Aaron Rourke, who goes by the alias ‘Evil Gay’, has officially made wrestling history after he became the first openly gay WWE singles champion.

The wrestler, who hails from Long Island, secured his title and the historic win after he defeated opponent Jackson Drake in the WWE Evolve Championships on March 18. In the fight’s final moment, Aaron Rourke jumped at his Drake from the top rope, and after flipping through the air in a move known as the Molly Go Round, he pinned him down by landing on his chest. As he gripped his opponent’s head and leg, a referee confirmed Rourke’s victory.

 

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This is not the first time Rourke has made gay wrestling history – he also has the distinction of being the first out LGBTQ+ wrestler to be signed to the Independent Development program, a feat he achieved after joining WWE ID in November 2024.

Rourke follows in the footsteps of another queer wrestler, Fred Rosser, who won the WWE Tag Team Competition with his partner Titus O’Neill. As it stands, Rourke is one of just two openly LGBTQ+ male wrestlers under a WWE contract, alongside bisexual wrestler Piper Niven.

Following his victory, Rourke took to Instagram to celebrate his championship. In a post, he wrote: “Every wound will shape me. Every scar will build my throne. It’s my time to shine.”

 

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In the comments sections of Instagram posts celebrating Rourke’s win, many fans shared messages of congratulations. One user wrote: “One of the most inspiring and kind people I’ve got to meet in wrestling. Well earned.”

Another penned: “Congratulations, you deserve it! You did this for us.”

Other fans flooded Rourke’s comments section with queer slang. “CLOCK IT,” one fan wrote. Another said: “the divas are soooooo up.” A third commenter came in clutch with the rallying call of “LET’S FREAKINNNN GOOOOOO,” and dubbed Rourke an “ICONNNNNN.”