I'm sure the headline for this blog isn't original, but I hadn't seen it when I thought of it and it seemed like a no brainer. I polled (pun intended) some of my fellow wrestling fan friends and asked if it was too over the top. I am mildly concerned it may offend some, but I've decided if the core audience I'm aiming for isn't offended, then we'll move forward. If you are offended, skip the rest of this and check in again tomorrow.
It seems that the Wrestling Internet Community has been buzzing from a weekend video of Mick Foley and Socko going up against Joey Ryan and his well... penis. Ryan is well known on the indy scene for having the most powerful penis in the world. It was nearly two years ago that he got into a test of strength against a Japanese wrestler and Ryan was able to use his junk to overpower his foe. Since then it's been a staple in a Joey Ryan match. But like most things in wrestling, the move draws criticism from some fans and folks in the industry. It's safe to say Jim Cornette is the biggest opponent of the spot (and many other moves done by indy guys in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Chikara Pro and other companies of the sort). Anyway, back to the Foley portion of this, it happened in after a match and Foley along with Mr. Socko tried to beat the King of Dong Style. But Ryan's penis prevailed and Foley ended up getting flipped like many of Ryan's opponents have.
Foley & Cornette
Cornette tweeted after seeing the spot, "I love @RealMikeFoley, sad to see a real star stooping to give credibility to an asswipe nobody like this. Sorry, have to tell the truth."
A meme from Foley's page
Foley fired back, "So last night in Dublin, there was an incident involving a case of mistaken identity, and a leapfrog that turned an innocent attempt at a mandible claw into something far, FAR more sinister! I know Joey Ryan's #DickFlip has divided the wrestling Community in a way we previously thought only John Cena or Roman Reigns could! It has become the #IWC equivalent of the Trump/Hillary election - ending friendships, even turning brother against brother...brother! Son against Daddy...daddy! It's quite possible Jim Cornette will never speak to me again after seeing this photo - a solid 28 year friendship over in a matter of seconds! So why, you may ask, would I participate in such a potentially divisive penile palming? The answer is simple - look at the smiles. JUST LOOK AT THE SMILES! There is a smile, literally on EVERY face! In the end, isn't that what it's all about? If applying the mandible claw to Joey Ryan's genitalia last night was wrong...I don't want to be right!
Now for my 1-2-3 cents on the matter. Wrestling has always had a comical or cartoonish element to it. Jake Roberts covering an opponent with a snake, Brutus Beefcake cutting an opponent's hair and Dusty Rhodes trying to fool us as the Midnight Rider. I love Cornette and I respect his opinion, he's being a bit too harsh and critical of the men and women who are doing these comedy gimmicks. Wrestling is entertainment. There's room for the fun and the seriousness. I've been to a show where Ryan did the YouPorn Plex (Cape Championship Wrestling) and the crowd popped for it. My buddy (Tom Harness) has only been to a couple indy shows in his life and he still talks about Ryan's performance months later.
Joey Ryan in Cape Championship Wrestling
Courtesy: Tom Harness
So it's different strokes for different folks (again, pun intended). Cornette has the right to his opinion as do his supporters. And Ryan has the right to do a gimmick that has made him a more popular performer on the indy scene. I'd heard of him before this but would have never been able to pick him out of a lineup, so the publicity is more likely helping him and helping wrestling. Moves like this are not a detriment to the business. Let's agree to disagree and move along.
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