A Las Vegas wrestling crowd briefly turned a title bout into a political rally Wednesday night, erupting into an anti-ICE chant that stopped the action. Before the opening bell of the AEW World Championship Eliminator Match, a loud, repeated, expletive-laced chant targeting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spread through the arena, audible on the live broadcast on TBS and Max. Cameras captured reigning champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known as MJF, staring wide-eyed into the lens and then into the stands, seemingly dropping his on-screen persona, NBC News reports. Across the ring, challenger Brody King glanced toward the crowd and nodded.
The moment unfolded in a city where nearly 35% of residents are Hispanic or Latino and where AEW has cultivated a sizable Latino fan base in part by spotlighting Mexican luchadores and Latino wrestling traditions. King, who fronts the heavy metal band God's Hate, has recently made President Trump's increased immigration enforcement a focus of his public advocacy. In the weeks leading up to the match, King promoted "Abolish ICE" merchandise online, featuring himself in a ski mask and a shirt bearing that phrase; the effort raised nearly $59,000 for the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, which supports Latino and Somali immigrant communities. King ended a post about the fundraiser on X with "F--- ICE"—the same phrase the crowd chanted in Las Vegas.
On Wednesday, King went on to defeat MJF in the Eliminator Match, setting up a chance to challenge for the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam Australia on Feb. 14. Trump has a history with World Wrestling Entertainment, the Daily Beast points out, that includes hosting events in Atlantic City. He was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2007.
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