Jordan Myles, a wrestler on WWE’s NXT brand, is feuding with his employer over a t-shirt design for his character. The piece of merchandise, which has since been pulled and replaced, resembled a “Sambo” doll.
On Monday morning, Myles followed up his original criticism of the shirt with a string of tweets and a video where he sticks up his middle finger and says “WWE doesn’t care about black people.”
Myles also called Ring of Honor wrestler Jay Lethal an “Uncle Tom,” and criticized the WWE for employing Hulk Hogan after using the n-word. “The fact that @HulkHogan is still employed after giving the locker room an apology for being caught says enough,” Myles wrote.
Myles, real name Albert Hardie Jr., appears to have deleted the video tweet and the one calling Lethal an “Uncle Tom.” TheWrap captured screenshots of both:
WWE says that Myles “approved” the t-shirt design.
“Albert Hardie Jr. (aka Jordan Myles) approved this t-shirt for sale,” a WWE spokesman said in a statement. “As always, we work collaboratively with all of our performers to develop logos and merchandise designs and get their input and approval before proceeding. This was the same process with Albert, and we responded swiftly once he later requested that the logo/t-shirt be redesigned.”
In terms of its likeness to a Sambo doll, the t-shirt’s black backdrop would be the face, the red looks like lips, and the white, spelling out Myles’ name, would be smiling teeth.
“The Story of Little Black Sambo” is a book originally published in 1899. Though the titular character in the book is a South Indian boy, the simplistic style of its illustrations spawned a caricature that would become a symbol of racism against African-Americans.
On Saturday, Myles tweeted out the shirt and promised WWE would “regret” making it.
The next morning, Myles called out his bosses directly. He asked his followers and supporters to change their profile photos to black and white in solidarity.
“I will keep posting this till my voice is heard. I’m not sorry for anything I say or do,” Myles wrote yesterday on Twitter.
“Representation is important,” he tweeted, adding: “If this is @VinceMcMahon & @TripleH ‘vision’ of me then this is a slap in the face to EVERY African American performer, fan, and supporter.”
Vince McMahon is WWE chairman and CEO, Triple H (real name Paul Levesque) is executive vice president of talent, live events and creative. Levesque, who formerly wrestled as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, is considered the godfather of NXT.
I’ve used this shirt as fuel. I knew the shirt existed and my soul hasn’t been able to rest properly since I’ve laid eyes on it. My voice will be heard… my true opinion will be heard.. and MY PEOPLE will have their moment. https://t.co/uMErUAGr43
Does it matter if the shirt was replace? The FACT that they even made the first one overshadows anything till WE get what we deserve. https://t.co/mLjKeUDNNt
When I originally saw the design I was uncomfortable. Rather than addressing the issue I decided to counter offer with another.
Baker Landon lied to my face! He said HHH wanted this design so my hands were tied. I spoke with @TripleH in person and his impression was I approved https://t.co/JndOSasTGK
Every WWE Champion Ever, Ranked by Number of Reigns (Photos)
Pro-wrestling championship belts change hands like grapplers change ring gear these days, though it wasn't always that way. Bobby Lashley is again WWE Champion, thanks to a little outside interference from Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble.
After a Brock Lesnar F-5 K.O.-ed the referee on Saturday, Jan. 29, Reigns ran in with a devastating spear. He then demanded the WWE Championship belt from Heyman, who obliged. The title itself delivered the final blow to Brock. All Lashley had to do was muster a cover.
Scroll through our gallery to see every WWE Champion ever, ranked by their number(s) of title wins. Remember: this is a list of those who won the WWWF Championship, the WWF Championship or the WWE Championship. So don't come after us, Universal Champions, et al.
