A You-Tube channel I follow recently posted a classic NWA episode from 30 years ago. One of the best scenes in the video began with this long-haired Heel Jobber named Snake Brown “from outta town.”
The opponent for this long-haired Bad Boy was the heroic Ricky Santana, clad in the trademark white trunks and boots of a Good Guy.
Ricky tried to copy the look and style of his more famous “older brother” Tito Santana, who also wore all-white gear in the late 1980’s as a member of Strike Force. (Actually Ricky and Tito are not brothers IRL.)
Ricky’s bright white gear keeps our attention focused on him as he works over the Snake.
In fact, Ricky’s white-spandexed ass seems to be the main attraction, as the camera maintains a tight focus on his ample curves and that inviting crease where the fabric has started riding up.
He also has a lightning bolt icon pasted on his right cheek — that’s not a rip in the spandex.
Snake Brown does inflict some offense in this brief match — for example, when he grows tired of Ricky’s ballsack against his face in the corner, he Atomic Drops the pretty-boy on his knee to bust them big nuts.
One thing Ricky did learn well from “big brother” Tito is how to sell like a helpless pussy.
But soon Ricky’s awesome abilities enable him to pin Snake for the victory. That’s when a shirtless cowboy — Wild Bill Irwin — assaults our poor Ricky with a bullwhip!
Suddenly his ho-hum match has gotten very entertaining and even a bit kinky thanks to the presence of that leather whip!
Irwin begins to lash poor Ricky like a runaway slave, cracking that leather on his bare flesh as if this is some kind of fetish porn.
There is something undeniably sexy about whipping. As a youngster, whenever I saw an old cowboy or pirate movie where the hero was lashed, well– I’d usually have to go spend some alone time in my room. In those old movies and television shows, the hero would always have his shirt ripped off to make the whipping more painful. In pro wrestling, almost everybody is conveniently shirtless already, their bare skin wide open and exposed to the biting strikes of the whip.
The homo-erotic themes associated with whips and whipping are obvious: the sado-masochistic roleplay; the presentation of a dominant punisher and submissive whipping boy; the bullwhip as a phallic symbol; punishment inflicted by a male authority figure on a naughty boy. Just Google “whip porn” and you’ll find a wealth of material that reveals a lot of guys are into whipping.
Pro wrestling always presents scenes of domination and punishment, suffering and torture — but the introduction of an actual bullwhip into the wrestling ring makes the standard level of homo-erotic imagery even more explicit, transitioning the match from a sporting event to queer fetish porn.
“Wild” Bill Irwin takes us for a walk on the wild side by acting out his fetish for whipping other men in public. I recall him, and other Heels, carrying bullwhips and even cracking theirs whips sometimes as a threat (while the other wrestlers scurried away in terror.) But here we have an example of him actually whipping an opponent.
Obviously, Wild Bill Irwin was not the prettiest or most ripped wrestling stud, so I wouldn’t have given him a second glance in my younger days. My attention would’ve been riveted on Pretty Ricky in his all-white gear. But now that I’m taking a fresh look at this sleazy cowboy with his kinky costume and big nasty whip, I’m getting excited. I still don’t find him beautiful, but I’ve learned that a wrestler, a man, can be sexy as fuck without needing to be a beauty.
The same YouTube channel also posted the next weekly episode of NWA Worldwide in which Ricky faced another big beefy Heel jobber named Big Al Green. Did Green borrow Snake Brown’s singlet and tights? Maybe they just keep that costume in the locker room for the Heel Jobber of the Week to wear…
Again we see Tito — oops, I mean RICKY — in his trademark white speedo, which the camera rubs our noses in. They really wanted to put him over as a Baby-Face real bad, but he never really took off.
Hopefully Irwin will return to whip Ricky some more at the end of this match. Ricky’s wide, torso and smooth flesh really seems to crave feeling the snap of that bullwhip again.
Ricky soon defeats the larger Big Al Green with his Flying Burrito move (also stolen from “brother” Tito) and pins the larger man crotch-to-face for the victory.
We are treated to a nice intimate view of Ricky’s taint as he spreads his thick thighs for us and presses his balls in Green’s face.
