Brody King didn’t hold back when asked whether wrestling, art, and politics can truly be separated.

Speaking during a panel at Squared Circle Expo VI, King gave a blunt two word response when the topic turned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“F**k ICE.”

The moment came at the end of a fan Q and A session that featured King alongside Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, and Orange Cassidy. The discussion centered around whether wrestling should stay separate from political and artistic expression or embrace those influences.

King made it clear he sees wrestling as an extension of art, and with that comes the freedom to express real world views.

“I’m absolutely not a politician. I just believe in what I think is right and wrong,” King said. “I think that all art forms in its basis are to make a statement. And whatever that is, good or bad, that is what art is for. And wrestling is an art form, and it is a way for people to express themselves. And when the masses are frustrated about something, that’s going to come out in a certain way.”

Eddie Kingston backed that stance, pushing back on the idea that wrestlers should stay silent on political issues.

“People want to say, just shut up and wrestle. Don’t talk about political statements,” Kingston said. “Our president is in the WWE Hall of Fame. That’s all I gotta say.”

“I don’t care if he wrestled or not. He can go f**k himself.”

Kingston stressed that having a platform comes with responsibility.

“I believe if you have the platform to do positive change, and you don’t do it, you’re a dick. You’re wrong,” he said. “So if you have the platform, use it. If it’s something you truly believe in, use it for positive.”

He also recalled how AEW supported his freedom of expression early in his run.

“AEW is great in this sense as well. I remember my first, was it my first time, the ink wasn’t even drying my contract, and I walked out with a Black Lives Matter shirt,” Kingston said. “And everyone was like, oh, did you ask Tony? Tony looked at it. Said, yeah, good. He lets us express ourselves.”

Kingston added that messaging should ultimately be constructive.

“It has to be positive. If it’s not positive, I think all the boys would be like, what are you doing?” he said. “If you have that type of power to reach that many people and you don’t use it for good, then you’re wrong, in my opinion.”

The May 1 episode of WWE SmackDown saw a decline in both overall viewership and key demographic numbers.

According to Wrestlenomics, SmackDown drew 1.15 million viewers on USA Network. That figure is down from the 1.267 million viewers recorded for the April 24 episode.

The show also experienced a drop in the important 18–49 demographic. Friday’s broadcast posted a 0.25 rating, compared to the 0.32 rating from the previous week.

The May 1 episode featured several notable developments, including Gunther attacking Cody Rhodes after Rhodes’ match with Ricky Saints. The show also included the continued build toward Backlash, with appearances from stars such as Jacob Fatu and Charlotte Flair.

Despite the weekly decline, SmackDown continues to remain one of WWE’s strongest television properties and regularly ranks among the top programs on cable in its timeslot.

Most Viewed 5/1 WWE SmackDown Videos on YouTube

• FULL MATCH: Jacob Fatu lays waste to The Usos, Solo Sikoa & Talla Tonga (1.3 million views)
• Solo Sikoa threatens war with Roman Reigns, The Usos & Jacob Fatu (732K views)
• Rhea Ripley evens the odds against Fatal Influence (400K views)
• The Miz and Kit Wilson destroy Danhausen (382K views)
• Ricky Saints debuts and confronts Cody Rhodes (327K views)

Meanwhile, AEW Collision also experienced a decline in total viewers for its May 2 episode on TNT.

Collision drew 347,000 viewers, down from the 397,000 viewers the show recorded on April 25. However, the program did see a slight improvement in the key demographic category.

Saturday’s episode posted a 0.06 rating in the 18–49 demographic, up from the 0.05 rating the previous week.

The episode featured continued storyline developments across AEW programming as the company builds toward its upcoming events and television specials.

Most Viewed 5/2 AEW Collision Videos on YouTube

• Jon Moxley shares his thoughts on and intentions with Will Ospreay (121K views)
• GUNNS UP! Austin & Colten Gunn are BACK! (112K views)
• The Conglomeration vs MxM Collection & Johnny TV (42K views)
• Willow Nightingale vs Anna Jay – TBS Championship (41K views)
• “The Jet” Kevin Knight vs HOOK – TNT Championship (35K views)

While both shows experienced different trends in total audience and demographic performance, the latest numbers reflect another competitive week for wrestling television across multiple platforms.

5/1 WWE SmackDown and 5/2 Viewership Numbers

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