WWE may have pulled Trick Williams’ controversial “Lemon Pepper Steppers” shirt almost as quickly as fans discovered it, but Devon Dudley still wants to know how the fried chicken design ever made it through the approval process in the first place.
While speaking on Duke Loves Wrestling podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed the merchandise controversy after fans ripped the Trick Williams shirt over what they viewed as racially tone-deaf imagery. The design featured Williams’ white boot surrounded by fried chicken wings, turning his “Lemon Pepper Steppers” catchphrase into a literal visual.
The shirt didn’t last long. After criticism exploded across social media, WWE removed it from WWE Shop. WWE has not publicly explained the decision to pull the merchandise, but the controversy quickly shifted from the actual design to a much bigger question about how something like that was approved at all.
That was exactly where Devon went with his reaction. He admitted he couldn’t understand why nobody involved in the process caught the potential problem before the shirt went on sale, especially considering the history of fried chicken and watermelon being used as racial stereotypes against Black Americans.
“I’m not sure. I’m not sure why somebody in the back didn’t catch that. You know, especially when you take food like fried chicken or even watermelon because it’s been used to degrade African-Americans for many, many years. And, you know, a lot of people stay away from it. They don’t touch it.”
Devon also made an important distinction. He acknowledged that imagery can sometimes be created without malicious intent, but he said that doesn’t mean companies can ignore the cultural baggage attached to it.
“And sometimes it might be very harmless. They don’t know it—not they don’t know it, but they’re not doing it with any evil intent. But again, you can’t do that nowadays. Very sensitive.”
He then compared the situation to how wrestling itself has changed over the years. Devon pointed out that wrestlers used to be able to say things on television that would never survive today’s standards.
“Just like back in the day, we used to be able to go buck wild on people on the mic. We can’t do that anymore. We would get censored like there’s no tomorrow.”
For Devon, however, the biggest mystery remained the same: how did nobody flag the shirt before it reached WWE Shop?
“I just don’t see how they missed that one. That’s—I don’t—that I don’t get.”
Duke continued pressing the issue during the discussion, arguing that WWE should have safeguards in place specifically to catch imagery that could create this type of backlash. When the conversation returned to the historical baggage surrounding fried chicken and watermelon stereotypes, Devon again made it clear that he couldn’t understand how the design escaped scrutiny.
“Like watermelon, fried chicken, anything like that. How that’s not being flagged is beyond me.”
The controversy started because WWE turned Trick Williams’ catchphrase into a visual gag. The company used a boot, lemon pepper branding and fried chicken wings, but what may have looked like an easy merchandise concept on paper took on a very different meaning once fans saw the finished product attached to a Black WWE Superstar.
That’s why the backlash went beyond fans simply calling the shirt ugly. Critics immediately questioned whether anyone involved with the design or approval process considered the racial history attached to the imagery before putting it on WWE Shop.
WWE ultimately made the shirt disappear, but pulling it didn’t erase the question Devon Dudley is now asking. Merchandise goes through multiple stages before fans ever see it, and somehow this one still reached the store before the backlash forced everyone to look at it a lot more closely.
What do you think about Devon Dudley’s reaction to the Trick Williams shirt, and how do you think WWE should have handled the design before it ever reached WWE Shop? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
