WWE”s recent donation of $100,000 to Knox County Public Safety has come under fire. The Daily Herald‘s site has posted a piece by Al Thompson, in which the writer questioned WWE’s motives behind the highly publicized donation.
WWE fans will remember that the donation came before Kane’s appearance at Crown Jewel on November 2. Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs, is the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
Thompson believes that WWE’s gesture is hollow, due to Jacobs’ past issues with steroids.
“It sounds admirable.But in reality, this is a clumsy, insensitive attempt at damage control for bad press that Jacobs received over WWE steroid issues and how it could affect the mayor’s office.”
Thompson also feels that Knox County should refuse WWE’s donation.
“This money should be turned down by the foundation, which does an outstanding job looking out after those who put their own safety at risk to help others. By accepting this money, the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation will be normalizing the bad behavior of the WWE that has gone on for decades. The WWE has had a terrible record of steroid and illicit drug use among its performers as well as a high fatality rate. The WWE has had run-ins with the law over steroids, ranging from steroid trafficking in the mid-90s to a federal investigation from 2007-2009″
The controversy surrounding WWE’s Crown Jewel event was also mentioned. The company moved forward with the event despite the disappearance and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose assassination was reportedly ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Thompson said that Crown Jewel was a “$35 million cash grab for WWE” and that bin Salman “wrote the check.”
The Daily Herald