lawless’ Post

Here’s my review of the newly released wrestling film The Iron Claw:

Do you think our nation is in a lot of trouble? Our book, Mr. President? will make your day, week, month, year! The World Wrestling Champ as President, turning DC upside down. You won’t be able to put it down once you start reading it! mrpresidentbook.com

Representation is important....AND A few years ago I used the DEI space in my department meeting to highlight a cool moment during Wrestlemania 37 when Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair made history by becoming the first Black women to main event Wrestlemania. While this year's event didn't have any people of color in the main event, it had representation in spades. An Arab Canadian Muslim won a championship during Ramadan. A historic six women tag match featuring 3 Black Women and 2 Asian women, when none of the superstars were given a generic "scary foreigner" character. Two Black men main evented NXT's biggest show of the year to start the weekend as the apex to their long term feud. Bianca Belair said it best in the post-show press conference (Linked in comments): "Representation is not a request, it's a requirement. What's better than one is 3...sometimes when you see just 1, it seems like an anomaly. You have to be special. But when you see multiple representing, and representing something different...it shows you that this is possible." Seeing the growth in the pro wrestling space for all sorts of groups is so great. But what's made it possible? Changes in leadership? Yup. Changes in audience and consumption? Probably. Updates to approaches to bringing in, acquiring, and training new talent? Absolutely. Growth in competition? 100% It's not just 1 thing that got to this point. When people talk about *systemic changes* - this is a perfect example. No one person, no matter how much power they have, can change a system or prevent a system from changing once multiple factors start flowing. If it can happen in pro wrestling, it can happen *anywhere*.

The Art of Aggression: Unraveling the Allure of Wrestling for Men Growing up I was the unfortunate recipient of many wrestling moves, as my brother saw me as a fit candidate for his practice. The debate of whether it was real or not continued in my home for years to come. Today we all know it is scripted, yet this physical display of violence finds many takers. Unlike boxing or MMA which are skill-based and therefore also a bit technical, wrestling has an element of theatre, of performance. The fascination for violence or aggression is not new, even today, any roadside accident gathers a crowd of curious bystanders, hoping for matters to escalate. Art has always been a reflection of culture, as Nikhil Taneja aptly captured, in the movies we had Vijay- the angry young man, during a period of unemployment and social injustices, followed by Rahul - the lover, to Sid- the man-child finding himself and now Ayushman playing more intellectual roles with a social message. What about wrestling makes it attractive? It has emotional drama but is safely clothed in exaggerated violence, making it a safe space for men to participate. After all, there are very few arenas for men to truly express their emotional range without societal judgment. The live-action part allows for physical proximity, creating an illusion of closeness and adding to the relatability. There is a degree of morality to the fights as well, some slight that needs to be revenged, a girl that needs to be won. The underdog who fights to win against all odds, justifying all actions. Allowing the audience to believe and belong. From an evolutionary lens, our bodies are not used to the dormancy levels of today. The physical act of moving sees a decline, as it dissociates itself from being a necessity for survival. Are we allowing ourselves to meet this need by way of projection, watching wrestling, violent/action movies, or partial physical participation through video games? #marketing #consumerbehavior #insights

There is a time-honored tradition in the sport of wrestling of leaving your shoes on the mat. It signals the end of a wrestler's competitive career, but signals the start of the next season of life and leadership. Learn more in this week's #leadershipandmain blog post at the link below: https://lnkd.in/eTw9E_25

https://lnkd.in/eFSKjDhD This is awesome -- clap, clap, clap-clap, clap. I don't know how I feel on the influence of professional wrestling in politics. I mean, Trump referenced his WWE time throughout his first campaign and first term, but you can also cite Jesse Ventura's gubernatorial win, Glenn Jacobs' mayoral win, Antonio Inoki and Atsushi Onita's wins in the Japanese House of Councilors, and even the dozens of failed political campaigns from wrestlers. I know that mainstream audiences know *of* professional wrestling to know that it is *something* on these candidates' CVs, but I don't know if I like this influence. It doesn't politicize pro wrestling to any greater extent, but it also inspires more dysfunction in Congress with right-wingers such as Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Matt Gaetz who prioritize loud catchphrases over pragmatic policies. However, I *am* a fan of professional wrestling -- maybe more so than I am a fan of politics -- and so, seeing ECW fans mock JD Vance for a poor crowd turnout really warms the cockles of one's heart. Maybe Trump *should've* picked Justin Credible instead.

