Posted in: AEW, Sports, TV | Tagged: brody king, mjf, wrestling

AEW's Viral Anti-ICE Chant Highlights Crucial Difference from WWE

Wednesday's AEW Dynamite produced a viral political moment that underscores the stark philosophical divide between AEW and its corporate rival WWE.

Professional wrestling has long served as a mirror to society, reflecting the passions, anxieties, and political sentiments of its audience. In an era of increasing polarization and social upheaval, the industry finds itself at a crossroads between sanitized corporate entertainment and authentic expression of cultural zeitgeist. Wednesday evening's episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Dynamite provided a striking illustration of this divide, as a Las Vegas crowd erupted in a spontaneous and thunderous "Fuck ICE" chant that reverberated far beyond the confines of the arena.

The incident occurred at the commencement of the main event Eliminator match between AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known professionally as MJF, and challenger Brody King. As the competitors prepared to engage, the audience coalesced into a unified voice of dissent against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency currently executing controversial mass deportation operations across the nation. Rather than attempting to suppress or talk over this organic display of political expression, referee Bryce Remsburg deliberately delayed ringing the bell to initiate the contest, allowing the chant to reach its natural crescendo. Meanwhile, Friedman, breaking the fourth wall with characteristic self-awareness, acknowledged the moment with a knowing glance toward the audience.

The selection of King as the focal point for this demonstration was far from coincidental. The imposing wrestler, who also serves as vocalist for hardcore band God's Hate, has cultivated a reputation as an outspoken critic of ICE and advocate for immigrant rights. In a remarkable display of activism intersecting with entertainment, King recently collaborated with acclaimed comic book artist Daniel Warren Johnson and long-running wrestling comic franchise Headlocked Comics to produce a special variant cover depicting the wrestler brandishing a chain while wearing an "Abolish ICE" shirt. This merchandise initiative raised an impressive fifty-eight thousand dollars for the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee – Education Fund, demonstrating the tangible impact that platform and publicity can generate for social causes.

King's advocacy originally came to prominence at AEW Grand Slam Mexico last year, where he wore the "Abolish ICE" shirt during a televised appearance, making an unambiguous statement about his political convictions. His willingness to leverage his growing popularity, built upon a foundation of intimidating physical presence, hard-hitting in-ring style, and what fans characterize as wholesome political statements, has endeared him to audiences seeking athletes who refuse to remain silent on consequential issues.

The viral moment on Dynamite transpired against a backdrop of escalating violence and controversy surrounding ICE operations. Recent weeks have witnessed the killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti during encounters with ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents during protests in Minneapolis against brutally executed mass deportation efforts that critics characterize as unconstitutional. These tragedies have intensified public scrutiny of the agencies' methodologies and raised fundamental questions about accountability, civil liberties, and the appropriate boundaries of federal law enforcement authority.

The match itself concluded with King securing a quick victory over Friedman, aided by a strategic distraction from fellow fan-favorite and outspoken performer Hangman Adam Page, thereby earning a championship opportunity at next week's AEW Grand Slam Australia event. However, the in-ring action was ultimately overshadowed by the political statement that preceded it.

The aftermath of the broadcast has proven remarkable in scope and scale. The "Fuck ICE" chant has generated coverage across mainstream media outlets including NBC and Newsweek, as well as conservative-leaning networks such as Fox News. Social media engagement has reached into the millions of views, representing perhaps the most significant publicity windfall for AEW since the organization's inception in 2019.

This incident illuminates a stark philosophical divergence between AEW and its principal competitor, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). While AEW has cultivated an environment where wrestlers and audiences alike feel empowered to express political viewpoints without fear of corporate censorship or punitive action, WWE appears to have adopted a markedly different approach, at least for those who reject America's descent into right-wing authoritarianism.

The contrast becomes particularly evident when examining recent developments surrounding WWE's current World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk. The wrestler, historically known for articulating liberal political perspectives on social media platforms, recently issued a public apology to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The apology concerned a previous social media post criticizing fellow WWE performer The Miz for participating in events sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government, which critics have accused of "sportswashing," utilizing athletic spectacles to rehabilitate international reputation despite ongoing human rights violations, including the widely condemned murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Furthermore, WWE's organizational leadership has become increasingly intertwined with the second administration of President Donald Trump. Trump himself holds membership in WWE's Hall of Fame and maintains a decades-long friendship with disgraced former Chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon, who departed the company in 2022 amid an extensive sexual misconduct scandal. Current Chief Creative Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque has been photographed at numerous White House functions, while former WWE Chief Executive Officer Linda McMahon now serves as Secretary of Education in Trump's cabinet.

McMahon's trajectory from wrestling executive to political operative illustrates the depth of these connections. During Trump's first term, she led the Small Business Administration, subsequently helming the America First Action Super PAC and America First Policy Institute think tank during his campaign for reelection. Her current position overseeing the Department of Education has proven controversial, with critics alleging that administration policies aim to systematically undermine public education infrastructure in an apparent attempt to make Americans less educated and therefore statistically more likely to vote Republican.

For wrestling fans who find themselves increasingly uncomfortable with WWE's political entanglements and the tacit support for those entanglements that consuming the product infers, AEW represents a compelling alternative. The organization's willingness to permit authentic political discourse, whether through merchandise sales supporting immigrant rights organizations, wrestlers wearing politically charged apparel on television, or audiences voicing dissent against federal agencies, demonstrates a fundamentally different philosophy regarding the relationship between entertainment and civic engagement.

The wrestling industry has historically functioned as a carnival mirror of American culture, amplifying and distorting societal tensions through the prism of choreographed combat and theatrical narrative. In permitting Wednesday's viral moment to unfold organically rather than attempting to suppress or redirect it, AEW has positioned itself as the promotion where contemporary political realities need not be sanitized or ignored in service of corporate sponsorship considerations or political expediency.

Whether this approach proves commercially sustainable in an environment where the Trump Administration increasingly exercises regulatory power to force corporations to bow to its will, remains an open question. However, for audiences seeking wrestling content that does not require compartmentalizing personal values from entertainment consumption, the choice has become increasingly clear. In an industry long dominated by a single corporate entity that has become further entrenched in efforts to bring full-blown fascism to America, the emergence of a genuine alternative where wrestlers and fans alike can exercise free expression without fear of reprisal represents a significant development in professional wrestling's ongoing evolution and an opportunity for more conscientious consumption of the art form.

AEW Dynamite airs Wednesday nights at 8PM Eastern on TBS and streaming on HBO Max, while AEW Collision airs on Saturdays at 8PM Eastern on TNT and HBO Max.

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