Come on Irwin, get in there and whip this pretty-boy some more! He’s acting too cocky, flaunting his beefy body and raising his arms like he’s a boss. It’s time to take him down a peg with a nice, long S&M whipping session!
But alas, Wild Bill does not attack — I suppose they can’t show Ricky suffering a humiliating post-match whipping every week (unfortunately) or the fans won’t believe he’s just as tough and talented as his “brother” Tito.
We are, however, treated to a Replay of that sexy roll-up pin, Ricky’s fat ass presented to the camera to give the viewers at home a thrill.
Whew, they sure knew what to do to boost ratings in those days! I think I’m going to need some more alone time.
But wait — there’s more! Later in the same episode, we get to see hard-bodied Mike Justice in the ring, all pumped up and ready to job for Wild Bill Irwin.
Irwin brought his whip to the ring again, so maybe he will whip this shirtless hunk after the match.
I always questioned WHY, pray tell, certain Heels were permitted to carry a weapon — an instrument of torture — to the ring?? It is so unfair and arousing — they could grab that weapon and use it to assault their opponent at any moment! Why oh why did the officials allow it??
Irwin wastes no time beating Justice into submission. The punishment is fairly violent and rough, sure to make an impression on the viewers.
Damn, I miss the days when these strapping young muscle-hunks were served up as helpless whipping boys in the ring every week!
I always enjoy seeing the old Knee to Gut move, where the jobber is shoved into the ropes, then kneed in his exposed belly as he bounces back. OOOFFF!!!
It’s just so cruel looking and unexpected and effective. The jobber usually rolls around in agony, now weakened and defenseless gasping for air. I feel Mike Justice sold this move expertly here — he probably endured about 2 0r 3 of these Gut-Knees per week so he really knew how to sell them.
My goodness, more great camera work as we witness Justice’s snug red spandex trying to disappear between his muscular cheeks. What a degrading scene for him, his nearly naked ass on display!
Irwin, meanwhile, continues to beat and stomp the weakling to show us that this big kid may be strong, but he (Daddy Irwin) is even more powerful and manly.
There was also this beautiful Take-Your-Time Suplex! Look at cocky Irwin just patiently setting this wimp up to be flipped.
Then he takes a handful of the jobber’s red spandex and flips him ass-over-applecart. I’ve heard criticism that Irwin was clumsy and unconvincing as a wrestler, but I think his Arrogant Heel work is excellent here, and I’m digging his big tall rattlesnake boots.
Oh fuck YES! After pinning his jobber, Irwin snatches his bullwhip like a boss and proceeds to lash the gorgeous sumbitch as the announcer screams in outrage.
Obviously, this is totally inappropriate and taboo and sexually suggestive — and that’s why it’s so fun and exciting to watch!
Ricky Santana then enters the ring to stop this abuse, acting as the Hero to rescue the damsel in distress, Mike Justice.
The two enemies share a homo-erotic moment as Ricky allows Irwin to retrieve his whip, then invites Irwin to get in the ring right now. Oh please, please PLEASE go back in there and whip this beefy Baby-Face! The fact that Ricky allows Irwin to retrieve the bullwhip makes me think that maybe Ricky wanted to feel a nice lashing.
But Irwin runs off like a coward, perhaps waiting to attack Ricky again in a future episode (which I’m now on the look-out for!)
1. Yay for Big Al Green!
2. Yay for that rare breed: the Heel Jobber!
3. Yay for Mike Justice!
oh yes!
I used to love these matches when “lower card” guys (“jobbers”) were able to face off against each other.
Ricky Santana was always a great face and he looks hot here … I distinctly remember a match Santana had with Mike Jackson that was one of my gateways to finding pro ‘rasslin’ to be so hot…
Even Bill Irwin looks a bit hotter in this match (shaving the natty beard helped). I guess this is around the time NWA was starting to push guys into the gym more…
great post on Arsenal as usual!
Did other wrestling perverts, when they were young, whip themselves with a jump rope or belt while writhing on the basement floor in their undies or just me? The only problem was I couldn’t both hogtie or handcuff myself and do the whipping. So had to alternate them. “Cuff” myself, or tie myself up and lay there defeated, or do the whipping. I had a friend who jobbed me out and dominated me but we never got to that type of stage. Alas.