If you don’t watch pro wrestling, this is Darren Young. The one with the pick in his hair, not the one in the afro wig. Okay, wrestling’s kinda weird.
In an unexpected but welcomed moment during an interview with TMZ at LAX on Wednesday, Darren Young — best known as one half of the Prime Time Players, and for being the “Cocoa Pebbles” version of John Cena — responded to a question about gay wrestlers by revealing that he’s gay, and that he’s happy. Homophobia in pro wrestling? AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.
Darren was at LAX Wednesday when we asked whether a gay wrestler could succeed in WWE, and Darren laughed, saying, “Absolutely. Look at me. I’m a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I’ll tell you right now, I’m gay. And I’m happy. I’m very happy.”
For the record, Darren is now the first openly gay wrestler ever at WWE … and the first headlining wrestler ever to come out while still signed to a major promotion. (via TMZ)
Here’s the clip:
There have been a lot of pro wrestlers who were gay in their personal lives but not openly as athletes (Kanyon, Pat Patterson) and a ridiculous amount of wrestlers who have PRETENDED to be gay to get crowds to boo them (Adrian Adonis, Too Much, Billy and Chuck, and on and on). Former WWE and TNA star Orlando Jordan was openly bisexual, and as soon as that became common knowledge it was used to turn him into a ridiculous pervert who sprayed lotion all over himself because it looked like ejaculate.
And that brings us to an important point: Darren Young’s sexuality can be a highpoint in pro wrestling’s shifty relationship with LGBT athletes, especially if nothing changes about Darren Young whatsoever. If he’s still a macho asshole goofball who thinks he’s worth millions of dollars (millions of dollars!) and his newsworthy coming-out doesn’t get shoehorned into his character to get him heat or gravy boats from GLAAD, we’ve accomplished something big.
If not? Hell, kudos to Darren Young anyway.
Update: Young’s Caucasian doppelgänger has weighed in.
