Last week, WWE unveiled a new multi-year partnership with DUDE Wipes, which includes an integration with WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio. "Dirty" Dom will specifically showcase DUDE Wipes branding in his in-ring appearances on WWE programming, such as "WWE Raw" and premium live events. According to a new report, this move may be a catalyst for similar deals to materialize in the future.Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that the DUDE Wipes-WWE deal should "open the floodgates" for all the top talents to have sponsorships through WWE rather than independently. The journalist cited former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar as the only wrestler who had previously obtained a sponsorship on his own, namely with Jimmy Johns, though that was part of an existing partnership from his time in the UFC. At the time, then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon was reportedly against seeing sponsored branding on talent's gear or in the ring; still, Lesnar managed to negotiate it into his WWE contract.On the February 16 edition of "Raw," Mysterio debuted his DUDE Wipes integration by incorporating the company's branding on his bandana rib cage t-shirt. Through WWE's deal with the men's hygiene brand, fans will also see curated digital content and a custom DUDE Wipes commercial featuring various WWE Superstars. DUDE Wipes will additionally serve as a match sponsor for WWE premium live events, including SummerSlam in Minneapolis."DUDE Wipes is a disruptive brand that speaks directly to our audience, and this partnership allows us to showcase that connection in a way only WWE can," WWE Vice President of Global Partnerships Jesse Tomares said in the initial announcement. "From high impact match sponsorships to unprecedented in ring integrations with Dominik Mysterio, this collaboration delivers a fresh, entertaining approach to brand storytelling at the biggest moments on our calendar."
