Pro wrestler Max Caster says he isn’t going to apologize for offending people with a rap lyric referencing the Houthis’ attack on a Saudi Arabian airport, even though the line cost him his job with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Caster appeared at TNA’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view to answer Moose’s open challenge, rapping over his entrance music as he walked to the ring. Part of his verse included the line: “… And it’s the firing squad. I drop bombs. You don’t even have to fly to Riyadh.” The attack referenced left more than a dozen people dead and several others injured.
The lyric drew immediate backlash on social media. TNA announced Monday it had cut ties with Caster over the verse, his first and only appearance with the promotion since leaving All Elite Wrestling.
In a video posted to social media Tuesday, Caster said he understood TNA president Carlos Silva’s decision to part ways with him, and apologized to people who had vouched for him.
“For anyone who’s offended, I just want everybody to know that when I do these raps, it’s never to offend people,” he said. “It’s only to entertain. So, in my mind, it’s entertainment value first. And then, if you’re offended by it, that’s your right. I can’t apologize for anyone being offended but just know that it’s not my intention to make people upset. If it gets a reaction, I think I did my job. It was a very relevant part of the show and highly talked about. I feel good about that but the consequences of everything – I’m accepting that. I can accept the facts of that.”
He added: “To anyone who’s asking if I’m good, I’m good. I’m just embarrassed how all this happened. You don’t want it to be one match and then that’s it. You get fired. But again, that’s the reality of the situation. I’m accepting it and that’s life and in life, sometimes, you gotta man up and just accept it and move on.”
TNA said Monday it had deleted everything related to Caster from its social media accounts and would no longer work with him. In a statement, the company said:
“During Sunday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view, insensitive comments were made by Max Caster referencing attacks in Riyadh that killed and injured many people. Making light of violent attacks is wrong. This should never have made it into the show, and that responsibility is ours. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected. We sincerely apologize. We have removed the segment from replays and our social channels and are taking steps to ensure something like this never happens again. Max Caster will no longer be wrestling in TNA.”
The decision drew support from wrestler Mustafa Ali, who is a practicing Muslim. “Our sincere apologies about this incident. Thank you to management for addressing this matter,” he wrote on X on Monday.
Caster said he was unsure of his next steps. He had previously been a tag team champion in AEW alongside Anthony Bowens, and the pair, along with Billy Gunn, also held the AEW World Trios Championship before he parted ways with that promotion.
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