Several WWE Superstars are calling out the official WWE On FOX Twitter account for a graphic they posted earlier this week.
The “Build Your Team For $15” graphic called on fans to use different tiers of Superstars to build their WWE dream teams. The $1 tier included Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Natalya, and Peyton Royce; the $2 tier included Naomi, Lana, Dakota Kai, and Raquel Gonzalez; the $3 tier included Rhea Ripley, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, and Alexa Bliss; the $4 tier included RAW Women’s Champion Asuka, WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai, NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray, and Bianca Belair; and the $5 tier included Becky Lynch, Bayley, SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, and Charlotte Flair.
The graphic was deleted due to the backlash from wrestlers and fans, but you can see a screenshot of the post below.
FOX posted another now-deleted tweet in response to the backlash and wrote, “Seems we chose violence today.”
Natalya took to Twitter with a lengthy statement on being included on the $1 tier.
“I have struggled for years to figure out exactly what my worth is, but I won’t allow anyone to pick that number for me. As hurtful as seeing this is, I want it to be known, that if I ever find myself under all of these wonderful women it’s because I am a pillar and a foundation of what we’re doing. So please keep the $1, because anyone who knows anything, knows how priceless I am. -NKN,” Natalya wrote.
Bliss responded to Natalya and said she’s also not a fan of the tier system.
“Yeah I’m not a big fan of this tier thing either … love u Nat! @natbynature,” Bliss wrote.
Kayla Braxton also responded to Natalya’s post, writing, “Love you Nattie! Your leadership, skill, drive, influence and heart are PRICELESS.”
Cesaro also offered his support, writing, “Always [heart emoji]”
WWE creative team member Dewey Foley also weighed in, agreeing with the last part of Natalya’s statement.
“That last sentence is perfect. There are people who actually know how the business works and there are people who think they know how it works. For those who understand it, inside and out, you are priceless,” Dewey wrote.
Shazza McKenzie, Chelsea Green, The Bollywood Boyz, Mercedes Martinez, and Killer Kelly also responded to Natalya’s post with support. You can see their tweets below.
RAW Tag Team Champion Shelton Benjamin also made several comments on the graphic, first calling for WWE On FOX to delete the post.
“@WWEonFOX You should erase this insulting post and apologize to every woman on the roster,” Shelton wrote.
A fan responded to Shelton and defended the graphic, and told Shelton to mind his own business.
“I’m sorry between the two of us who works for WWE? tell me again who’s not minding their own business?,” Shelton responded.
An exchange then began with the fan pointing out that people don’t keep the same energy “REAL issues like racism.”
Shelton responded, “You don’t want to converse you want to dictate. Otherwise you’d have asked whats wrong with the post rather than decide it’s because of reasons only your shortsighted view can see. If you are so concerned with bigger issues like racism why are most of your post about 1 person?”
Shelton told another fan about the graphic, “I get it. I just don’t like it. That’s allowed”
One fan responded to that comment and asked Benjamin if he has the same attitude when similar graphics are used for actors, rappers, comedians and other athletes.
Benjamin responded, “Lets me be clear. I get it. I get the thinking behind it. I get it’s meant to be a bit of harmless fun for fans. But I also get that this harmless fun for fan has hurt a lot of talented women. For me Has nothing to do with outraged its compassion for these women.”
Bayley then chimed in and added, “Guys it’s not real. If it was they’d spend da whole $15 dollar bill on me hahahahahaha”
Former WWE Superstar Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder) is among the non-WWE talents who reacted to the graphic.
“What an a—–e thing to tweet,” Cardona wrote.
It should be noted that sports brands often do similar graphics for various leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and others. As seen below, the WWE On FOX account did a similar graphic for male WWE Superstars back before the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November. The list included Superstars and Hall of Famers. The $1 tier featured Christian, Mr. Perfect, Booker T, and Mankind; the $2 tier included Kane, Mark Henry, Big Show, and Kurt Angle; the $3 tier included Eddie Guerrero, JBL, Batista and Bret Hart; the $4 tier included Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Triple H; and the $5 tier included Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker. There was not a similar response to the men’s division graphic.
You can see the related posts below, along with the screenshot of the original now-deleted graphic:
Did it with the men too pic.twitter.com/g9Po1N6kFS
— Kerry Tyler Mitchell (@TheTBiggz79) February 18, 2021
Yeah I’m not a big fan of this tier thing either … love u Nat! @natbynature
— Lexi Kaufman (@AlexaBliss_WWE) February 18, 2021
Love you Nattie! Your leadership, skill, drive, influence and heart are PRICELESS.
— Kayla Braxton (@KaylaBraxtonWWE) February 17, 2021
Always ❤️
— Cesaro (@WWECesaro) February 17, 2021
That last sentence is perfect. There are people who actually know how the business works and there are people who think they know how it works. For those who understand it, inside and out, you are priceless.
— Dewey Foley (@DeweyHaveTo) February 17, 2021
👏👏👏
— Shazza McKenzie (@Shazza_McKenzie) February 17, 2021
— CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen) February 17, 2021
You & TJ have helped us immensely over the last several months, helping us build our confidence. We appreciate. Thank you 🙏🏽
— Bollywood Boyz (@BollywoodBoyz) February 18, 2021
💯❤❤❤
— Mercedes Martinez (@RealMMartinez) February 17, 2021
You are PRICELESS. 🖤
— 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐘 (@Kelly_WP) February 17, 2021
@WWEonFOX You should erase this insulting post and apologize to every woman on the roster https://t.co/2y5nSPkPmi
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
I’m sorry between the two of us who works for WWE? tell me again who’s not minding their own business?
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
You don’t want to converse you want to dictate. Otherwise you’d have asked whats wrong with the post rather than decide it’s because of reasons only your shortsighted view can see. If you are so concerned with bigger issues like racism why are most of your post about 1 person?
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
I get it. I just don’t like it. That’s allowed
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
Lets me be clear. I get it. I get the thinking behind it. I get it’s meant to be a bit of harmless fun for fans. But I also get that this harmless fun for fan has hurt a lot of talented women. For me Has nothing to do with outraged its compassion for these women.
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
I don’t like it if the stats can’t be boosted thru game play.
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
Gas lighter
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 17, 2021
Guys it’s not real.
If it was they’d spend da whole $15 dollar bill on me hahahahahaha
— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) February 17, 2021
What an a—–e thing to tweet https://t.co/2OyHxabqQs
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) February 17, 2021
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