Gay wrestler Anthony Bowens says Heated Rivalry shows authentic life of closeted athletes
Anthony Bowens has praised Heated Rivalry (Getty Images | Crave)
Gay All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Anthony Bowens has heaped praise on hockey drama Heated Rivalry, telling PinkNews it shows a “very authentic side of what it’s like being a closeted athlete”.
For those who have been living under a rock, Heated Rivalry tells the story of a passionate, secret romance between two rival hockey players, Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) – and season two is filming now. When it launched in Canada on Crave late last year, it kickstarted conversations about LGBTQ+ representation in sport and whether it would help closeted players come out, with opinions divided.
But, speaking to PinkNews, Bowens, who came out as gay in 2019, has praised the show for showing the reality of what being a closeted, professional athlete looks like.
“I think it showed a very authentic side of what it’s like being a closeted athlete,” he told us, adding: “Maybe without all the sex scenes.”
Bowens went on: “In general, the having to hide yourself, the fear.”
Speaking of the reaction from fans, he said: “I think now, fans embrace a lot of people. Obviously, there’s going to be some opposition, there’s always going to be that niche group of people that hate it.
“But fans embrace people who are themselves, being themselves and who can just express themselves freely and do the sport that they love.”
He explained he enjoyed the show, but, seemingly speaking from experience, warned: “Do not watch it on an airplane, because the flight attendant might think you’re watching something very… That was horrifying…”
Bowens added: “There are moments of the show where I’m just like, this clocks! I think it’s probably the most authentic show that’s been out in terms of what it’s like being a closeted athlete.”
The wrestler, who has been signed to AEW since 2020, also spoke of the support he receives as an out gay athlete.
“The AEW fanbase, people in general have been incredible with me,” he said. “Obviously, again, there’s always going to be a select group of folks that are just always going to be hateful, which is a shame, so you have to prepare yourself for that mentally going into these things.
“But at the end of the day, you know, who cares about these people? You can’t live your life based upon miserable people who hate themselves and project it onto other people. You just cannot do that.
“There’s always going to be support for you, and I’m grateful for the support that AEW fans have given.”
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