How "The Progressive Liberal" Dan Richards Became the Media’s Favorite Wrestler – Paste Magazine

It takes a village to make a wrestler.

Though the fans of Appalachian Mountain Wrestling (AMW) may not appreciate The Progressive Liberal Daniel Richards for the far left ideology he brings to the ring, Richards appreciates the fans, and the promotion that gave him a platform to become an overnight internet sensation. Just a month ago, AMW had a couple hundred followers on their YouTube channel, with maybe twice that many views on the episode that caught the eye of Deadspin at the end of June.

Were approaching 50,000 the last time I checked, Daniel Richards said, in an interview this week with Paste. Our subscribers have gone up by a hundred, which proportionally is significant. We had 230-something before, and now were approaching 350 or more. Thats big for a little independent promotion like us.

Its a metaphor for the whirlwind month Richards has had. Part-time wrestler Daniel Richards by night, successful realtor Daniel Harnsberger by day, the 36-year-old has found himself at the center of a media whirlwind all thanks to his unusual gimmick: a true blue, die hard, yellow dog liberal decked out in Democratic donkeys and a shirt covered in Hillary Clintonphotos, hitting the mat with conservative foes deep in the heart of Trump Country.

To me its only made it more exciting and more enjoyable, Richards said of the extra attention. I think its brought a little extra fanfare which of course is a great thing. I dont know if it means Ill strike it rich, but it certainly helps. Even if it means a few extra hours of work, maintaining his businesses and new bookings in the wake of his newfound national notoriety. I still have my real estate businesses to tend to, and thats been harder. At the end of the day Im not going to fail, its just been less sleep for this liberal.

Though Richardss on-camera relationship with the AMW roster, and certainly with their passionately conservative fans, is combative, he paints a more bipartisan picture of AMWs perspective on his moment in the spotlight.

Everyone knows whats going on. I think at the end of the day everyone there realizes its a good thing for everybody, and theres not been an interview of any significance that Ive done where I havent promoted AMW, Richards said. I think I know that. Its not like Ive gotten a big head about this, Beau [James] hasnt. Beau and I, with all the coverage weve gotten, were still the same two people we were before. Maybe itd be looked at negatively if I was being an arrogant prick or something, but Im not.

Beau James, Richardss mentor and a man with more than twenty years of experience in the world of wrestling, went to a great deal of effort to smooth Richardss path in the locker room when he first joined the AMW ranks, and Richards has mentioned in previous interviews James would feed him his lines and coach him on the gimmick in front of other wrestlers to make sure they knew Richards wasnt just showing up to stir the pot.

When asked if that was still the case, Richards explained, That was at first, because Im an outsider to fans, I still am. But when I first came there I was an outsider to that locker room. So to make sure that I didnt have instant heat in the dressing room, Beau made sure that people heard him giving me the direction. If Id just come out and said that stuff, itd be understandable, itd be like who is this jerk? To put it mildly.

So that was definitely done with my best interest in mind, and I appreciate that. But thats the beauty of working for someone like Beau, because Beau is a wealth of knowledge and has the experience to understand a dynamic like that. Hes been around 28 years, wrestled all over the country, and rubbed elbows with some of the greatest wrestlers in the entire business. So Im a beneficiary of his education, and Im fortunate that hes passing down part of it to me.

Not to say that Richards isnt as liberal as his gimmicka gimmick topped off by a cross-arm neckbreaker finisher called the Liberal Agenda. Though he may not be quite as pompous as his Daniel Richards persona, Harnsberger is a proud liberal, and just as outspoken about it, a rarity in an entertainment business dominated by a family of wealthy Republican donors and a Trump cabinet member.

Harnsberger is surprised by everyone elses surprise at his liberal leanings, but is quick in interviews to confirm theyre all his. Its shocking to me that everyone is shocked, even Chris Hayes on his shows said, you know, at first we thought this was a conservative playing a liberal, then we figured out hes an actual liberal! And Im like, yes!

In the radio interviews they quickly find it out, and Im pleased the feedback I get is, well, you know what youre talking about. I dont know every nuance of every policy but I do follow the news. I think its more important than ever to follow the news, not only because of the time and the President that were living in and under, just being in wrestling, I think its important to keep a pulse on whats going on in the world.

What is it like, then, to feel so passionately about your politics and climb into a ring where you know theyll get booed nine shows out of ten?

Im a villainized version of myself because the fans, Harnsberger said. Beau could book me any way possible to try to get me loved by the fans, but if I just have the name The Progressive Liberal Daniel Richards, that alone Im just gonna get heat. Its just heat with those people there. Itd be a tough go.

So thats why Im villainized, and I play off of it, but I think thats how you would go in real life. If you went to work and people were talking shit to you, you would justI guess some people would wilt, but thats not me. I would fire back. And thats me. I antagonize them in the ring and then in my interviews, I try to. Theyre so narrow-minded over there, including one of the wrestlers who thinks that if youre liberal, youre gay. And first of all, theres nothing wrong if that is the case, Im not, but I dont really care that they think I am, so Ill throw in a lot of extra flamboyance I maybe wouldnt otherwise. Its just to egg them on because they dont like it. Thats fine. Theyre on the wrong side of history, and you know, Im not.

