"Progressive Liberal" Wrestling Heel Goes Viral

If you want to see folks rally around any liberal agenda in the traditionally conservative state of Kentucky, you’ll have to go to an Appalachian Mountain Wrestling (AMW) event. There, you'll be able to witness the execution of “Liberal Agenda,” which is literally the finisher of the indie wrestling heel Dan Richards.

Better known by his gimmick as the "Progressive Liberal," the 36-year-old wrestler was discovered by Deadspin on Monday, and since then, he's been written about in dozens of news outlets and even scored an interview with Sports Illustrated. The man became a viral sensation in less than two days and is undoubtedly the biggest star in the history of Appalachian Mountain Wrestling.

So what makes Richards, to use Deadspin's words, "the perfect wrestling heel"? A good wrestling heel needs to make the audience want to see the s*** kicked out of him. Heels generally get this sort of heat by insulting things the audience likes, such as the local sports team or a hometown hero. Richards gets heat by insulting the way the audience votes.

"You people need to be reprogrammed," says Richards in a backstage promo in which he's wearing a shirt plastered with dozens of faces of Hillary Clinton. "You continually vote against your own interests. You put people in congress, in the White House, that aren't gonna help you. They're not gonna bring your jobs back."

"I do lean far left," Richards told Sports Illustrated. "So it’s not like I’m pretending to be something I’m not. I’m just turning it up. I hear Trump chants everywhere I go now, as soon as I walk out."

But Richards isn't only trolling Trump fans. By being so adamantly Hillary, he's also riling up Bernie Sanders supporters. At a recent appearance, Richards fired up the Bernie Would Have Won crowd when he said "I think Bernie Sanders would have made a great Secretary of State," parroting a familiar line from Hillary supporters during the Democratic Primary. His performance elicited a "Feel the Bern" chant from irate attendees.

Granted, Richards is no John Cena, as his mic skills and ring work aren't up to snuff with the modern WWE. Still, in a subculture where the typical heel can generate heat by making fun of America in a foreign accent, seeing a heel working so brazenly within the realm of American politics is fascinating. If you're in the east Kentucky area, you can drop by Wolfe County High School tomorrow and watch Richards fight against Kyle Maggard in a "Crybaby" match.

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