($19.99?! Well, now it’s just not financially practical for me to tear it off my body every time I wear it, so what’s the point? Props: Cagewriter)
One of the many great things about the era of the internet is the ability of one moment or idea to take off and become a force all its own, no matter how fleeting or trivial it might have been. I’m not just talking about ghost riding the whip here, either. Take Tom Lawlor’s most recent UFC entrance where he channeled Hulk Hogan at Fight Night 20 in an effort to let the audience know that he was a) a real American, who b) fights for the rights of every man. Pretty sweet, right? In homage to that entrance, Tri-Coasta is offering up this t-shirt so all you Lawlormaniacs can show your support.
But after checking out the shirt and thinking through the possible ramifications of buying/wearing it, we are once again forced to ask ourselves, is this awesome or not awesome? Join us after the jump.
Reasons it might be awesome
If you’re a North American male between the ages of 18-40, you probably watched somewhere between a little and an unhealthy amount of pro wrestling growing up. If you didn’t, you probably got suplexed by the kids at school who did. If you’re a woman, your belief that pro wrestling is stupid has probably remained unchanged since you first became aware of what it was.
The point is, a shirt design that is an homage to pro wrestling’s golden age seems pretty cool. In fact, it’s cooler than an actual Hulkamania t-shirt, which seems just a little too irony-prone to be safely out of the hipster fashion zone, plus it has the advantage of being somewhat obscure to your average man on the street. And, like we all learned when we got really into ska music in junior high, as soon as too many people know about something it ceases to be cool.
Also, Tom Lawlor himself is a fighter worth supporting, as is evidenced by this interview, so there’s that.
Reasons it might not be awesome
As much as we like the idea of clothing that confuses most people, that comes at a price. Playing as it does on a well-known trope, this shirt just invites annoying pricks at parties and old men at Ace hardware to ask you to explain it to them. And since you just came here to get really drunk and embarrass yourself/get a spare key to your apartment made so you can give it to your girlfriend as a sign that this relationship is totally going somewhere, odds are you don’t have time for this nonsense.
Plus, it’s a shirt that says another man’s name on the back. Something about that just feels…weird. That’s the toughest part about fighter t-shirts, really. As much as I may want to wear a t-shirt with Fedor choking out a dragon, I don’t necessarily want Fedor’s name blazoned across my chest. That’s why a Rolling Stones t-shirt is cool, but a Mick Jagger t-shirt isn’t.
So that’s where we are after spending way too much time thinking about whether to buy a twenty-dollar shirt. Help us out by giving your input in the comments.
If you find yourself stopping in mid-sentence to wonder why you failed to give this much thought to other, far more important decisions in your life, you are not alone. As long as you’re in deep thought mode, you might want to reconsider that embarrassing drunkenness/spare key stuff, too. Both are bound to have some major unintended consequences.
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Comments
Wed, 03/03/10 - 09:39
as much as I think taking elements from professional wrestling into MMA discredits the sport, I just ordered one of these.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 09:41
Awesome!! - Lawlormania gets my vote. When I grew up, WWF was all there was. Jake the Snake, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, Andre the Giant, and of course Hulk Hogan. Nice shirt with throwback style and a blend of current Lawlorness. Sold.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 09:44
One word: dope as fuck
Wed, 03/03/10 - 09:46
This is not awesome. Some fighters are no good to watch but fun to listen to outside the cage in interviews (Tito, Sonnen). Other fighters are entertaining to watch like Lawler, but try to hard one way or another in there interviews, like Lawler or Carwin's PC nice guy crap.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 09:49
20 bucks, plus shipping and handling, plus the having to explain it over and over part, yeah that would suck.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 09:56
If he ever goes to another organization he needs to come out with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash as Hollywood Lawlor....
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:09
Not awesome, smothered in lamesuace.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:10
Trademark infringement. He will be sued.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:16
Depends on how it fits. If it's a departure from the normal American Tee shirt that is designed for narrow shouldered, wide hipped desk to couch hoppers then I'm sold. Is anyone here actually in really good shape and tried to find tee shirts don't look like you have a huge flag draped over your body? If I wanted to wear a fucking TUNIC, I would've gone to work at Medieval Times. That said, it is handy when someone is trying to run you through with a fucking rapier or you are being chased by a bull. Talk about off fucking topic. I think it's a cool tee shirt for you to wear but not for me.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:24
"Ghost ride, ghost ride / get out the way, let Casper drive / ghost ride, go crazy / who's that drivin? Patrick Swayze"
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:26
Hulkster needs money pretty bad lately. Don't be surprised if he calls his lawyer on this.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:27
I'm with JZ89.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:28
It's gay. Get your own shctick, Lawlor - and hurry up, because you're in the twilight of your career.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:34
If it were only Lawlormania on the front: awesome. Bonus cool points if it comes pre-notched at the throat.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 10:58
Shouldn't say "Tomamania"? it was Hulkamania after all and not Hoganamania. I vote not awesome, due to tedious over-evaluation.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 11:04
I am going to go with awesome by means of lameness, thats right, its so amazingly lame it has become awesome.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 11:15
Hulk Hogan = HulkAmania Tom Lawlor = Lawlormania...He's missing the "a". It should be Lawloramania...I vote not awesome.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 11:54
The only MMA-related shirt I'm buying any time soon is the one from All Elbows. As soon as they get more mens large in stock, that is.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 11:59
awesome. fuck the haters!
