MVP and Shelton Benjamin initially established the Hurt Business in WWE with Bobby Lashley and eventually Cedric Alexander. Having since reestablished the stable as the Hurt Syndicate in AEW, the faction has been compared to the Nation of Domination, and became a beacon of representation at the same time.
During an appearance on "The F Y'all Podcast with C.T. Fletcher,"MVP was asked whether or not he agrees with Lashley about not including a person's race when they become a champion, and explained that he understands his stablemate's philosophy. "However, I also understand that representation matters. Growing up, I didn't have any Black action heroes, I didn't that there were Black GI Joes, you know? We didn't have that growing up," he said.
MVP then recalled taking his son to watch "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and how his son wanted to be like the protagonist, Miles Morales. "It means something to be able to look up and see a champion that looks like you," MVP added. "I still believe that it does mean something, especially for Black men to have Black role models and to have Black heroes you can look up to and identify with."Despite his stance, MVP did admit that he would love to get to a point where champions are normalized regardless of their race, but still emphasized that representation is important.
Shelton Benjamin then added that he believes that Black champions are already normalized, and pointed to the examples of Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, and Evander Holyfield, noting how neither man is described as a "Black champion" but simply a champion. However, Benjamin noted that in pro wrestling, things have only recently begun to change.
"Having done this for 25 years and most of my career being with WWE, and I remember a time when I entered WWE, the only Black champions I saw were tag team champions," he explained. "So, that's all I really aspired to until I actually got there and realized that, you know, I won my tag team title three months into my full-time career, so now what?" Benjamin then noted how he once was only one of three Black talent on either show, and how the business has involved a lot since. "I think today, companies are way more open to champions of color," he added.
Lastly, MVP explained that prior to The Rock, there were seemingly no athletes of color capable of being champion until Booker T. "There are certain things that are just blatantly obvious, you know? And some people are 'Oh, you're ... come on ... you want to make everything about race!' Because it is, motherf***er, because it is," he opined. "I know I'm going to get a whole bunch of feedback on that, but you know what this podcast is? F*** y'all."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The F Y'all Podcast with C.T. Fletcher" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