WWE
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Kofi Kingston
# of Reigns: 1
The power of positivity.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Jeff Hardy
# of Reigns: 1
The un-"Broken" half of the Hardy Boyz has had the more storied singles career.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Bray Wyatt
# of Reigns: 1
The Fiend used to go by "Husky Harris" -- we'd say this run is working out better for him.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Sgt. Slaughter
# of Reigns: 1
Camel Clutch, Cobra Clutch -- whatever "C"-animal it was, it hurt.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Dean Ambrose
# of Reigns: 1
And "The Lunatic Fringe" pulled this off while wearing jeans.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Chris Jericho
# of Reigns: 1
You're a "stupid idiot" if you didn't know this guy made "The List."
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Eddie Guerrero
# of Reigns: 1
Generally considered one of the best ever to have done it held the big-boy belt for 133 days.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Jinder Mahal
# of Reigns: 1
The "Modern-Day Maharaja" dropped the title to A.J. Styles.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: John "Bradshaw" Layfield
# of Reigns: 1
JBL has taken his heel persona from the ring to the announce table. Never without a cowboy hat, Layfield thankfully leaves his lariat clothesline at home.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: The Ultimate Warrior
# of Reigns: 1
The muscle-bound maniac who handed Hulk Hogan his first-ever "WrestleMania" loss died after suffering a heart attack three days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: "Superstar" Billy Graham
# of Reigns: 1
"Superstar" Billy Graham was a bodybuilder and buddy of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yeah, blame Graham's body for Jinder Mahal's run.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Kevin Nash
# of Reigns: 1
You mean Tarzan from "Magic Mike"?!?!? Yes, yes we do.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Pedro Morales
# of Reigns: 1
History lesson: Back in the WWWF days, Morales became the first guy in wrestling history to win all three of the major men's titles -- the WWF Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the WWF Tag Team Championship -- in the company.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: André the Giant
# of Reigns: 1
The tales about André the Giant sometimes feel as tall as he was.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: The Iron Sheik
# of Reigns: 1
This guy is as big a hit on Twitter as he was in the ring.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Kane
# of Reigns: 1
You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Kane, now mayor of Knox County in Tennessee, is one of the smartest Superstars in WWE history.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Rey Mysterio
# of Reigns: 1
We're not going to talk about how ridiculous the setup to his finishing move, "The 6-1-9," became. This is a happy list.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Stan Stasiak
# of Reigns: 1
Unfortunately Stasiak only held the belt for nine days.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Rob Van Dam
# of Reigns: 1
One of the most popular ECW wrestlers of all-time, RVD has brought his three initials to seemingly every pro-wrestling promotion with three initials.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Ivan Koloff
# of Reigns: 1
The "Russian Bear" was actually Canadian.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Buddy Rogers
# of Reigns: 1
Rogers was kinda-sorta the first champion in the company. It's complicated -- ask Killer Kowalski and Bruno Sammartino.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Vince McMahon
# of Reigns: 1
Hell, Mr. McMahon runs the damn company -- of course he made this list.
Rank: 32 (tie)
Wrestler: Big E
# of Reigns: 1
Big E has had a big career -- both as a singles performer and a member of The New Day.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: The Miz
# of Reigns: 2
The kid from "The Real World" made good on his over-the-top MTV promos. One of the best on the mic, Miz has been holding down the Intercontinental Championship more than any other Superstar of the past few years.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Drew McIntyre
# of Reigns: 2
Scottish Psychopath joined the WWE Champions' and two-timers club all in 2020.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Batista
# of Reigns: 2
Guardian of the Galaxy, defender of WWE Championship.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: The Big Show
# of Reigns: 2
You can't miss this two-time champ -- not even in a mega-arena.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: A.J. Styles
# of Reigns: 2
"The Phenomenal One" held the belt for 371-straight days, which is a record for a "SmackDown" wrestler.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Alberto Del Rio
# of Reigns: 2
Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si!
