The Atlantic (Archive Link Here):
Recently, King has become a fan favorite for a reason that has nothing to do with his clothesline. Today’s wrestlers are more comfortable sharing their real-life opinions than remaining in character all of the time, and King’s politics are no secret: He’s performed in Mexico wearing an ABOLISH ICE shirt, and raised money for an immigration fund. Earlier this year, he was thrown into a short feud with the top champion of AEW—a cocky know-it-all named MJF, whose catchphrase is “I’m better than you, and you know it”—and something interesting happened. On February 4, moments into the first scheduled match between King and MJF at Las Vegas’s Pearl Theater, the crowd broke out into a very loud, very sustained, very unmistakable chant: “Fuck ICE.”
This was airing live on TBS, uncensored. It’s a striking clip. As the wrestlers pause to take in the audience, King looks like Popeye after downing a can of spinach, as though he were ready to punch the sun. It was within weeks of the deaths of the Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents; public opinion had turned sharply against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. The effect was visibly cathartic for those in attendance, with King seeming to channel a fed-up citizenry as he whipped MJF around the ring. The crowd went ballistic.
A great piece about All Elite Wrestling performer Brody King, written up by Jeremy Gordon.
As a long time wrestling nerd, Brody King was always someone I admired — based on his social profiles, we had similar nerdy interests, he’s the lead singer of a hardcore band — but the way he’s used his platform is truly admirable.
In a time where people feel like they aren’t being heard, in an industry which has traditionally leaned conservative, with a fandom you’d consider likely to be Red, and with the #1 company in the game being literally a part of the current administration, what Brody’s been able to do with his time in AEW has been a big surprise.
What I do find interesting? Literally no one from AEW seems to have been a part of this piece. Intentional? Unintentional? Is Tony Khan following Michael Jordan’s footsteps, and not wanting to mess with the reputation of his football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars?
All things to consider. But as it stands, the piece is a great slice of a place and a time right now.