In a recent interview with Pride.com, Anthony Bowens discussed the increasing inclusivity of LGBTQ+ wrestlers within the professional wrestling industry and also shared insights on how fans perceive him at AEW.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On how he feels as an openly gay wrestler: “I feel extremely welcome. That was actually one of the drawing points of coming to All Elite Wrestling [AEW], back in 2020, when I was trying to choose between two companies. It was how welcoming the locker room was and how free the performers were, because AEW had the first ever trans woman to win a major national title named Nyla Rose, and they had Sonny Kiss, and both were just walking around being themselves and there was no issues. It was just we’re all one big family, it didn’t matter who you were. And I thought that was so impressive.”
On the AEW crowd embracing him and the ‘he’s gay’ chants of support: “That was an interesting day. My form of activism is not so much in your face. I like to be just out and visible and myself every single week, as successfully as possible. In sports, I was never the team leader, but I was always the guy who led by example.”
On wider acceptance in the business: “We have shows on the independent [promotions] like Effy’s Big Gay Brunch that features all LGBTQ athletes, I think he runs it multiple times a year now; it used to be every WrestleMania weekend. And then also on AEW, I think that at one point one of our shows had I think seven or eight out LGBTQ athletes on the show. That doesn’t happen anywhere else. And that certainly didn’t happen when I first started.”
House of Glory (HOG) presented Mike Santana’s Puerto Rican Weekend on Saturday night in New York City, and Santana took to Twitter today to reflect on his event. He wrote,
“*Long Post*
been sitting here for a while trying to find the words to explain how truly special last night was for me, my city, and my people. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to represent and celebrate this amazing weekend than with every fan, family member, and roster member who came out and were a part of it.
So much love, passion, and hard work went into making last night a reality. Showcasing Boricuas in Pro Wrestling was something that I’ve always wanted to do. So when the opportunity came about to finally make this dream happen and put this together, I jumped right in full force.
I feel like we truly brought something special together and I want to thank everyone who played a role in being part of last night. Shoutout to @HOGwrestling, all the wrestlers who were hand picked to be a part of the show, the wrestling community who showed so much support, AND EVERY FAN THAT JAM PACKED THE NYC ARENA! Your energy was definitely felt and I hope we were all able to give it all back. I said I wanted to showcase and celebrate the past, present, and future. I gave you exactly that!
Last night allowed me to prove many things to myself.
So I THANK YOU.
WE DID IT!
I SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!
#PUERTORICANWEEKEND”
He later added,
“This s**t right here.
These are the moments I live for.
Still living on this high.
STRAIGHT GOOSEBUMPS.
If you haven’t seen this show, do yourself the favor. Top to bottom. https://trillertv.com/watch/hog-puerto-rican-weekend-2024/2pf6d/
IM THE MUTHAFKN KING OF THIS S**T!
👑🇵🇷
#PuertoRicanWeekend”
This shit right here.
These are the moments I live for.
Still living on this high.STRAIGHT GOOSEBUMPS.
If you haven’t seen this show, do yourself the favor. Top to bottom. https://t.co/3OvbvOARsDIM THE MUTHAFKN KING OF THIS SHIT!
👑🇵🇷#PuertoRicanWeekend pic.twitter.com/q0aHiJIvkn— Mike SANTANA🇵🇷 (@Santana_Proud) June 10, 2024
*Long Post*
been sitting here for a while trying to find the words to explain how truly special last night was for me, my city, and my people. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to represent and celebrate this amazing weekend than with every fan, family member, and roster… pic.twitter.com/avZy58fOzU
— Mike SANTANA🇵🇷 (@Santana_Proud) June 9, 2024
