The recent bombshell lawsuit against Vince McMahon brought some honorific allegations to the public. The WWE headquarters sounded like the setting for a psychological horror movie by the accounts of the victim, Janel Grant, in the court paperwork. That negative public attention has now cost WWE a longtime sponsor.
Slim Jim Pulls Out Of WWE Business
WWE SummerSlam showcased a Slim Jim Battle Royal, which LA Knight won. This success granted him a place at the post-SummerSlam press conference, where he seized the opportunity to boast about his triumph and plug Slim Jim as their new spokesman. Now, that situation has changed dramatically.
However, recent developments suggest that LA Knight may no longer be associated with Slim Jim, as WrestleVotes shared concerning information about the beef jerky stick company’s sponsorship with WWE. As of right now, Slim Jim has pulled their advertising money from WWE.
Hearing rumblings that Slim Jim has notified WWE they are pulling their sponsorships from tomorrow’s Royal Rumble event. It is yet to be determined if they will remain partners in the future.
Hearing rumblings that Slim Jim has notified WWE they are pulling their sponsorships from tomorrow’s Royal Rumble event. It is yet to be determined if they will remain partners in the future.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) January 26, 2024
Slim Jim Expands Statement
Sean Ross Sapp reports that he received word from Slim Jim on this matter. It was stated that they decided to pause their relationship with WWE after those allegations about Vince McMahon came to light.
“Slim Jim values integrity and respect in all of our partnerships. Given the recent disturbing allegations against Vince McMahon, at this time we’ve decided to pause our promotional activities with WWE. This decision reflects our commitment to our brand values and responsibility to our community. We will continue to monitor the situation and base our future engagements on our values and what’s best for our brand.”
Slim Jim got back to us with the same comment that was given to POST Wrestling about their partnership with WWE being paused (reported by @WrestleVotes) due to the allegations against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis and others.
"Slim Jim values integrity and respect in all of…
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) January 26, 2024
Vince McMahon’s Lawsuit
The decision by Slim Jim to distance itself from WWE comes on the heels of an explosive Wall Street Journal report outlining allegations against Vince McMahon by former WWE employee Janel Grant. In her lawsuit, Grant provided graphic details and text messages that detailed mental and physical mistreatment by McMahon, as others were names as well.
In light of these accusations, we will have to see what steps TKO takes as public demand starts to rally behind McMahon’s total removal. While such a move seems unlikely unless McMahon voluntarily steps down, sponsors like Slim Jim have the potential to influence this decision by withdrawing their financial support from the sports entertainment giant.
WWE’s History With Slim Jim
Slim Jim and WWE’s partnership has nostalgia written on it at this point. It’s hard to see one of those meaty snacks in any supermarket without imagining Randy Savage jumping through the ceiling for a 30-second promo on protein snacks.
Now, Bianca Belair and LA Knight have taken the helm of those Slim Jim commercials. They still open up those ads with Macho Man’s iconic voiceover. Sadly, this partnership has come to an end.
Update: The Partnership is back on
Following Vince McMahon’s resignation from WWE, Slim Jim announced that they resumed their partnership with WWE on the morning of the 2024 Royal Rumble event.
