Welcome back to Sidenote Suplex. In this episode, we'll talk about the Keith Lee bearcat rebranding. Recently, Keith Lee’s ring name has officially changed to Keith ‘Bearcat’ Lee and officially debuted on the September 27, 2021, episode of Monday Night Raw. Lee defeated Akira Tozawa in an aggressive squash match on RAW, while sporting new in-ring gear. Now, remember this is after Lee came back and faced and lost to Bobby Lashly in July. Then lost to Karrion Kross then got his win back.. Now we have this new moniker… It seems the WWE main roster gatekeepers haven’t seen Keith Lee as marketable.. But have they really given him a chance? Recently it was revealed that WWE Wanted to use Adam Cole as a manager for LEE But Cole as we now know has since left and joined AE All Elite Wrestling.. But would THAT have been the right move? And Why is WWE so hush-hush about his real-life relationship with Mia Yim.. How about her as a Manager? You know similar to The Rusev/Lana gimmick? The “Bearcat” nickname, is believed to be inspired by Bearcat Wright, a popular African American/ADOS pro wrestler from the 1950s and 1960s, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Legacy Wing in 2017, or Bearcat Brown, an innovative African American/ADOS wrestler who usually worked the Memphis area in the 1960s and 1970s. More news on Bearcat Wright: In the 1960s, racial tensions were boiling all over the country, yet African-American/ADOS wrestler Bearcat Wright was immensely popular as a babyface. A mere five days before Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, Bearcat Wright won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship in Los Angeles, California. Many wrestling historians credit Wright for helping to desegregate the business. In front of a live audience in Gary, Indiana, Bearcat declared that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. This controversial promo got Wright suspended by the Indiana State Athletic Commission. However, his charisma and work ethic were too strong and unique for promoters to ignore. Bearcat was an electrifying performer for the time. His in-ring arsenal would include flying dropkicks, spin kicks, and leaps from the top rope. These types of moves were rare for the 1950s and 60s, but for a man of 6'6" and 260 pounds, they were impossible or so was thought.
But here's the problem…Why are we guessing? For a company who’s known for their cinematic work, as seen in the 24 series, in their cinematic matches Most notable maybe Aj styles vs Undertaker , WWE Icons series, The WWE untold series which is basically a history lesson ..With all of this potential exercised I simply ask.. WHERE IS THE VIDEO PACKAGE.!? . You know something explaining The origins of this name and the rich history behind it..?? The video package tool is extremely useful for all ages to get something over and have something properly explained and in turn, can only help the performer/athlete.. Unless the gimmicks not meant to be … I have to ask myself will this all work out? I ask myself that because I don’t know if this was even Kieth lee’s idea. In a recent Tweet, Keith stated No matter the task asked of me IAM STILL LIMITLESS. This could reference the fact that it wasn't Keith's idea. If WWE is going to represent Black history and going to make a financial gain off of it..Should it not be handled with the utmost respect..I mean give it its full justice and really dive in.. And if this is not in reference to the original bearcats…Then what is the meaning behind the name?
