What came first, Tapout or the MMA douche? At one point, the brand’s garish flame graphics and inexplicable gothic references spoke so well to the douche demographic that the two basically became one in the same. But all of that is (allegedly) about the change thanks to Vince McMahon and the WWE, which recently inked a partnership with Authentic Brands Group, the owner of Tapout. The joint venture will both make Tapout the "official training gear of the WWE" and looks to reposition the label as a "lifestyle fitness brand." In other words, Tapout wants to be a brand you actually wear to the gym, not just something you sport to the bar to drink Fireball Whiskey even though it’s two-sizes-too small ever since your last steroid cycle. That sounds great on paper—after all, nothing says "real fitness" like fake wrestling—but if the new Tapout’s first promotional images are any indication, it’s still pretty much just for guys who fancy themselves both amateur body builders and hair metal band bassists. Basically, don’t expect to see us wearing Tapout on the treadmill any time soon.

Jake Woolf is a writer who has covered men’s style for over ten years and has contributed to GQ since 2014. A graduate of Parsons The New School for Design (good school, long name), he also has bylines at Robb Report, HighSnobiety, Pitchfork, and the defunct #menswear website Four Pins... Read moreWriterXRelated Stories for GQGQ Sports