There’s a picture of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell next to two body-building wrestlers, Mr. PEC-Tacular and The Luscious Baby, floating around the internet, and it’s getting international attention, but it’s who took the picture that’s just as interesting as the photo itself.
The photo was taken by Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio, an investor in OVW Wrestling, a one-time Democratic potential challenger of McConnell’s and author of ‘Mitch Please,’ a book he wrote criticizing the Republican leader.
Jones told Kentucky Fried Politics he changed his schedule to be at WKYT-TV where the wrestlers were recording promos for their show on Thursday. Jones said WKYT told him that McConnell would be at the studio at the same time he was there and wanted to make sure the interaction wasn’t awkward for the two.
“They were afraid it was going to be awkward between me and him,” Jones told Kentucky Fried Politics. “I said, I’m not going to cause any problem. But then I said, you know what let’s try and make an opportunity here – so I got in touch with some of Mitch’s folks.”
“During this whole time, Mitch was in his interview with WKYT, and I said, hey, when he gets out would he mind taking a picture with these guys, and they said, yes. Not to my surprise – I thought they might,” Jones continued.
Jones is not so sure McConnell’s staff shared that it would be him taking the picture of McConnell and the wrestlers.
“I don’t think he realized it was me until the very end,” he said, adding McConnell gave him a sly smile as if to say ‘of course this is you.’
McConnell talked politics with Mr. PEC-Tacular, who is a fan of Kentucky’s senior Senator. Jones said he and McConnell did not speak. “I don’t want to make a situation uncomfortable, he was nice enough to do it.”
“I think civility is very important. It’s always been very important to me – it’s always going to be very important to me,” Jones said. “The other thing is – I’m not just a political being I’m a wrestling promoter if you’re telling me I can get the Senate leader posing with my wrestlers and get international coverage I’m going to take it.”
The image has “baffled viewers” according to one news outlet, and was picked up internationally by the Daily Mail.
Jones was courted to run for office against McConnell, but bowed out of speculation in November of 2019.
The Ohio Valley Wrestling show has a long history in Louisville but will be debuting on local stations around the state tonight. The wrestling begins at 10 pm in the Lexington market on the CW.
