Welcome to
OUT OF THE PEN WITH THE BIG HOG
Where I rip off Alex Pawlowski's writing style to cover stuff that isn't that serious
(Alex's Note: I'm honored.
What's that saying?
Imitation is the sincerest form of stealing stuff?)
Bootleg gear is an unfortunate, sometimes clever aspect of any business. They sell well. You can buy a $30 shirt in the venue, or maybe spend $15 bucks for one made out of cardboard from some dude with a guitar case and one eye as soon as you leave. It's been around forever. Wrestling is no different.
A fan tweeted Randy Orton this week and pointed out a terribly bootlegged Orton shirt that actually featured John Cena. Orton didn't seem upset by the error, only upset that he couldn't have actually made money off of them.
This is really the golden age of knockoff gear. There are plenty of people who say "HELL THEM WRESTLERS DON'T NEED NO MORE MONEY, THEY'RE RICH." Well, okay. Personally, I'd like to see Nate Diaz making money off of all of the "don't be scared homie" shirts that people make, buy sponsored posts for on Facebook, and collect.
Hasn't Orton been through enough? A Jinder Mahal feud, Punjabi Prison, A WrestleMania sperm entrance moment? C'mon man.
