“Trump might not have been playing by the rules of politics, but he won the game. So how did he do it? Those looking to his career as a developer or reality TV host came up short in predicting Trump’s survival and eventual victory, because those are only part of the story. The most important lessons Donald Trump ever learned were in a pro wrestling ring.”
“For nearly two years, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have given UFC one of its most exciting and personal feuds. Their interactions have resulted in a Las Vegas brawl, death threats on a hot mic, internet insults, and one brutal title match. As they prepared for a (now delayed) rematch to decide the rightful holder of the Light Heavyweight Championship, the shit-talking has continued: UFC’s last media day culminated with Jones giving Cormier a “suck it” crotch chop, a move popularized by the WWE’s D-Generation X.
That’s not the only thing the feud has borrowed from the world of pro wrestling. As an infuriated Cormier asked Jones last month, “Is this not real now? Are we pretending again?” It was a question that underscores what makes their feud so telling: like a WWE wrestler, Jones is forcing the audience to question the reality of “real” fighting.”
“The best professional wrestlers know how to make an entrance, whether it’s Stone Cold Steve Austin’s shattering glass, the Undertaker’s church bell “gong,” or the Rock’s “If you smell what the Rock is cooking.” That’s certainly true for the WWE’s three-man tag champions the New Day, who have turned their entrance into a spectacle unlike anything else in the company.
The scene plays out on nearly every episode of WWE programming: “Don’t you dare be sour. Clap! For your world famous, two-time champs, and feel the power!” bellows a voice over the PA. “It’s a New Day, yes it is!” The group’s contemporary gospel theme song—somewhere between Kirk Franklin’s “Revolution” and “I Smile”—hits, and three black wrestlers in bold neon spandex enter the arena. Fans clap, and cheer “New Day rocks!” or “New Day sucks!” depending how they feel about the often-villainous group. It’s one of the biggest reactions of the night.”
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