Based on the picture below, who do you think is the most prominent and the most dominant? The answer might surprise you. The man on the right is the most respected in the history of his industry. The man in the middle looks to be in charge. He was a short-term understudy of the man on the right. What happened? How did the roles reverse? Stay tuned. This picture is from a professional wrestling podcast. On the right is Mark Calaway, also known as the Undertaker. As a teenager, I watched him bring the heavy metal goth look into the world of pro wrestling. My two greatest passions at the time, wrapped up into one character. Undertaker ran for 30 years at the top of the industry and carries more respect than anybody who has ever wrestled. In the middle is Maven Huffman. He won an MTV reality show contest and had a short run with the company as a mid-level talent. Then why is Maven holding court while the Undertaker is off in the wings? I've got two words for ya -- public speaking. Maven started a YouTube channel about life as an outsider making his way in the world of pro wrestling. His candor, humor, and perfect pitch draws the audience vicariously into the ring and the locker room. In the ring, Undertaker is the general. In the speaking world, Mark Calaway looks up to Maven. How do you represent yourself, your brand, and your industry in the public eye? Have you invested in your ability to speak? Leave a comment below. How does public speaking help you establish leadership in your industry?

Althletes don't always own their nicknames or monikers. When signing a contract with a sponsor--big or small-- althetes, performing artists and other celebrities must be careful not sign away rights to things that don't yet exist like nicknames, that come with a certain level of fame. Having competent, enthusiastic counsel review your contracts can make the difference between owning your brand and watching someone else profit from it. WWE owns 3 LIVE US federal trademark and service mark registrations for THE ROCK for printed goods, and action figures and toys (each with 1st Use 02/1998, application 05/2000, registration 05/2002); and entertainment services (1st Use 02/1998, application 05/2000, registration 12/2001), which news reports claim it will transfer to The Rock himself, Dwayne Johnson, as he joins the board of the company which owns WWE, TKO Group Holdings. Note, it is not TKO that owns the TMs but WWE. Even more interestingly (at least to me), WWE Opposed an application for THE ROCK owned by The Prudential (insurance company) for entertainment services, which then appears to have caused The Prudential to Petition to Cancel WWE's registrations for printed goods and entertainment services. It appears the parties settled their differences in April, 2023 and The Prudential got to register its THE ROCK mark for "education and entertainment services . . . unrelated to professional wrestling entertainment or professional wrestling." Amendments to IDs of services like this are often easy, quick and amicable ways for parties to coexist in similar mediums but different genres.

Step into the ring of legal complexities with Erin McEwen in our latest blog post on wrestling legends and the legal challenges they face. Explore the intriguing collision of sports entertainment and the law. https://lnkd.in/eD7fXvFb

Last night, the Republican National Convention drew to a close with former President Donald Trump formally accepting his party's nomination. The lineup of speakers for the final night of the RNC included members of Trump's family and employees of the Trump organization. But, there was another interesting category of speakers as well. Among them were: -Linda McMahon, a member of the Trump Cabinet and one-time CEO of WWE. -Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer. -Dana White, President of UFC, a subsidiary of TKO, the parent company of WWE. Additionally, attending the RNC as part of the Tennessee delegation, was Glenn Jacobs, better known to fans as WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, Kane. As made clear by this list of attendees and speakers, there is a uniquely American relationship between professional wrestling and politics. To help better understand where this relationship came from, and why it is still being utilized today, I'm sharing, for the first time, a copy of my Masters Thesis, "Grappling with Prejudice: Professional Wrestling in Cold War America." In this paper, I examined why Professional Wrestling, as an artform, is particularly well suited for the expression of political movements and, at times, can be used as a vehicle for social change. #Election2024