Because some would compare the plight of his career to that of the negro.
Like the Negro;
He came from a different culture than the average WWF wrestler,
He used to get picked on, bullied, and looked at funny due to his culture,
He was alienated, told he was nothing, he would never last or make it,
He was forced to eat alone and not allowed to dress in the same locker room as his peers or use the same facilities,
He was forced to work harder than the average wrestler and was rewarded a third of what other guys got in terms of money and opportunities,
He was constantly undermined at every opportunity he got and when he finally did one time get that big promotion that he had to bust his ass for, he was still sabatoged,
He was given scraps afterwards but still made something out of the little he got and became largely successful in spite of all the haters and everyone that wanted to see him fail and tried to make him fail.
People can relate to his struggle
Martha