WWE must part ways with Lars Sullivan

Lars Sullivan has a history of making racist, homophobic, sexist, ableist and xenophobic comments on a Bodybuilding forum. Now that the world knows how he truly feels about other human beings, WWE has no choice but to part ways with the recent NXT call-up.

Though Lars Sullivan began his WWE career with promise as a verbose, athletic big man, he’ll have to end his career in ignominy.

A Reddit user compiled a list of links and screenshots to comments that Sullivan has made that are racist, xenophobic, sexist, homophobic, ableist and any other -ist or -ic there could possibly be. He claimed there is a “grey area” in rape. He called the NAACP “clowns”. He professed disdain for Israel and immigrants. Sullivan’s hatred directed towards Black people was especially disconcerting. His homophobia was blatant. Sullivan even made ignorant comments about those suffering from anxiety attacks, when they were reportedly the reason for his delayed appearance on the main roster.

The list is expansive and paints the picture of a disturbed, hateful individual who should not have a platform with the world’s largest wrestling company. The full thread can be read here. It has made the rounds on social media, received silver/gold/platinum from other users and is a comprehensive and jarring look at what seems to truly be inside Sullivan’s heart.

Sullivan’s pattern of hateful speech is presumably known by WWE, because Big E tweeted that “many are aware” of the Superstar’s past comments.

WWE has its issues with giving ignorance or corruption a platform, recently bringing back Hulk Hogan and engaging in a long-term contract with Saudi Arabia. Like most major corporations, sadly, WWE cares more about the bottom line than protecting its fans or simply doing the right thing. They’re willing to work with Saudi Arabia – and even did propaganda for the Crown Prince at the first show – due to the large sums of money involved, and they brought back Hogan when they felt there would no longer be backlash.

In this case, WWE doesn’t even have a business-centered reason to keep Sullivan. He is a middle-of-the-road talent with no established gimmick. Sullivan’s introduction to the WWE main roster has been listless and his character work is about as generic as it gets. To say the man doesn’t move the meter would be an understatement; the meter doesn’t even register any sort of impact.

Meanwhile, WWE has everything to lose by keeping Sullivan. Just look at the wide range of people who are rightfully disgusted by his horrifying comments.

https://twitter.com/Wale/status/1126242610476138498

A major outlet, Queerty, ran a piece detailing the homophobia, racism, and sexism in a sampling of Sullivan’s posts, and it stands to reason that others will follow.

With their “Be A Star” campaign and work with both Make-A-Wish and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, WWE likes to present themselves as a force for positive change in this world. Though WWE fans know that this isn’t truly the case, WWE Superstars, most prominently Titus O’Neil, have made an incredible impact on their communities. Lars Sullivan stands for everything that wrestlers like John Cena, Titus, Roman Reigns, Naomi, and the vast majority of the roster stand firmly against.

By keeping Sullivan on the roster, WWE wouldn’t just be telling its fans that they don’t care about hate speech directed against them (Sullivan basically won “Bigot Bingo” with hateful words against literally everyone besides people who look like him), they’d be saying that they want Sullivan representing them. Even by continuing to book him on television, whereas Lio Rush is punished for flimsy reasons, WWE is showing that they believe this is the kind of person who deserves a platform. Paying Sullivan and keeping him under contract, blatantly ignoring his years of hatred, is a tacit way of passively agreeing with his bigotry.

Now more than ever, WWE needs to step out of its past rooted in misogyny, racism, and homophobia. A global brand facing more competition from other brands and more pressure from its increasingly diverse and progressive audience – an audience that is no longer interested in watching horrible human beings parade their garbage – WWE needs to take stand here. There is no upside in contracting Sullivan any longer, whereas they have everything to lose by ignoring this pattern of behavior.

Is it possible for Sullivan to one day learn and become a better human being? Perhaps, but that process is a long, difficult one, and it isn’t something that can be fixed with an apology or a catch-all “suspension”. Sullivan needs to find it in himself to change and grow, and, sadly, it’s a process that rarely happens. Sullivan made these comments as a grown man in his 20’s, and if he were to change for the better, it isn’t up to WWE to give him a spotlight and a paycheck so he can figure out how to no longer be a horrible person. His comments show a clear pattern of behavior, a complete lack of regard for human life, and pointed disdain for anyone different than him.

Lars Sullivan is everything we should stand against and the decision for WWE should be simply. And in the meantime, fans can do their part by turning off the television when he appears, not clicking on any social media posts or videos about him or his segments, and turning their backs in the arena when they appear. If WWE won’t part ways with Sullivan, fans can put even more pressure on them by making sure there is absolutely zero interest in him; this will show WWE definitive evidence that there are indeed financial repercussions for bigotry.

Hopefully, though, it doesn’t come down to this. Hopefully, WWE realizes quickly that there is no place for Sullivan on their roster, as a representative of their brand. WWE has kept him around despite potentially knowing about these posts, but now that they are out in the open, there’s no turning back. It’s decision time, and WWE must make the only correct decision.