Crossing Borders, 1 of 2

At the Ring of Honor pay-per-view on May 12, Davey Richards faced off against his bitter enemy, “Wrestling’s Greatest Nightmare” Kevin Steen.  The two opponents certainly contrast in their body styles (Davey looking muscular and powerful, while Steen is unkempt and over-weight) and in their attitudes (with Davey a no-nonsense, disciplined fighter, and Steen portrayed as a slacker and rule-breaker.)  The “Clothed Male, Naked Male” (CMNM) aspect that is so common in pro wrestling was in full effect, with Davey shirtless in silver briefs while Steen was covered up in a black T-shirt and loose pants.

This event took place in Toronto, Canada and was called “Border Wars” — which sets up a USA vs. Canada dynamic.  Several matches earlier in the night featured Canadian wrestlers defeating their American victims, to the delight of the patriotic crowd.  For the main event, the over-heated crowd was firmly in support of  their fellow Canadian Kevin Steen to destroy American Davey Richards and strip him of his championship belt.  As Davey begins to suffer, the audience is whipped into an orgasmic frenzy.

Steen is sold as a crazy, brutal killer and gives off a dangerous vibe.  He’s like a big, horny, unpredictable beast and he has no respect for Davey Richards.  He famously called Davey a “Ju Jitsu Jack-off” to mock the champ for studying ju jitsu, and to imply that Davey is sexually deviant because he is turned on by the martial arts.

Steen drags Davey to the danger zone outside of the ring and emasculates the spectacular male, driving him crotch-first into the ring post not once, but twice.  Davey is left suffering on the floor, his manhood destroyed.  The crowd goes wild over Davey’s castration, chanting “You Can’t Beat Him!” to degrade the American, and “Next World Champ!” to support their fellow Canadian.

This match tells the story of the rising and falling of Davey’s masculinity.  He alternates between the dominant position, proudly strutting around the ring like a predator (an American Wolf) and the submissive position, broken, impotent, and helpless on the mat. When he applies a series of dominating submission moves, the disrespectful Tortonto audience chants “Same old shit!  Same old shit!”   Clearly they’re unimpressed.  I’ve never seen so much hatred for my Davey Richards — it a Bizarro night at Ring of Honor!

Kevin Steen continues to sexualize the fight, at one point reaching up to grab Davey’s junk to escape a boot to the face.  He is not just trying to pin Davey, but to sissify or emasculate the Alpha Male, and to place himself in the role of the dominant aggressor.

Davey, meanwhile, rolls around suffering in his eye-catching silver briefs.  The placement of his bare flesh flat on the floor, sprawled out and open, his body parts presented to the camera further serve to turn him into our “bitch.”  The border being crossed here at “Border Wars” is not just the Canadian border, but also the borders between masculinity and femininity, between decency and depravity, and between fighting and rape.  The crowds’ angry chants of “F— You, Davey!” make it very clear what they want to do to him.

To be continued…