JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Is this coincidence or planned? That’s the question we explore on this episode of Going Ringside.
As WWE is undergoing its version of the Super Bowl over the weekend for WrestleMania 41 two headlines dropped the days leading up to it.
The news started to roll out late this work week when Vanity Fair dropped a profile piece on the company’s top star Roman Reigns.
This quote set the wrestling world abuzz: “I support our president. Trump is one of those guys where he’s got a vast history and a huge background,” said Reigns who added he doesn’t support everything the President does. “He’s been in entertainment. He’s been in big business, politics. At this point, I’m supporting a bright future for our country. Positive and competent leadership. For us to be what we’re supposed to be, to be a world leader and carry that respect and do what a world power like us should be doing.”
Tens of thousands of people clicked on this topic to weigh in on the Going Ringside TikTok Channel:
@goingringside Now #wwe star #romanreigns has offered a lengthy political endorsement #goingringside #wrestlemania #wrestletok ♬ original sound - Going Ringside
Then CM Punk went after Elon Musk.
@goingringside Now #wwe star #cmpunk has gone after #elonmusk in a new comment #goingringside ♬ original sound - Going Ringside
Then, around 24 hours later another headline popped up. This time from the opposite end of the political spectrum when C.M. Punk went on The Ringer Wrestling Show podcast and was asked about Elon Musk.
Punk was asked about a hand gesture Musk made at a rally in January that critics called a Nazi salute but supporters said was just an impassioned wave to supporters.
This is what Punk said: “We saw what you did,” said Punk. “Don’t gaslight me, I’m not f***ing as stupid as you are. I know what you did, so I know what you are. Now I know where you stand, and this is where I stand.”
This is not he first time WWE had touched on politics, but the company seldom has directly weighed in on the domestic political debate. This would be new territory for the company that’s skated with this world as former owner Linda McMahon is the Secretary of Education, President Trump’s lengthy history with WWE and WWE’s sister company UFC which shares the same owner. Their head man Dana White introduced the President at the Republican National Convention and the President has regularly attended UFC events including one just last week in Miami.