Tuesday’s elections saw Democrats ride a massive blue wave built on anti-Trump sentiment into offices around the country.
Among the progressive politicians who emerged victorious on Tuesday was David Morales, who was elected mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.
Morales is noteworthy for a variety of reasons. For one, he’s a member of the Democratic Socialists of America party, which counts the uber-popular New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani among its ranks. (Morales won the Democratic nomination after
beating the incumbent mayor in the primary.) Another interesting fact about Morales is that at 28 years of age, he will be the youngest mayor in the history of Providence.
But perhaps the most unusual tidbit about Morales is that many people in his home state of Rhode Island know him as a professional wrestler.
As a wrestler, Morales played up a political angle. After all, he took office as a Rhode Island state representative in January 2021. But while serving the state, he also moonlighted for the independent promotion Renegade Wrestling Alliance, where he performed as “The Commissioner,” a heel politician gimmick.
He held three championships during his time in Renegade, but Morales ultimately hit pause on his wrestling dreams last year in order to fully devote himself to politics.
Last year, he spoke with Ocean State Media about the similarities between wrestling and politics.
“I think there’s a lot of overlap,” Morales said to the news outlet. “Including showmanship, theater, athleticism, drama, and humor.”
The mayor-elect also threw some shade at President Donald Trump during that 2025 interview. Trump, of course, has numerous ties to WWE.
“The president is a perfect example of kayfabe. Despite the fact that his ideas have put more stress on working people within our economy, he’s maintaining the kayfabe that his ideas are actually solutions,” Morales told Ocean State Media. “He’s maintaining kayfabe that his proposals are actually helping working people, when in fact it’s made life more expensive.
Morales is not the only liberal politician with a fondness for pro wrestling. Clips have circulated on social media of Mamdani enjoying an AEW show in New York soon before he took office.
What do you think about Morales’ victory? Do you think there’s a strong connection between politics and the world of wrestling? (And should there be?) Let us know in the comments.
