Gay All Elite Wrestling star Anthony Bowens has praised Heated Rivalry for portraying what it can feel like to be a closeted professional athlete — although he admits the hit hockey drama may contain slightly more sex than his own experience.
The Canadian series follows Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie: two rival professional hockey players whose fierce competition conceals a passionate, years-long romance.
Since premiering on Crave in Canada and HBO Max internationally, including Australia, the series has fuelled conversations about LGBTQ+ representation in traditionally hypermasculine sports.
For Bowens, who understands the pressure of being a gay athlete in the public eye, parts of the story felt remarkably familiar.
‘A Very Authentic Side’ Of Being Closeted
“I think it showed a very authentic side of what it’s like being a closeted athlete,” Bowens told PinkNews, adding: “Maybe without all the sex scenes.”
Bowens said it was not simply the romance that made the series feel believable.
“In general, the having to hide yourself, the fear.”
That fear sits at the centre of Shane and Ilya’s story.
The pair are not only trying to understand their feelings for one another. They are also attempting to protect their careers in a sporting environment where being openly gay could affect their teammates, sponsorships, public image and professional futures.
While Heated Rivalry is fictional, its portrayal of athletes carefully managing what they say, where they go and who they are seen with reflects a reality many closeted LGBTQ+ people will recognise.
Bowens Says Fans Embrace Authenticity
Bowens believes sporting fans are often more accepting than closeted athletes may fear.
“I think now, fans embrace a lot of people. Obviously, there’s going to be some opposition; there’s always going to be that niche group of people that hate it.
“But fans embrace people who are themselves, being themselves and who can just express themselves freely and do the sport that they love.”
Bowens’ own career offers evidence of that changing relationship between LGBTQ+ athletes and their supporters.
He publicly came out as bisexual in 2017 before explaining in 2019 that gay had become a more accurate label for his identity.
He has since become one of professional wrestling’s most visible openly gay stars, joining AEW in 2020 and receiving significant support from its fanbase.
‘This Clocks’
Bowens said several moments in Heated Rivalry immediately stood out to him as believable.
“There are moments of the show where I’m just like, this clocks! I think it’s probably the most authentic show that’s been out in terms of what it’s like being a closeted athlete.”
His praise is significant because professional wrestling, like hockey, has historically promoted highly conventional ideas about masculinity.
Both sports celebrate physical strength, toughness and aggression, characteristics that have often been wrongly treated as incompatible with being gay.
Bowens’ success challenges those assumptions. His sexuality does not make him less athletic, competitive or compelling as a performer.
That is also part of what makes Heated Rivalry resonate. Shane and Ilya are not portrayed as outsiders to their sport. They are elite players whose sexuality exists alongside their ambition and talent.
One Important Viewing Warning
Despite his glowing review, Bowens has one piece of practical advice for anyone planning to catch up on the famously steamy series.
“Do not watch it on an airplane, because the flight attendant might think you’re watching something very… That was horrifying…”
Considering some of the show’s more intimate scenes, Australian viewers facing a long-haul flight may want to save their binge-watch for somewhere with slightly more privacy.
Noise-cancelling headphones can only protect you from so much.
Bowens Praises Support From AEW Fans
Bowens also spoke about the reaction he has received while competing as an openly gay wrestler.
“The AEW fanbase, people in general have been incredible with me,” he said. “Obviously, again, there’s always going to be a select group of folks that are just always going to be hateful, which is a shame, so you have to prepare yourself for that mentally going into these things.
“But at the end of the day, you know, who cares about these people? You can’t live your life based upon miserable people who hate themselves and project it onto other people. You just cannot do that.
“There’s always going to be support for you, and I’m grateful for the support that AEW fans have given.”
His experience does not mean homophobia has disappeared from professional sport or its fan communities.
However, it demonstrates that openly LGBTQ+ athletes can find passionate audiences willing to support them for both their identity and their ability.
Why Queer Sporting Stories Matter
There are still comparatively few openly gay men competing at the highest levels of many major professional sports.
That absence can create the impression that gay athletes simply do not exist, rather than recognising that some may remain closeted because of concerns about teammates, contracts, media attention or abuse from supporters.
Television cannot remove all those barriers.
What it can do is make those experiences visible, allowing audiences to understand why an athlete might hide such an important part of their life — and what that secrecy can cost them.
For young LGBTQ+ athletes in Australia, seeing characters such as Shane and Ilya alongside real-life stars such as Bowens can expand their understanding of who belongs in professional sport.
Queer athletes do not have to choose between authenticity and ambition.
Season Two Is Now In Production
Season two of Heated Rivalry is now filming, with Williams and Storrie returning as Shane and Ilya.
The next chapter is expected to draw heavily from The Long Game, the sixth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, and continue exploring the pressures surrounding the couple’s secret relationship.
The season is targeting a Northern Hemisphere spring 2027 premiere, meaning Australian viewers can expect its return during our autumn.
Until then, Bowens’ verdict is clear: few television shows have captured the fear and emotional pressure of being a closeted athlete quite as authentically.
Just remember to choose your viewing location carefully.
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