WWE: Do not expect Lars Sullivan to face any public repercussions

The WWE has long history of struggle when dealing with matters that involve social justice and that trend will continue in a lack of punishment for Lars Sullivan.

There are a lot of things that are welcome in the world of professional wrestling. While some outlying voices may try to convince the masses otherwise; professional wrestling is a space that is welcoming to all. However, this space (WWE especially) should not be welcome to words and actions that are filled with hate for people of various races, creeds, religions, sexual orientations, and anything else that makes us different.

This week Lars Sullivan was in the middle of controversy based around disgusting and hateful comments that he posted online long before becoming a professional wrestler. Even though he’s released a statement of “remorse,” his employer in WWE has been largely mum on the situation. With that in mind its clear that the company doesn’t plan to punish their big man – and none of us should be surprised.

If there’s one thing that consumers of WWE can count on, it’s the fact that the WWE consistently fails to respond to controversial situations that are marred in narratives happening within society. How often have there been think pieces written about the WWE mishandling the use of women, racial minorities, their partnership with Saudi Arabia and more?

These examples just scratch the surface as primary points that show how the Vince McMahon led company fails to answer the call when it comes time to make a stance that the masses understand as black and white, without the proverbial shade of gray.

Sullivan will not be punished for what he said back in the early-2010s. Even though there’s a trend in many industries to punish prominent figures for past hate speech that is uncovered, one would be remiss to think that the WWE will act the same. Even though his language was nasty enough to result in a termination if he was employed at nearly any company at the time of posting; they aren’t enough to cause the WWE to act.

If pressure to end the deal with Saudi Arabia which led some consumers to cancel their WWE Network deal wasn’t enough to change their mind on that partnership; there’s zero chance the company will take steps to punish Sullivan.

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Now, that leads to the great debate as to whether a person should be punished when these situations arise. That is a murky conversation that involves much more than a yes or no. In fact, it’s for Sullivan to prove that he is not the man that posted those comments years ago, and that takes more than an insincere apology.

He owes that to the wrestlers that he shares a locker room with and the fans that watch the content he’s featured in week in and week out. Only those closest to him will know the truth, while the rest are left to speculate.

Back to the WWE. As a whole, the company has had it’s fair share of questionable moments. But what’s interesting is when there is a punishment handed down versus when there isn’t.

As mentioned, do not expect Sullivan to face any type of chastisement, but remember when Titus O’Neil was suspended for playfully grabbing Vince McMahon? What about the reported reasons behind Brad Maddox and his firing?

Then there is the recent example of Pat McAfee being verbally attacked for wearing a suit and shorts combo. The WWE doesn’t have an issue punishing it’s employees; it has an issue punishing them when the action leans in a direction opposite of the views of those within leadership.

Today’s climate has created an air in which many consumers expect their favorite brands to be sensitive to topics that are important in society. That means that companies like the WWE should take a stance on a variety of topics such as discrimination, racism, homophobia, and misogyny. These stances must go well beyond public relations speak but include actionable examples as well.

WWE has long pushed their anti-bullying campaign but continues to fail when it comes to handling matters that involve employees that act as bullies.  Sullivan’s actions were disgusting, regardless of if they occurred years ago, the facts remain that he did what he is accused of doing.

This is just one angle of the conversation as the other is whether the WWE should act against their budding star. If one was to look at the trends from the past, it’s clear that the company will not do anything – and that is part of the problem.