5 Times Wrestling And Social Media Got Awkward
Maybe DON'T use your voice.
WWE commentator Tom Phillips was caught in a social media storm this week.
The mild-mannered onscreen link man was exposed as a particularly vulgar adulterer by his wronged mistress, from whom Phillips allegedly kept his relationship status secret. "missythetattooedgirl" posted a private exchange with Phillips on her Instagram account.
The screenshot depicted Phillips as a wide-eyed loon, the whites of his eyes exposed in a near-psychotic glare. Evidently, his "massive erection" had propelled him into the throes of lunacy. How did he plan on ridding himself of it? Why, by "face f*cking" "the sh*t" out of his bit on the side, of course. And people say romance is dead. Though this story naturally led many to speculate about Phillips' employment prospects, such behaviour is no barrier even to the most important job on the planet. It's 2017. He'll be fine.
Wrestling and social media make for strange bedfellows, even in a post-kayfabe wrestling world. It's hard to take Kevin Owens seriously as a cold-blooded sociopath when he posts GIFs of bunny rabbits eating strawberries on Twitter.
As counterintuitive as such posts are, they are the norm. It's just something fans have to accept about wrestling in the 21st century - but that doesn't mean wrestling personalities are beyond the unacceptable...
5. Michael Cole: Homophobe
On March 28, 2011, Josh Matthews posted what might be the most innocuous, nothing tweet of all time: "Chicago!", he wrote, apparently excited about the prospect of appearing in one of WWE's more rowdy cities ahead of Monday Night RAW. No harm there. In response, colleague Michael Cole responded with one word: "F*ggot."
What's more appalling than the slur itself is the casualness with which Cole posted it - as if it was a synonym of "nerd", something millions upon millions of people would not find offensive, something countless closeted WWE fans may have seen and compelled themselves to hide their perfectly natural orientation yet further.
Cole posted this in 2011, decades after political correctness was introduced to the American lexicon - but, to comprehend if not understand, Cole had spent well over a decade immersed within the WWE bubble, a place impervious to outside influence. That said, just one week prior to Cole's tweet, WWE had revised their partnership with G.L.A.A.D. - the same organisation they had alienated by having Billy and Chuck turn face by turning straight in 2002 - in which they promised to once more rid itself of homophobic language and portrayals.
Cole wasn't the only on-air personality with horrendous timing...