The 'Penis Wrestler' is probably not a moniker anybody expects to be given in their life, but Impact Wrestling star Joey Ryan has turned those three words into a calling card. This calling card has proven so successful that Ryan is one of the most sought-after independent wrestlers in the world, as well as a popular star of international television on the weekly Impact Wrestling programme. SPORTbible caught up with the doyen of the d**k flip to discuss going viral, going to war with traditionalists and a brave new direction for his character.
Even if you don't know the name Joey Ryan, the wrestler is probably familiar to you. Footage of him flipping opponents across the ring with his groin have accumulated huge views on social media for a number of years. So, how do you go viral for your feats of penile strength?
"The first d**k flip was pitched to me by an opponent: Danshoku Dino from DDT [Pro-Wrestling] in Japan," Ryan recalled.
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"He is known for grabbing his opponents by the junk and, while they're freaking out, he takes the opportunity to suplex them or attack them. He just got the idea that rather than me selling for him he would sell for me when he grabbed me."
The stunt was an overnight sensation and soon the whole wrestling world was talking about Ryan. While Ryan was already a respected veteran who had been entertaining audiences across the world for over 15 years, the widely-shared clip saw him cross over with a new audience.
"A lot of wrestling fans and wrestlers, their non-wrestling fan, friends or family would hit them up and say, 'Have you seen this clip?'" he said.
"So I knew it was hitting like a mainstream audience. Whether it was the absurdity or the craziness of it, it was definitely finding an audience."
Pro wrestling has long been the domain of toughness, hard-hitting matches and brutal brawls. But there is also room in that landscape for a more light-hearted approach, something Ryan fully subscribes to.
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"What we can do with wrestling is pretty outstanding, we don't have to live in certain bubbles or circles" he insisted. "With the popularity of MMA and UFC, people know what a real fight looks like.
"Nothing in professional wrestling looks like a real fight. So we take it the opposite way, I like to do stuff you can't do in the UFC, you can't do in MMA. I take it the opposite way.
"As much as I liked to get all the technical stylings down when I was a younger wrestler, now I look at the character types and how they influenced me and how they control the audience. Not just physicality, but they can bring emotions to things.
"That's something that I think we can do with professional wrestling that you can't do with any other sport. You can dress it up, you can make it fun or clever or smart."
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While Ryan makes a compelling case for comedy -- having a well-deserved place in the pantheon of pro wrestling -- he has run into some opposition from a high-profile industry figure. Veteran manager Jim Cornette, formerly of WWE and WCW stardom, has publicly denounced Ryan and his brand of fun-loving wrestling action. Cornette has used interviews and his podcast to fire shots at anything he doesn't accept within wrestling, but Ryan stands behind his philosophy.
"The thing I don't like about some of what he does is he tries to divide the wrestling audience, he tries to make people choose sides," Ryan argued.
"Wrestling is big enough that people can support everything and have a favourite style. Just because there's a wrestler I'm not a fan of, it doesn't mean I want them to fail.
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"We should be trying to grow the industry as a whole and [should] accept what works and what gets over. You can't pick and choose what connects with an audience. If something connects and has the ability to help the industry grow, then I think we should all support it."
Cornette certainly does not speak for all wrestling legends, according to Ryan.
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"You only really see the negative opinions because the negative is louder than the positive," he explained.
"Everyone from Kevin Sullivan to Hacksaw Jim Duggan to Gangrel to Billy Gunn, Mick Foley did a spot with me; they understand it and they think it's fun. They know how hard it is to get something over in wrestling and maintain it so they appreciate the effort."
While Ryan has taken over the world as the sleazy penis-slinging character we know and love, hints have been dropped at a change of direction for his character. Pictures recently emerged of Ryan performing at the latest Impact TV tapings in a plain jumper and shorts in front of a backdrop bearing the legend "#CancelCulture." Little is known about this new character for Ryan, beyond the visuals and the fact he was flanked by former WWE and ECW icon Rob Van Dam. We asked Ryan to give us a sneak peek into his next move.
"We've presented it at the last set of tapings and the audience that were there live didn't get to see the backstage pre-tapes that we do and the vignettes we film to explain things," he said. "Me and Rob [Van Dam] are kind of beloved characters, so the audience wanted to cheer us even though we were presenting a different viewpoint.
"I'm really curious to see, once the vignettes and interviews show about the characters, how the audience takes to it. It's different and when it was pitched to me it just sounded like something that I could be creative [with] and that sounded fun to me."
For those who have grown attached to Ryan's appendage antics, do not fret. While Ryan's Impact character is about to enjoy a major shift, on the independent scene you will still be able to see the phallic-phenom swing his thing.
"Part of the reason I chose to go to Impact Wrestling was because I'd have the freedom and not be exclusive, so while I can do something on Impact Wrestling, it doesn't necessarily effect what I do on the independents. They can be two different worlds," he said.
Ryan has enjoyed a rich, entertaining and rewarding career in pro wrestling. With exciting things ahead of him both in Impact and beyond, the continued evolution of this most independent of wrestlers will be fascinating to watch.
Go behind the scenes with Joey Ryan in his upcoming special of the original Fight Network documentary series 'Diary' on the 28th February at 10pm on Fight Network UK (Sky channel 192 and TVPlayer via Showcase TV).
Featured Image Credit: Impact Wrestling
Topics: Wrestling News, Wrestling