As the US election neared, I read endless stories about Donald Trump and his many misdemeanours. But to me, one fact has stood out - the president-elect is a WWE Hall of Famer.

Although I am a wrestler, I have found this the most terrifying aspect of all. Trump has always been essentially a wrestling gimmick embodied in a real life person - like wrestlers, politicians aren't 'real' so can say what they want. Even at its most popular, the WWE was reported to​ espouse harmful racial and gendered stereotypes, but this was dismissed as ‘just wrestling’, and arguably this dismissal has meant Trump’s America has been broadcast into homes for 30 years.

Trump’s close friendship to WWE owner Vince McMahon is no secret. McMahon has supported Trump for years, even allowing him the honour of receiving a Stone Cold stunner in front of millions of fans. To many, it was McMahon and Trump that allowed WWE to decline, becoming a mouthpiece for harmful and damaging ideas about black people, queer people, women – well, the list is endless. How many better-off-forgotten characters have there been in its history? Despite a recent move towards gender and racial equality in their performers, the WWE cannot deny its symbiotic relationship with Trump.

Trump: We're going to deport millions

Ultimately, even if you are not a wrestling fan, just watching a video of Trump from his WWE days is disturbing. It is a sign that life truly imitates art, but to what extent did wrestling contribute to his victory?

Firstly, we need to consider McMahon. I believe McMahon has always been loathed by WWE fans, mainly because he realised that the person his fans would hate most would be the boss of the company. He chose to cultivate hatred - as recently as 2007 he used the n-word on live TV while talking to John Cena, a wrestler adored and watched by billions of kids worldwide. He is an employer, some of whose retired employees live below the poverty line, often after long struggles with drink and drugs. To me, he is the Margaret Thatcher of wrestling. He may have brought shows to millions of people, but he is a deplorable human being.

Trump in the squared circle with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in 2007 (Getty)

McMahon has always openly supported Trump financially and since ‘Hulkamania’ in the 80s, Trump has become involved as a fan, as a corporate sponsor and eventually as himself in storylines. In 2009, there came the story that he had bought the company but then dropped it as their stock values fell (scarily, since his election they’ve risen by 5 per cent). Then, in 2013, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his corporate support. But to me Trump, like McMahon, has moved from pretend monster to real monster.

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didn’t know the air conditioner didn’t work and sweated like dogs, and they didn’t know the room was too big because they didn’t have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me —and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

Most political commentors would dismiss 'low culture' such as wrestling to not be a true reflection of society. These people should read some Roland Barthes. Wrestling is actively consumed all over the world, and as a performance art it can do great things – inspire kids to grow up stronger; allow adults an escapism that is akin pantomime. Like all art-forms, it is varied and in itself is not problematic. But it can also normalize violence against certain groups, say, black people or overly-sexualised women. When promoters write in awful characters or stories, wrestling then can become a platform for hatred. Though you can still find examples of this on indie shows too, there is no bigger culprit than the WWE for using wrestling as a tool to incite socio-political propaganda.

Over the last few years, the WWE have championed their female combatants. They’ve recognised that consumers want superstars from Japan and Mexico, not the same fake tanned 'roid-boys' it’s consistently pumped out. It is becoming vastly more progressive. But how are the WWE representing their luchadores like Rey Mysterio or Eddie Guerrero by supporting someone that is so offensive to South American citizens? Mick Foley, one of the most-loved WWE stars worldwide, even pleaded to followers not to vote for Trump, likening his rise to power to be like Kristallnacht.

Trump speaking at a press conference with WWE owner Vince McMahon (Getty)

I for one do not want politics and wrestling to be the same thing, as great as it would be to see Merkel and May fight it out in leotards.

But despite these changes, a few women and a smart guy with a beard does not suggest there has been a sea change in the values of the WWE. Likewise, having a number of black or female supporters does not offset Trump’s bigotry. The problem is that wrestling, like politics, thinks it knows ‘the people' and what they want. The WWE still does not seem to think its fans are ready for LGBTQ characters or inter-gender wrestling, which the wrestling community already consumes in increasing numbers outside of the WWE. It still does not realise that wrestling can be a tool of subversion of outdated stereotypes and can act to show their young fans a better version of justice, rather one that is grounded in existing social barriers.

Ultimately, McMahon's gross stereotyping and increasingly offensive storylines have lead to a massive downfall in popularity. The company is now trying to offset many years of misguided and offensive writing. It is not what wrestling fans want, and more importantly, it is not what our children should be watching. There has already been a petition to remove Trump from the Hall of Fame, that seems to speak volumes.

Wrestling and politics both rely on over the top characters to clamour for popularity in outrageous PR stunts, the outcome already decided. I for one do not want politics and wrestling to be the same thing, as great as it would be to see Merkel and May fight it out in leotards.