While it was met with a cynical grunt from some, I found the re-emergence of Wrestling Revolution Project earlier this year to be quite interesting. The eclectic mix of talent and the unique ‘season’ based format intrigued me. It’s disappearance into the ether was enough for many folks to lose faith, understandably, but I’m glad there appears to be some life left in Jeff Katz‘ creation.
Some early footage released by Katz earlier this year concluded with the revelation that Chase Walker (portrayed by SoCal mainstay Joey Ryan) was seemingly a closeted gay character, fighting against bigoted heels. It was an interesting hook to conclude what I felt was an otherwise underwhelming teaser.
Earlier this week, Ryan himself published some rough footage from the 2011 taping, which sees his character deliver a ‘coming out’ promo. Firmly positioned as a babyface, Walker talks about bucking trends in wrestling before promising to eventually get his hands on the antagonist tag team; “The Illuminati.” Moreso than a simple “don’t hate me for who I am” speech – Walker touches on perceptions of homosexuality in wrestling and how he shouldn’t have to hide who he is, walking the line between in-character dialog and out-of-character commentary on wrestling in general. You can watch the full, rough cut scene here.
This short teaser of things to (hopefully) come offered a lot of food for thought.
Earlier this year while guest hosting the show, I spoke with my friends at RBR Wrestling about how I’d be interested in such an angle. Following the news of Bully Ray’s homophobic tirade at a TNA house show – I noted that I was interested in the idea of a storyline that pitted a gay babyface against a bigoted heel. A few months later, it seems such an angle was a reality and is going to be a focal point of the forthcoming WRP.
As intriguing as I find this video, I do wonder just how resonant it will be with fans in this day and age. As we saw with Darren Young’s real-life coming out earlier this year – the whole issue of homosexuality in wrestling is a lot less taboo than we cynical fans give it credit for. While some critics, myself included, are quick to push the idea that wrestling is very behind the times – the reality is that Young’s coming out was not a watershed moment for the industry, no matter how hard WWE pushes that narrative. Young is neither the first nor likely the last man in wrestling to come out as gay, and while he should be commended for his honesty, the reality is that in 2013, WWE officials are no more biased against gay performers than any other mainstream entertainment entity.
In terms of a on screen presentations however, the cynicism is a lot more justified. Throughout the years, wrestling has presented some incredibly one-dimensional gay characters, ranging from the eye-rolling to the downright offensive. While gay performers are far from persecuted in wrestling – the presentation of gay characters in a positive light is still relatively new territory.
Taking all of this into consideration, ultimately I find myself intrigued to see how well the angle plays out with viewers. Is the subject of gay bashing now passe in 2013? Or will it still resonate with wrestling fans who’ve never been given a three dimensional gay character to root for? Even if it’s not the revolutionary angle it maybe would have been ten years ago, this early proof-of-concept footage looks promising, and I’m also very intrigued to see Joey Ryan tackle more serious subject matter after years of playing the clown.
One way or the other – it’s sure to have the internet buzzing, if and when it ever sees the light of day.