Wed, 03/03/10 - 12:03
@rex13 lawlormania IS on the front. @idestroy and knucklesamitch it works because it has the same number of syllables
Wed, 03/03/10 - 12:16
How much for the matching bandana?
Wed, 03/03/10 - 12:30
If you're going to get one of these shirts you better do it quick, because as soon as the Hulkster's legal team finds out about this shit they will cease to exist. Unless, of course, Lawlor took the time and effort required to score permission from Hulk Hogan to use his trademarked -- not to mention highly lucrative -- design and related slogan. Gone in a week, so hop on the train before it hops off the track.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 12:35
I would buy it, but that motherfucker Tom Lawler, almost got me to look at some BJJ gay porn. Luckly, some other poor bastard had his eyes burned out and he graciously informed the rest of us as to what had just happened to him. So...not awesome.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 12:41
Trademark infringements MAKE IT EVEN MORE AWESOME!!!
Wed, 03/03/10 - 01:11
whitey>> i'm agreeing with Ben, drop the "Filthy Tom Lawlor" on the back. Then, i would call it awesome. What i don't understand is how some of you can see the evocative red and yellow and not immdiately conclude that this is awesomeness. Jeez, you guys probably don't even care about the Giant bodyslam at Wrestlemania. You have no soul, is what i'm saying. Fuck, i might buy this shirt and then change my name to ReX Bollea. My wife would have to change her name as well, and bleach her hair to a platinum hue. And my son will need to begin learning how to road race. Don't test me, i've been taking my vitamins and saying my prayers, brother. All i got to say is when this shirt is outlawed, and the Lawlormaniacs rise up and cry out for more, more shirts, and you don't have this shirt hanging in your closet, brother, and you know you need it, then tell me this: what you gonna do, brother? WHAT YOU GONNA DO???
Wed, 03/03/10 - 02:02
@Rex, I am disappointed no mention of pimping out your large sized amazon of a daughter? No mention of your son ruining someones life drunk driving? No mention of the fact that your will be photographed creepily lotioning your daughters ass at a pool? So many Hulkster facts left behind. What about the Mega Powers? Where are your homeboys Brutus and the Nasty Boys? What about your epic matches against the Ultimate Warrior? No mention of No Hold Barred a classic film. Your cage match with Zeus!? Hollywood Hogan?
Wed, 03/03/10 - 02:05
This shirt is only good if your a hipster AND a gymrat. The kind of guy that takes out plugs from his stretched out ear piercings before he rolls with you in his Aoki-like tights.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 02:28
Junk Yard Lawlor would be cooler
Wed, 03/03/10 - 02:33
@Sakuraba 3900, I may be missing a vital point, however "dope as fuck" looks like three words to me. I'm going with awesome, as the Hulkster likes his face out there just as much as the bucks, so..... dont be surprised to see a big bald guy in a bandana with a pornstar moustache in Lawlor's corner next fight! Careful what you wish for Tommy!
Wed, 03/03/10 - 02:44
Or maybe StoneCold lawlor, Triple lawlor, Tommy Superfly Lawlor, and then maybe he could form a clique with a few other of the really cool guys, and then Eric bischoff could step in as their manager and then........ Oh my god, I know I shouldn't have eaten that left over mushroom omelette, I'm just gonna go and lie down in a quiet place now
Wed, 03/03/10 - 03:04
Parody is a protected form of copywright, therefore, no infringement (ever see a Coca Cola parody T-short/sticker "Cocaine" in the same font color as the CocaCola trademark logo?... yeah, CocaCola can't prevent that - it's parody) Besides, the Hulkster would appreciate the humor, IMO.
Wed, 03/03/10 - 03:28
At least he avoided the obvious Tommy "The King" Lawlor pun. If the shirt was $10, then it would be awesome.
Thu, 03/04/10 - 05:47
Viva Hate>> i mentioned the son learnig to road race, but i left out my daughter because i don't have one yet. There's still time though. I should definitely mentioned No Holds Barred, and Ultimate Warrior, as well as the Macho Man. I'm sorry. I have failed you all.
Fri, 03/05/10 - 03:31
can't even read it. Fail. Should just have a smiley face (or the fighters face outline) with a dirty sanchez and on the back "filthy whatever whatever.."
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