Poppy – who is releasing her new EP via the wrestling behemoth – joins the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Limp Bizkit and Pitbull in the squared circle
It may appear surprising that Poppy – the answer to the question: “What would Nine Inch Nails sound like if they were fronted by Kylie?” – is choosing to release her new EP via the label Sumerian Records and World Wrestling Entertainment. Yet, fans of the squared circle will be aware that rock and wrestling have enjoyed close ties for decades.
So much so that when
WWE (formerly WWF, before the panda charity of the same name intervened) promoter Vince McMahon looked to position his high-octane soap opera in the realms of respectability – shedding the carnality that had dominated wrestling for much of its history – he looked to pop
music, in particular
MTV, to give his grimy product some glam. It’s an era that has come to be known as the Rock’n’Wrestling Connection and culminated in actual Cyndi Lauper taking part in the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985.