Last week on WWE NXT, Brooks Jensen unsuccessfully challenged NXT North American Champion Oba Femi. While the match itself was arguably the most notable of Jensen’s career yet, the attention of many fans was instead drawn to the goings-on before the match. During his entrance, Jensen wore a t-shirt featuring WWE Hall of Famer Ole Anderson, who passed away at the age of 81 last month.
The apparent tribute sparked a social media backlash against the 22-year-old NXT star as several allegations of racism have been made against Anderson over the years. Now, Jensen himself has responded to the online controversy. In a post to his X account, he stated that he was unaware of the allegations made against the Four Horseman member and issued an apology to those he offended through the tribute.
“I will never support any racism, hate, or bullying,” Jensen wrote. “While I respected Ole for his wrestling it was news to me after wearing the t-shirt that he was associated with these allegations. I’ve noticed my ‘looks’ and where I’m from are frequently stigmatized with the underbelly of our society (i.e. racists) but this mullet just likes to give love and party. My apologies to anyone who knew the allegations prior and were offended by the shirt. I’m learning and this was noted.”
A few hours later, Jensen added that he would be taking a break from social media for the foreseeable future to get his thoughts in order.
Jensen’s clash with Femi marked his first major singles bout since ending his long-time association with Josh Briggs and Fallon Henley last December. Jensen had been tied to Briggs since their NXT debut together in late 2021, with the two most notably capturing the NXT UK Tag Team Championship in June 2022. They would go on to become the final holders of the title before its unification with the NXT Tag Team Championship at Worlds Collide later that year.