The “F**k ICE” chants that echoed throughout AEW Grand Slam Australia were not simply a viral broadcast moment. Behind the curtain, the reaction within AEW appears to have been measured and largely unsurprised.

During the February 14, 2026 event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, the crowd broke into the chant during the in ring introductions for the AEW World Championship main event between MJF and Brody King. The chant was clearly audible on both TNT and MAX in the United States, drawing immediate attention from viewers watching internationally.

According to Fightful Select, the internal response was not one of panic. Travel arrangements surrounding the Australian tour reportedly played a role in how information circulated within the company ahead of the show.

The report explained that a significant portion of the roster traveled to Australia earlier in the week, while many executives and additional talent made the trip following Dynamite. Because of the staggered travel schedule, some of the rumors and online speculation involving Warner Bros. Discovery and Brody King did not reach key decision makers before departure.

“A lot of talent headed over earlier in the week, but a large amount flew over after Dynamite. This led to many higher ups and even Tony Khan not hearing about the WBD Brody King rumors,” the report stated.

As a result, there was reportedly less internal focus on outside noise and more emphasis placed on delivering the event itself. Tony Khan has previously been vocal about supporting talent expressing themselves authentically when it comes to political or social beliefs, which aligns with the reported non negative reaction backstage.

Despite being thousands of miles away from where similar chants first surfaced in Las Vegas, there was an expectation within AEW that the Sydney audience might continue the trend.

“A number of AEW sources we spoke to still expected the ‘F*ck ICE’ chants for Brody King, despite being in Australia,” Fightful Select noted.

The situation mirrors what occurred during the February 4 episode of AEW Dynamite, where the chant also gained traction. At that time, internal sources indicated that some within the company welcomed the additional mainstream attention. Although speculation initially suggested that Warner Bros. Discovery had expressed concern, WBD later released a statement clarifying that they did not request Brody King be removed from any programming.