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Sycho Sid
# of Reigns: 2
It was a long way down from Shawn Michaels' former bodyguard's power-bomb.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
# of Reigns: 2
If you haven't watched ESPN's "30 for 30: Nature Boy," do that. Oh, and look up Flair's ridiculous NWA runs too.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Sheamus
# of Reigns: 2
Master of the Brogue Kick, Rocksteady in the "Ninja Turtles" movies -- which is the greater accomplishment?
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Seth Rollins
# of Reigns: 2
He's BURN(ed) IT DOWN more than once.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Yokozuna
# of Reigns: 2
That belt needed a few extenders to fit around the sumo.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: CM Punk
# of Reigns: 2
Let's just say he was a little less successful in the UFC -- but maybe an AEW run?
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Randy "Macho Man" Savage
# of Reigns: 2
Before he snapped into Slim Jims, the "Macho Man" was snapping dudes in half.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Bob Backlund
# of Reigns: 2
Backlund couldn't "Make Darren Young Great Again" -- or even keep the guy employed -- but the master of the cross-face chicken wing had a pretty incredible career of his own.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Bruno Sammartino
# of Reigns: 2
Google him, kids.
Rank: 16 (tie)
Wrestler: Bobby Lashley
# of Reigns: 2
Lashley just looks like the guy who should be champion.
Rank: 13 (tie)
Wrestler: Mankind
# of Reigns: 3
Mick Foley nearly killed himself to raise these titles.
Rank: 13 (tie)
Wrestler: Roman Reigns
# of Reigns: 3
The Head of the Table may make the top of this list when all is said and done.
Rank: 13 (tie)
Wrestler: Shawn Michaels
# of Reigns: 3
Before he found God, the "Heartbreak Kid" found jaws with his foot, popularizing the Superkick.
Rank: 9 (tie)
Wrestler: Daniel Bryan
# of Reigns: 4
Fellow fan-favorite Superstar is now in AEW with CM Punk.
Rank: 9 (tie)
Wrestler: Edge
# of Reigns: 4
On this day, you can see clearly... that Edge is one of the best to ever lace up.
Rank: 9 (tie)
Wrestler: The Undertaker
# of Reigns: 4
The Dead Man is truly a living legend.
Rank: 9 (tie)
Wrestler: Kurt Angle
# of Reigns: 4
Top 10, it's true -- it's damn true.
Rank: 8
Wrestler: Bret "Hitman" Hart
# of Reigns: 5
The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
Rank: 5 (tie)
Wrestler: Hulk Hogan
# of Reigns: 6
Hulkamania was real. Then again, so was Gawker at one point.
Rank: 5 (tie)
Wrestler: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
# of Reigns: 6
On the Mt. Rushmore of all-time greats, and that's the bottom line.
Rank: 3 (tie)
Wrestler: The Rock
# of Reigns: 8
He may be Dwayne Johnson now, but he'll always be "The Rock" to us.
Rank: 3 (tie)
Wrestler: Triple H
# of Reigns: 8
Boss of The Authority and former DX member has two words for the other guys on this list. We can't reprint them.
Rank: 2
Wrestler: Randy Orton
# of Reigns: 10
The Viper has RKO'd a lot of dudes outta nowhere.
Rank: 1
Wrestler: John Cena
# of Reigns: 13
U Can't See Him.
1 of 55
From Buddy Rogers to Bobby Lashley, here are all the guys from the old WWWF and WWF days — and beyond
Pro-wrestling championship belts change hands like grapplers change ring gear these days, though it wasn't always that way. Bobby Lashley is again WWE Champion, thanks to a little outside interference from Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble.
After a Brock Lesnar F-5 K.O.-ed the referee on Saturday, Jan. 29, Reigns ran in with a devastating spear. He then demanded the WWE Championship belt from Heyman, who obliged. The title itself delivered the final blow to Brock. All Lashley had to do was muster a cover.
Scroll through our gallery to see every WWE Champion ever, ranked by their number(s) of title wins. Remember: this is a list of those who won the WWWF Championship, the WWF Championship or the WWE Championship. So don't come after us, Universal Champions, et al.
