WWE have made a major branding change after they received backlash from Israel.
The world leading wrestling promotion has seemingly altered the name of their upcoming NXT event following criticism from the Middle East.
The show that is scheduled for 7 October was originally named 'Invasion,' but that has now been rebranded as Showdown. And the logo has also been redesigned to reflect the change, while retaining its original style.
The event marks the conclusion of a storyline where stars from the partner promotion TNA 'invade' NXT, WWE's developmental brand for emerging talent. However, some fans criticised the original name and believed it was insensitive due to the timing.
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7 October marks the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel, that killed approximately 1,200 people and an estimated 240 people taken hostage. Gunmen broke through the border fence and then attacked Israeli villages, Kibbutzim, military posts and the Nova music festival.
In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza. More than 68,000 people have now reportedly been killed in the Gaza War, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
How did Israelis respond to the WWE branding?
Israeli media and members of the public voiced their concern at the 'insensitivity' of the branding.
Israel's most widely distributed newspaper, Israel Hayom, wrote: “The choice of the name and the date – a day when Israel commemorates the memory of the massacre from October 7, 2023 – is viewed as extreme insensitivity.
"The term Invasion, on such a sensitive date, which directly recalls the infiltration of Hamas terrorists into the southern communities and the mass killings of Israelis and Americans, raises questions about who in the organisation is responsible for this preposterous decision.”
The event's original logo also drew criticism.
The Invasion logo featured a large red "V", which some observers argued resembled the inverted red triangle used by Hamas and pro-Palestinian protestors.
On social media, fans expressed concern. On X, one user wrote: “So the WWE has an event called “Invasion” being broadcast on October 7th and the logo is a red downward triangle?
"That’s either a very unfortunate coincidence, or someone in the marketing team needs to get fired.
"And yes I looked into it and back in 2001 they used the name and V logo once, so it could be a very unfortunate coincidence but at the same time… no one caught that?”
The logo has since been altered due to the branding change, replacing the controversial "V" with a prominent red "W."
James Taylor