Israel pro wrestling champ comes out as gay

Professional wrestling champion Nir Rotenberg, aka Rixon, has come out publicly in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same.

In an interview with WDG, and then translated into English by Yanir Dekel for A Wider Bridge, Rotenberg talks about being gay, in a relationship and having kids. But top of mind for the wrestling champion has been his social responsibility as a successful gay athlete.

“I understood the extent of the responsibility and the influence that my actions have now that I am a champion, and I knew that it was time to come out of the closet in public,” he said, according to A Wider Bridge. “If I had a gay role model as a young wrestler, the fears I’ve had in the past would have been avoided.”

Check out the entire interview, in Hebrew or in English.

You can follow Nir Rotenberg on Instagram @RixonWrestling, or on Twitter @RixonRuas.