Wrestling can be a bloody and gory sport, and when All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) Dynamite event showed a wrestler apparently getting his head sliced open with a pizza slicer, even Domino’s were calling on them to cut it out.
More specifically, the pizza chain expressed concerns after an ad for their food appeared straight after the incident, in what broadcaster TNT’s owners WarnerMedia have since described as an “unfortunate coincidence”.
In a statement issued to Front Office Sports, Domino’s Pizza spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre-Petko said: “We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward.”
The fight itself involved wrestlers Nick Gage and Chris Jericho, with the former taking to Twitter on Friday to apologise to the brand.
“Sorry Dominos didn’t mean to offend you, guess I’m too ultraviolent for TV, oh well,” he tweeted.
The TV blunder was caught by Twitter user @patcheschance, who shared the video to the platform on Thursday.
“Still losing my mind over Nick Gage with the pizza cutter then DOMINOS WITH THE PIZZA CUTTER,” they wrote.
While Domino’s didn’t see the funny side of the placement, others described it as the “best promo ever”:
Greatest ad placement EVER. https://t.co/tYSRhKq2IS
— Johnny Goodtimes (@JohnnyGoodtimes) July 29, 2021
I’m call @dominos and ask for the @thekingnickgage special.
— Yehoshua Robles (@xYOSHEx) July 29, 2021
We're living in the capitalist dystopia that 90s satire warned us about.
— Buglii (@BugliiArt) July 29, 2021
the best part is the intensity of the ref, as if she is monitoring how much pizza cutter-ing falls within the rules
— Bertram Burrows (@dav81311015) July 29, 2021
— Ray Frand (@RayBtwin91) July 29, 2021
— RETRO: OLD MEDIA ENTHUSIAST 🇨🇦 🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈💉 (@ThatRetro) July 29, 2021
It's either a perfect coincidence, or perfect planning.
— Brian E (@MysticRhythms87) July 29, 2021
Regardless, it's still perfect. #AEWDynamite
True corporate synergy.
— Rae (@Rae_209) July 29, 2021
According to FOS, WarnerMedia are now hoping that Domino’s will buy ad space once more for the AEW: Dynamite on Wednesday.
Given this mishap, however, that may be unlikely.
