The Mad King: violence and vulnerability in professional wrestling.

This article examines how professional wrestling articulates masculinity through violence, focusing on the concept of "nascent masculinity," an emergent form that reconfigures traditional hegemonic masculinity by combining aggression with emotional vulnerability and mental health awareness. Using the example of Eddie Kingston, a prominent wrestler in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the article highlights how Kingston blends physical violence and openness about his mental health struggles to challenge toxic masculine norms prevalent in wrestling culture. The analysis situates professional wrestling as a culturally embedded spectacle that both reflects and shapes societal understandings of masculinity, emphasizing violence as a complex rhetorical tool rather than merely destructive behavior. The article proposes nascent masculinity as a useful framework for studying evolving masculine performances that resist hegemonic ideals, suggesting professional wrestling offers a valuable site for further research on gender, violence, and identity.