Last night on a special Friday Night edition of AEW Dynamite, we saw a celebration of the AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida. She reached a full year as champion, and was honored by being given a brand new design of the championship, and likely getting to keep the old belt as a memento of her reign. However, not everyone in AEW was looking to honor this great champion.
Spanish Announcer Willie Urbina Released By AEW After Mocking Hikaru Shida
While Shida was cutting her promo, Spanish Announcer Willie Urbina was chosen to translate her promo to Spanish. He did so by speaking incoherently in a stereotypical Japanese accent. Even after being told to stop by his partners which included Thunder Rosa, he kept going.
This led to fans who watched the Spanish version of AEW Dynamite to call them out about this issue on Twitter, and to Urbina being let go from the company almost immediately. Even with him being the heel announcer on the Spanish desk, blatant racism like he showed in this incident wasn’t going to fly well with the company.
AEW has been doing well in derailing potential PR issues as they pop up, from sending Sammy Guevara to sensitivity training over inappropriate comments made about WWE star Sasha Banks, and their quick action in this situation. They have a zero tolerance mentality for this kind of nonsense, which is a solid stance to take.
A Split Reaction From Fans
The reaction from fans of AEW is more split than you would imagine. Some fans have used this as a way to point out that AEW is being overly sensitive once again, and wishing for the days when commentators could say whatever they wanted. They are sick of announcers and talents having to walk on egg shells when they speak, as they seem to always risk offending someone.
Others are praising the company for their swift action. This was a pretty open and close case in their eyes, with it being very unprofessional if nothing else. There is no doubt that something like this reflects poorly on AEW as a brand. As they look to grow and get back on the road, they need to tighten up their overall act, and getting rid of people like Urbina and putting more professional individuals in their place can only help.
Do you agree with this reaction from AEW? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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