World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) earlier this month changed the name of its show “Invasion” to "Showdown" after receiving criticism for holding the event on the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 massacre, according to international reports.
WWE announced the “Invasion” in September, which is set to see WWE NXT brand fight members of the TNA promotional company.
WWE has previously received criticism for including footage of the Auschwitz concentration camp in a promotional video for the 2023 WrestleMania 39 two-day event.
WWE issued a public apology stating that they “had no knowledge of what was depicted. As soon as we learned, it was removed immediately. We apologize for this error."
The red triangle
The coincidence was double criticized after the event organizers used a large red letter “V” to brand the event, which some said resembles the red inverted triangle used by Hamas and pro-Palestinian protesters.
The Israeli Pro-Wrestling Association said, following WWE’s quiet name switch, “A small victory for us and a lesson for all the skeptics - it's always worth fighting for what you believe in, even if the odds are slim💛 The name of the event will be changed from Invasion to Showdown.”