Now I’ll admit it’s been some time since I watched professional wrestling last. I may have forgotten a lot of things in the industry since the last time I caught up with Mr. McMahon and the gang over at WWE, but as far as I can remember there weren’t any 14th century poets on the roster last time I checked. But the time’s are changing, and with them the WWE roster, which now officially includes Dante Alighieri.
Whether you know Dante as the bad-ass crusader who ventures through the nine circles of hell to reclaim his lost love in Dante’s Inferno or the 14th century politically minded author of the Divine Comedy, it comes as no little surprise that he is now a part of the largest wrestling federation in the world, complete with his own stat sheet and signature moves. Below is a list of Dante’s information as it appears on his official page on the WWE website.
Name: Dante Alighieri
Show: SmackDown
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 225 lbs.
Signature Moves: supreme wielding of Death’s soul-reaping scythe, a command of the holy power of the Cross
So what does this mean? Does it mean that video games are becoming more widely accepted and portrayed through new and exciting mediums? Or does it mean that Vince McMahon is a fan of classic Italian literature who just now found the perfect way to express his passion to the world? Or was it just a publicity stunt for the company? Regardless, I think I speak for every wrestling fan out there when I say that Dante’s first match-up needs to be a casket match with the Undertaker.
Source: WWE
