Rising concerns over the coronavirus have caused much of the wrestling world to join the rest of sports in canceling or postponing a large swath of events. But for pro wrestler Mike Parrow, there was one event on Saturday that he wasn’t going to miss for the world.
Parrow and his longtime partner, Morgan Cole, tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday. And the images of that day showcase the love and passion that has come to define their relationship.
The wedding marked another monumentally positive point in Parrow’s journey since coming out as gay. The All Japan Pro Wrestling staple came out publicly in 2017, but had struggled with his sexual identity for years beforehand. He finally decided to try and live as a gay man after moving to Orlando for pro wrestling training but he struggled to truly embrace his sexuality until meeting his “Hubby.”
Me and Husband @joveyjove want to Thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts!Thank you to our friends that were able join us especially during the current circumstances and all the others who sent well wishes,it meant the world to us.The Wedding was perfect! It does get better! pic.twitter.com/ljzvbLPTYP
— Parrow (@Parrow_) March 16, 2020
But the beautiful images of the two dancing at their wedding reception had a rocky start all those years ago. “It literally was the worst first date ever,” Parrow recalled to documentarian Kenny Johnson. “I sat there on my phone not knowing what to say to him … I explained to him ‘You’re never going to meet my friends, we’re never going to go anywhere where we’re going to be seen together and you can only come over at night time.’ Who stays with a person that says that?”
Parrow realized that he’d have to embrace himself fully and openly to make the relationship work and the love he found with Cole empowered him to come out to friends, family and, ultimately, the public.
Parrow referenced both the highs, lows and how love helps change one into another in a tweet thanking those that attended the wedding. “Me and [Morgan] want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts,” Parrow wrote. “Thank you to our friends that were able to join us, especially during the current circumstances, and all the others who sent well wishes. It meant the world to us. The wedding was perfect! It does get better!”
It truly does get better. We at Outsports congratulate Parrow and Cole on their union!
