Wrestling fans are speaking out after a Cody Rhodes-related Raheem sign surfaced during Black History Month and the backlash is loud. The situation started after Cody Rhodes referenced the long-running Raheem nickname during the February 6 episode of SmackDown. In his promo, Rhodes joked that WrestleMania would be a you know what measuring contest, adding that they didnt nickname me Raheem for no reason. Days later, a fan brought a sign to a WWE show reading: HAPPY BLACK CODY RAHEEM RHODES HISTORY MONTH, tying the nickname to Black History Month. The sign quickly circulated online and thats when the backlash began. One fan took to Twitter and argued that the joke is largely being pushed by white fans rather than embraced by the community it references, writing: white people the ones perpetuating this joke Some responses specifically pointed to the timing. With February being Black History Month and no visible WWE programming centered on it this year one fan criticized what they viewed as misplaced attention: White ppl acknowledging BHM only to honor a white guy. That same thing happened in another tweet, where a fan pointed out the contrast between the sign with WWEs actual roster: Leave it to WWE fans to wish Happy Black history month to a white man, but not to the multiple Black wrestlers in the company. Another fan took to Twitter and made it clear that Cody Rhodes shared responsibility for keeping the nickname alive after referencing it on SmackDown: The controversy ties back to a 2021 AEW promo where Rhodes discussed his interracial marriage and declared he had ended racism, a line that led to the Raheem nickname becoming popular among fans. While the reference used to be an inside joke, its clear things have gotten way out of hand now. At this point, its less about one sign and more about how jokes like this land with different parts of the audience. Some fans think its harmless while others clearly dont. Do you think this was harmless wrestling humor, or do you understand why some fans are calling it out? Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments below. G Add as a preferred source on Google
