‘Evil Gay’ Aaron Rourke becomes WWE’s first out gay singles champion

Rourke captured the WWE Evolve Men's title Wednesday, joining Fred Rosser as the only out gay male wrestlers ever to hold a WWE championship. The post ‘Evil Gay’ Aaron Rourke becomes WWE’s first out gay singles champion appeared first on Outsports.

Out pro wrestler Aaron Rourke, the only out LGBTQ male wrestler currently under any form of WWE contract, etched his name in the pro wrestling history books Wednesday night by becoming WWE Evolve Men’s champion.

Rourke defeated Jackson Drake in the main event of Wednesday’s “WWE Evolve” streaming program to become only the second out gay male wrestler ever to hold a WWE championship, joining former WWE Tag Team champion Fred Rosser.

The “Dime Piece” secured the title in a hard-hitting bout that highlighted the perseverance Rourke has come to embody over his time in the ring. The WWE ID prospect battled back from nearly being counted out after being suplexed from the ring apron to the floor, a burning hammer and Drake’s finishing running knee strike to become only the second holder of the title in its short history.

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His crowning moment came when he countered a leaping attack from Drake with a spear and hit him with a Molly Go-Round from the top rope to score the pinfall. A visibly emotional Rourke celebrated in the ring with a slew of Evolve regulars as he hoisted his title high.

“‘Every wound will shape me. Every scar will build my throne,’” Rourke wrote in an Instagram post celebrating the win. “It’s my time to shine.”

Along with joining Rosser, “Evil Gay” now stands as the only out LGBTQ male wrestler to hold singles gold in WWE history. The accomplishment holds added significance considering how much the presence of LGBTQ pro wrestlers on WWE programming has diminished over the last year.

Though Rourke isn’t under a full-time WWE contract, he and Piper Niven represent the only out LGBTQ pro wrestlers currently under any form of WWE contract.

Outsports congratulates Rourke for his accomplishment and for continuing to show that Courage is Contagious.

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The post ‘Evil Gay’ Aaron Rourke becomes WWE’s first out gay singles champion appeared first on Outsports.