Bianca Belair Has to Deal With Inept Racists Amid WWE 2K24 Launch
"The black women in this industry face a regular barrage of racism and misogyny from 'fans.' And have for far too long."
Published March 8 2024, 3:53 p.m. ET
Being on the cover of a WWE video game is typically a milestone event in any wrestler’s life. Other than headlining WrestleMania, there’s really no bigger honor. Following in the footsteps of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, John Cena, Becky Lynch, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns, it's a marker that you're one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Unfortunately, once again, the EST Bianca Belair is having to deal with racism and sexism that most every other wrestler does not have to live through.
What happened to Bianca Belair? She joined Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes on the covers of WWE 2K24 — and racist remarks followed.
On March 6, 2024, @WWEGames, @2K, @biancabelairwwe, @rhearipley_wwe and @americannightmarecody shared two behind-the-scenes photos from their cover shoot to get people excited about the game's March 8 launch. Unfortunately and probably unsurprisingly, some racist and sexist comments were made.
Since Bianca is one of the most well-liked performers in and out of the rings, a fan and locker room favorite and acclaimed wrestler (she’s been named Female Wrestler of the Year by ESPN in 2022, Female Wrestler of the Year by the New York Post in 2022, Woman of the Year 2022 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, and ranked No. 3 in the Top 10 wrestlers in 2021 and 2022 by Sports Illustrated), there’s been no shortage of supportive comments from co-workers.
Former WWE Champion Big E came to Bianca’s defense early, tweeting, “The black women in this industry face a regular barrage of racism & misogyny from 'fans.' And have for far too long. You cannot diminish their light. You cannot erase their contributions to this industry.”
In a two-part Tweet, Zelina Vega exclaimed her support: “Bianca is one of the best this business and WORLD has ever seen. When I think of a hard worker, stand out, path paver, and someone who is genuinely a proud representation of her culture, it’s Bianca. She deserves everything she’s gotten and MORE. She EARNED the name EST.”
She continued, “The 'fans' that took part in the blatant disrespect and hate towards her and other black men and women should be ashamed and embarrassed. It’s disgusting. But your hate will never EVER dim their shine. We love you B. You continue to be an inspiration to all of us.”
For some reason, you can still comment on the post. While most Bianca supporters are doing just that, there’s the occasional hapless vitriol towards the EST.
If you want to see Biana, just fire up Hulu, Peacock, Fox, or TBS.
As of now, Bianca has yet to comment on Instagram or Twitter/X about this latest instance of racism in pro wrestling. She’s probably too busy promoting her Hulu reality show Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez with her husband and fellow WWE Superstar Montez Ford, wrestling on Raw on TBS or Smackdown on Fox, and figuring out her opponent for WrestleMania on Peacock.
