Note From Steven Bell: Each month in the Columns section of LOP Forums, we hold a competition to determine who was the best of the previous month. In other words, the Columnist of the Month. The winner earns the right to present you, the Lords of Pain main page audience, with an example of their work, laying the foundation for what will hopefully, eventually be a permanent spot on the LOP Columns roster.
February saw a familiar face make his way back into the fold, a face not just to familiar within the Columns Forum but one that some of you long time LOP readers may recognize, as well. Kleckamania made his return and was pumping out all killer, no filler for the entire month, earning not only a rather lopsided victory in the vote but also his 5th overall Columnist of the Month honor. Only four writers have more COTM awards to their credit.
If you would like to write for Lords of Pain,the path to doing so starts with the Columns Forum. You can visit it and begin your own journey by clicking the image below.
I should’ve though?
I mean, February is the month we are supposed to, right?
We’re supposed to talk about the world’s prior prejudices, and while doing so, keep it brief, because there are only 28 days.
This is how we bond, this is how we unite?
Toss Junkyard Dog a bone for once, and while you’re at it, hold back your scoffing opinions on Koko’s Hall Of Fame eligibility until March, because it would be uncivil.
Civil is 28 days apparently. We’ve come so far, but still just 28 days.
But maybe it should be no days.
Maybe sectioning off only 28 days to look back fondly on Bobo Brazil, 2 Cold Scorpio, and Ron Simmons isn’t enough. Maybe sectioning off any amount of time is going to further the divide.
Maybe labeling something as a race crime is just perpetuating it. And maybe instead of honoring nearly half of the world for only 28 days, it should be on true equal ground.
Maybe January is a good time to talk about Luther Lindsay. Or March a time for Booker T. April could be the time to talk about how Ernie Ladd revolutionized professional wrestling in the WWWF, or May for The Rock. Maybe every month is the right time, and just one month is the crux of the problem.
Professional wrestling mirrors the rest of the world, in that a lot of its pillars had black skin. This world wasn’t built around 28 days, it took all of months, and years with all of humanity struggling and progressing together to get to this moment. So maybe February isn’t Black History Month, maybe every month belongs to everyone.
Maybe it wouldn’t breed racism and hostility, and maybe, just maybe, we could hasten our evolution, if we stopped looking at one month as the time to reflect on nearly half of life, and one crime as influenced by color, and instead blend.
And maybe when I thought back to a series I wrote Februaries ago, Shane’s reply stuck out to me the most. Maybe this column is tapping into his true meaning. But maybe it’s merely just another man’s interpretation of it.
Maybe there should be no one month. Maybe placing emphasis on any one over any other just creates separation.
So write about Mark Henry in his Hall Of Pain days being one of the single best heel runs in professional wrestling history. Or don’t. Just don’t necessarily relegate it to February if you do. Do it when you feel the need, maybe forcing emotion isn’t how we should ever show love. It never works well that way.
Talk about Koko Beware being one of the most underrated wrestlers, by fans, in professional wrestling history, or why Kofi Kingston deserved a World Title run, but let’s stop this pretend caring for one month a year shit, and say these things whenever it’s truly in our hearts.
February 28th was the last day of our past. This is the beginning of the rest of it. Having designated days, or months to celebrate something is a subconscious reminder to not care about it the rest of the year. Which is why I didn’t write any black history columns this February. It’s also part of why I despise Valentine’s Day and Veteran’s Day, among others. If you need a reminder to care about something, you don’t. If it’s only “important” to us for one day a year, or for 28 days out of 365, then this is a big part of why we, to this day, have a divide.
We keep waiting for change- waiting. We wait for others to bring it about. We wait, and wait until we have no time left to, and we wonder why this cycle continues. We spend all our time looking up to “leaders”, elders, federations, and governments for guidance, for insight on how to live our lives- and all that will ever do is bring us to February. All that will ever do is keep us apart.
So I write this in March. I still care about Ron Simmons’ impact on the modern pro wrestling landscape. Junkyard Dog is still one of my all-time favorites. I still freaking love Koko Beware. I still think Mark Henry got absolutely robbed when they didn’t hotshot him the World Title after his mock retirement speech a few years back. If I want to talk about those things though, I won’t wait until next February, or every subsequent one- I’ll do it whenever I am feeling it. Just like the rest of wrestling- just like any other wrestler- I’ll do it when it is in my heart to.
