With a shorter haircut and a longer beard, independent wrestling mainstay Joey Ryan is still one of the most popular acts on the circuit. With a sleazy character that resembles wrestlers of years past, Ryan has captured the adulation of fans by incorporating the characteristics that made an entire generation of wrestlers.

Body hair reminiscent of the late Rick Rude, a lollipop that ends up in the mouth of one lucky fan before a match and bright colors that hit the eyeball like a clothesline to the chest. But in Ryan's view, the character that he portrays today naturally grew into sleaze without it being his objective.