As the dust continues to settle amid WWE’s swift and controversial firing of Mandy Rose over racy content on FanTime, many fans have taken issue with WWE’s punitive action against the former NXT women’s champion.
Rose’s ousting has also brought about claims of a double standard in the same week Vince McMahon has reportedly expressed interest in returning to WWE after being forced to resign over sexual misconduct. News of McMahon’s possible return led to a 1.58% dip in WWE’s stock price, which has risen 15% since McMahon’s departure.
It’s worth mentioning Rose’s photos and videos were leaked, however the nature of the leaked content was enough for WWE to immediately cut ties with the top star.
“She got fired. They switched the whole show around last night,” said Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“[WWE Performance Center Trainer] Matt Bloom brought Shawn Michaels some of the stuff that she’s been putting on her subscription service. She does not have an OnlyFans, it’s a subscription service. [Bloom] told Shawn what was there and Shawn’s immediate thing was ‘we’ve got to get the title off her immediately.’”
Wrestling fans have taken to Twitter to let their feelings be known. The hashtags #ThankYouMandy, #RehireMandyRose and #JusticeForMandy became top trending topics in wrestling circles in support of Rose.
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In the digital age, and with women more empowered in many fields let alone pro wrestling, most fans are sympathetic with Rose’s right to post adult content on a subscription website. Rose charges $40 per month on FanTime for exclusive photos and videos. Given that she has chosen to move forward with this venture over a successful pro wrestling career in the middle of her peak, Rose’s FanTime business appears to be booming.
Rose feeling incentivized to choose FanTime over pro wrestling raises questions about wrestler pay when it comes to women, particularly in NXT, where talent makes considerably less due to NXT being a developmental territory. Details about Rose’s WWE/NXT contract are few and far between.
After spending 413 days as WWE NXT women’s champion, WWE made quick work of Mandy Rose’s historic title reign. Rose suddenly dropped the title this past Tuesday on WWE NXT despite being scheduled to defend it against Iron Survivor Challenge winner Roxanne Perez.
Following her loss, Rose was showered with chants of “thank you Mandy.”
Wrestling World Supports Mandy Rose; Calls Out Vince McMahon Double Standard
Mandy Rose’s release has led to many claims of a double standard in WWE, particularly when it comes to former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. With McMahon reportedly plotting a comeback, fans see hypocrisy in WWE releasing Mandy Rose due to hurting the company’s image and potentially isolating sponsors.
To be fair, a) Vince McMahon is currently out of WWE due to similar reasons, and b) McMahon owns a majority share of WWE. Fair or not, the rules change for one-percenters like Vince given his power, influence, money and resources. The question of a double standard really wouldn’t come into play unless McMahon’s return attempt was successful. In fact, should sponsors and WWE partners, such as Fox and NBCUniversal, object to McMahon coming back into power, it would be enough to stop McMahon’s comeback bid dead in its tracks.
WWE was in a tough spot as a family-friendly company with leaked photos of one its biggest stars all over the internet. One of WWE’s biggest sponsors, if not its biggest sponsor, is Mattel, which merchandises toys to children. It’s not a stretch to suggest that the toy giant didn’t want one of its action figures linked to adult content, fair or not.
As it stands, there really doesn’t seem to be a correct answer to this murky scenario. Two things can be true. Mandy Rose has every right to monetize her adult content, but WWE also has a responsibility to its many partnerships that keep its empire thriving. Condoning Rose’s actions could lead to more female WWE Superstars following suit, especially given how lucrative Rose’s exploits seem to be. This would cause intense problems both with WWE’s sponsors and its own public image.
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Should Vince McMahon succeed in his comeback attempt, the hypocrisy of WWE’s decision would intensify. But for now, Rose’s sudden exit is an unfortunate price of doing business in WWE.