Theres a level of nuance there even most big name wrestlers often missbeing a progressive character without going out of your way to make your progressive views the problem, and instead, just accepting the responses as they come. For Harnsberger, being Daniel Richards means putting a little salt and pepper on the person he is when he wakes up in the morning, but not making his ideals the butt of the joke. (More big name wrestlers could take a hint from Harnsberger in this regard.)

He doesnt go out of his way to engage fans in political debate after matches, though, and has an old-school view of keeping kayfabe. I try to stay away from any interactions from fans, he said, Because theres nothing I hate more than watching someone whos trying to be a heel and at the end of the night theyre glad-handing fans and holding babies, and I see that a lot.

After a movies over, Tom Hanksisnt coming out like, oh, this thing was all fake. It doesnt happen. And I dont want to compromise the hard work Ive put in, especially with my character, to kill the suspension of disbelief Ive worked so hard for.

He did admit, though, that I printed some pictures, Im selling those bad boys.

Theres a band I really like called One-Eyed Doll, the lead singer, her names Kimberly Freeman. Ive seen them three times live, and shes so interactive and personal with her fans I think I take part of that and make it mine when it comes to interacting with fans of mine.

For Harnsberger, the key to the gimmickimparted to him by Beauis understanding the audience and rolling with the crowd response, without letting his gimmick get lost or changed by the added attention. Ive got bookings in the future where people are going to cheer for me because of where I am. Ive got a show in Annandale, Virginia, which is Northern Virginia, and Ill be cheered there, or Im pretty confident I will be. I look forward to that. I dont need cheers, boos dont hurt my feelings. Its just an interesting change of pace, just like all this has been.

The Progressive Liberal gimmick does give him some freedom to have fun toying with fans, though. We went out to Gray, Tennessee, to a festival, and people are just booing me and saying stuff. And I interact with them, but totally as a heel. Im considered smug and arrogant and all that so I play that up as Im setting up my table, Im like, Move, move, the most famous wrestler in the world, setting up! Gotta sell pictures!

I dont walk around thinking that, Ive certainly gotten a lot of notoriety out of it I did say in a post-match interview with Kyle [Maggard], on the live mic I said, How does it feel to be beaten by the most famous wrestler in the world? And at least for the first week I might have had a justifiable claim there. Thats not for me to say, but at least in the first week I had a justifiable claim.

Whether hes been the most famous wrestler or not, Harnsberger has stayed humble and up front about his origins, and in most interviews only has kind words for AMW, Maggard, James, and the other professionals who have helped him hone his craft and find a home for his gimmick.

The reason trickle-down economics doesnt work is because of people, Harnsberger said firmly, dipping back into the toes of the ideological waters that make him Daniel Richards even as he discusses his passion for AMW and appreciation for the help and support hes been given since he returned to the wrestling ring. Republicans say, oh the rich guys are gonna start paying everyone else more when you give them the tax break. And thats not what happens.

In my universe, I just feel like you use good things that have been given to you to lift other people up, but also recognize what got you there, and to me, thats all Im doing is giving props to people who deserve it. The Richmond Times-Dispatch followed me around for most of [Monday], they photographed me while I was working out, but I wanted my trainer Jennifer Rothemich to be there with me. Shes helped me with my diet, I broke my hand like my second match for AMW Jennifer helped me with that. I wanted her to be there so she could get a rub from it, at least people know hey, this gal is a personal trainer and it couldnt hurt her for sure.

Though Rothemich couldnt make the interview, Harnsberger said, I try to do that on all levels because its all a product its just a team effort. Were all independent contractors but truly, for this to work, everyones got to be involved and pitch in. I came up with a great gimmick, and its my idea and all that, but Beau helped me understand it better and then helped me understand my audience better. Its not a one-man show.

As for future opportunities, The Progressive Liberal has his eyes on one opponent for a potential future feud. I think theres a match that needs to happen between myself and Sam Adonis, an independent wrestler in Mexico who wrestles as an ardent supporter of President Trump. I knew about Sama friend of mine, she sent me an article about Sam and thats how I first knew about him. Now its funny, now that Im having my little run right now, people are putting us in the same light. Usually you see a story about me and theres a story linked about him in the related section.

A midterm election grudge match, maybe?

We need to have something and we need to do it now, strike while the irons hot. But well see. So Sam is one, the whole dynamic there if anything.

He still has an eye on the big fish of sports entertainment, the WWE. Thats where Ive wanted to go since I was a kid. I stepped away from the business and had this big hiatus that I think really killed my chances of having any kind of stardom, but I made my goal this year that I want to be on there for a one-time match. And that can happen! Well see. I wanted that and to be ranked in Pro Wrestling Illustrated, so well see if either happens.

C.K. Stewart is a freelance writer with a lot of opinions about comics, wrestling and wrestling comics. He can also be found at Newsarama or livetweeting terrible pay-per-views on Twitter @ckayfabe.

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How "The Progressive Liberal" Dan Richards Became the Media's Favorite Wrestler - Paste Magazine