Strong Men in Underwear

Apparently the WWE held a conference call with their investors a few weeks ago to discuss their ratings, their profits, their recent lay-offs, etc. You can read a brief recap of the presentation.

They discussed how they’re re-thinking their shows to adapt to the “new normal” with no live audiences. I have a thought — maybe go back to the old grunt-and-groan studio rasslin from the 1970’s, when the pace was slower and more sensual, with actual wrestling holds being applied in the ring. I’ll bet it would be a big hit — I’d certainly tune in.

Anyway, the following comment that Vince said to the WWE stock-holders has gotten a bit of notoriety:

“I think new content is always a driver in terms of stimulating interest and what have you. And obviously, everyone is pretty much starved for new content. It could very well be that you’re tired of watching Netflix, and you want to see strong men running around in their underwear. So I think that we have a product that’s very unique. And it will always be that way, and that’s really a big-time advantage that we have over other forms of show business. You know, there’s nothing like this.”

It strikes me that this quote reveals how much Vince understands the queer appeal of his product: the powerful male bodies, the revealing clothing. It’s about as close to an outright admission of the homo-erotic nature of pro wrestling that I’ve ever seen from this high of an official. Hopefully Vince is hinting that his employees will soon be wearing less clothing to drive ratings — that the ones he dressed in jorts and bodysuits and flack jackets will hopefully soon undress.

However, I am not so sure that WWE’s “unique” competitive advantage — i.e., “strong men running around in their underwear” — is truly THAT unique. Hasn’t Vince heard of ROH, AEW, or TNA? And if underwear is the attraction, we can certainly find even skimpier, prettier underwear (and sexier action) from: CanAm, Cyberfights, BGE, W4H, UCW, NRW, MBW, 88W, BWN, Thunders, Spotland, UW, WW, WM and probably 5 or 6 more I forgot. Vince better up his game because, without the hype and fury of a live audience, we might as well be watching Underground videos. Really what’s the difference??

So in honor of Vince’s recent comments, and in support of the direction I’m hoping they plan to take mainstream pro wrestle-porn, here are some more examples of “strong men in their underwear” I’ve recently discovered on Social Media…

If Vince had anything to do with Randy Orton’s gear selections, then it’s obvious that he’s known for a long time why pro wrestling has a “big-time advantage” over other, less sexy, forms of show business…