David Morales has spent the past several years portraying a corrupt politician in a professional wrestling ring. In January, he’ll become the real-life mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.
The 28-year-old Democrat defeated Republican Dave Talan in Tuesday’s election, receiving more than 80% of the vote. Morales had already defeated incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley in the September Democratic primary.
Morales, a democratic socialist who has served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives since 2021, will become the youngest mayor in Providence history. Wrestling fans may know him by another name: “The Commissioner.”
Morales has wrestled for Rhode Island’s Renegade Wrestling Alliance (RWA) since 2021, portraying an arrogant, corrupt politician. He is a three-time RWA Hype Champion and developed his heel character while serving in the state legislature.
A lifelong wrestling fan, Morales grew up in Southern California and received a Rey Mysterio mask as a Christmas present when he was a child. He eventually made the transition from watching wrestling to getting into the ring himself.
Morales announced a semi-retirement from wrestling in 2025 to concentrate on his political career, although he hasn’t ruled out returning to the ring.
His wrestling career even became an issue during the mayoral campaign. Smiley’s campaign used images of Morales in his wrestling gear in an advertisement criticizing his legislative record. The advertisement featured the slogan “All hype, no results.”
In an October 2025 interview with Ocean State Media, Morales discussed the similarities between politics and professional wrestling.
“I think there’s a lot of overlap,” he said. “Including showmanship, theater, athleticism, drama and humor.”
But Morales also expressed concern about politicians adopting the confrontational style of wrestling promos.
“I don’t think it’s a positive thing when so many politicians are trying to emulate the sort of style that professional wrestlers put forward in their promos, because what you end up with is extremist rhetoric,” he said.
Morales also discussed kayfabe, the wrestling tradition of maintaining fictional characters and storylines as though they were real. He suggested that some Republican members of Congress practice political kayfabe by publicly supporting President Donald Trump even when they privately disagree with him.
“The president is a perfect example of kayfabe,” Morales said.
He argued that Trump maintains the appearance of helping working Americans even when his policies have made life more expensive.
The comparison between wrestling and politics isn’t new, particularly when it comes to Trump, who has his own history with WWE and Vince McMahon.
Jonathan V. Last, better known as JVL, is a longtime political journalist and editor at The Bulwark who has frequently discussed political kayfabe and its role in Trump’s political career.
Last has argued that Trump’s approach to politics resembles professional wrestling, with exaggerated conflicts, shifting storylines and a blurred distinction between reality and performance. Political kayfabe, in his view, helps explain why supporters remain invested in Trump’s persona even when his statements and positions contradict one another.
In an August essay, Trump’s America Is Really Hulk Hogan’s America, Last wrote, “Wrestling is the Rosetta Stone for Trumpism.” He also explored the influence of Hogan and McMahon on the entertainment culture surrounding Trump’s political rise.
Jim Cornette has also used wrestling terminology to explain political disputes. In June 2025, DMV Wrestling News covered Cornette’s comparison of the feud between Trump and Elon Musk to a wrestling angle. Cornette discussed the problems with booking a feud between two heels, where neither side gives the audience someone to cheer for.
For Morales, the connection between wrestling and politics is more personal. He spent years playing a corrupt politician in front of wrestling fans who knew it was part of the show. Now he’ll be running Providence, where the decisions are real and the consequences extend well beyond the wrestling ring.