Summary

Brody King has become one of the more politically outspoken wrestlers on the AEW roster, and the crowds have started reflecting that back at him. In a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, King talked through the "F*ck ICE" chants that began appearing at AEW shows earlier this year, tracing the origin to his habit of wearing an "Abolish ICE" shirt to events.

King first wore the shirt at Arena Mexico in June of last year. The chants themselves didn't surface until ahead of his match with MJF before AEW Grand Slam Australia. By then, the shirt had already built up some attention, and King said the chant catching on felt like a natural pressure release for audiences who are frustrated with the current climate.

Quote from Brody King

Speaking to Denise Salcedo, King explained how the chants developed:

"Well, it's funny, because, you know, I wore the Abolish ICE shirt at Arena Mexico, I mean, almost a year now. I think it was June of last year, and the Fuck ICE chants happened this year, right before Australia. So it like, got a lot of attention for the shirt, and then it, out of nowhere, kind of picked up more attention. I mean, obviously, you know, the state of things gets more boiled over. People are frustrated, and that's going to come out in certain ways. I can't think of a more positive way for it to come out than them chanting it at a wrestling show. You know what I mean?"

King later went on to say:

"It took me off guard, but it also, like, I felt like I could run through a wall at that moment, and I feel like the way that MJF looked at that camera, he knew I was going to run through a wall as well."

What the Chants Mean for King in AEW

King's political stance has quietly built him a layer of organic crowd investment that most wrestlers don't find by design. The "F*ck ICE" chants around the Grand Slam Australia build gave him a real-world edge heading into that match with MJF, and by King's account, even MJF recognized it in the moment.

That kind of crowd heat, rooted in something outside kayfabe, tends to stick. It adds a dimension to King's presence that is hard to manufacture, and it positions him as a figure AEW audiences are genuinely invested in beyond the character work alone.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.