Trick Williams’ latest WWE merchandise has turned a simple catchphrase into a much larger discussion after the design drew attention for reasons that had little to do with the shirt itself.
The new “Lemon Pepper Steppers” shirt features Trick’s signature white boot surrounded by fried chicken wings, with the phrase displayed across the back. Once the design appeared on WWE Shop, the reaction quickly shifted toward questions about how the concept made it through the company’s approval process.
The idea behind the shirt is straightforward. “Lemon Pepper Steppers” combines the lemon pepper reference with Trick’s trademark “steppers” catchphrase, while WWE used the boot and wings to represent both parts visually.
However, the execution immediately became controversial.
One fan questioned WWE Shop over the design, essentially asking what the company was thinking when it approved the merchandise.
Another fan expressed disbelief that the shirt could have gone through multiple stages of review without someone questioning the concept.
The discussion became more serious when the fried chicken imagery was viewed through the context of Trick being a Black WWE Superstar. Some fans argued that fried chicken has historically been used as a racist stereotype against Black Americans, making the imagery particularly uncomfortable when placed alongside Trick’s merchandise.
That does not necessarily mean WWE intended the design to carry that message.
The concept appears to be a literal visual interpretation of Trick’s catchphrase and its lemon pepper wings reference.
But that is also where the backlash comes from. The concern is less about what WWE may have intended and more about how the finished product can be perceived.
WWE had plenty of ways to visualize “Lemon Pepper Steppers,” but the decision to make fried chicken the central image created a controversy that went far beyond ordinary merchandise criticism.
Was this simply a poorly executed merchandise concept, or should WWE have recognized the potential issue before putting it on sale?
