Nick Khan Explains Why WWE Won’t Bring Back Political Storylines

WWE isn’t bringing political storylines back anytime soon—and now WWE President Nick Khan has explained there’s a clear reason why.

Speaking on the Bill Simmons podcast, Nick Khan was asked directly about whether WWE would ever return to using real-world politics in its storylines. Given the company’s history of leaning into real-life tensions, the question opened the door for a direct answer—and Khan didn’t hesitate. He made it clear that today’s political climate makes that kind of storytelling far more difficult than it used to be.

“It’s too tough with the political environment now—like having ICE officers arresting people.”

When pushed further on whether WWE could at least experiment with exaggerated political personas—like extreme left or right-leaning characters—Khan pointed to a more recent attempt that didn’t last. He then brought up Joe Gacy as an example of how WWE briefly tried to incorporate a politically themed character, though in a more toned-down and satirical way.

“We did that for a moment in time in NXT when we were coming out of COVID. Joe Gacy—before he would, let’s say, bodyslam you—he would apologize, like, ‘I’m very sorry I have to wrestle you.’ A politically correct angle—everything was, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’”

This comes after Sami Zayn previously stated that wrestling once reflected global conflicts—from the Persian Gulf War to earlier eras featuring enemy-based characters—but today’s product is designed to do the opposite.

Between the current political climate and WWE’s focus on providing a break from everyday issues, it’s clear the company isn’t looking to revisit those types of storylines anytime soon.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.