Was the Lord Tensai gimmick racist?

[Berniewood Hogan]

A quick recap for those who don't remember or were No Watch Gang at the time:

• Huge fatass Albert went to Japan and became a good wrestler supposedly
• CM Punk was getting way over, so naturally, the smart thing to do was bring in Albert to feud with Cena
• Albert changed to Lord Tensai, had kanji written on his face, had a little Japanese man he could push around, and apparently absorbed Japaneseness somehow
• I swear Vince told him to squint

This all worked out as stupidly as it sounds and crowds kept chanting Albert and bringing "Lord Hentai" signs until Vince gave up and paired him with the Funkasauras as the Hip Hop Hippo

Oh yeah, he went over Cena his first night.

 

[MenacingMonk]

Cokeboy saw this at the time:

“TOM CRUISE DID IT! IT’S GOOD shyt, PAL!” :crazycb:

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

ps: don't google lord hentai

 

[Yade]

It would’ve been alright if he had a better costume

 

[Heelish]

Huge fatass Albert went to Japan and became a good wrestler supposedly

One of the biggest IWC ever was people pretending they gave a shyt about Prince Albert’s Japan run

 

[OmegaK2099]

No because he was always a non factor

 

[Da King]

One of the biggest IWC ever was people pretending they gave a shyt about Prince Albert’s Japan run

“But but but he was over in China” - :smark:

 

[OVER]

One of the biggest IWC ever was people pretending they gave a shyt about Prince Albert’s Japan run

 

[OVER]

It was weird, I assume Giant Benard or Prince Albert, whichever name he was played a gaijin role in Japan. In hindsight, it would've been better to bring him back as Albert without all the extras just say dude been stacking bodies in Japan and give him squash matches and have him work his way up the card. If they did it that way they could've seen he was stiff and immobile in the ring and pulled out of the push without having him go over Cena. I guess they worked themselves into thinking he was hotter than he was and took his age into account and that's why they tried to rocket push him.

Wrestling overall though was full of people pretending to be other races because you had nothing but white dudes in charge so shyt was like "oh you're Peurto Rican, do you know how to act like an Indian?" Wrestling full of fake Native Indians.

 

[Tommy Fits]

I know nothing of his Japanese run, but at least have him come out and say he went to a real country and learned about honor and pride and too be a real wrestler, something simple like that, Vince thought we completely forget he was Prince Albert.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Very racist lol.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I don't know if I'd say he was special in Japan but as Giant Bernard he was pretty over. Here's one issue. In Japan these dudes are all roided out of their minds. Albert came back into WWE looking soft, far from impressive. A sign that maybe at the time they were abiding by the steroid policy.

 

[thaKEAF]

Racist and wack as fukk lol shyt looked goofy from the jump. Straight out of the end generation era.