Dustin Rhodes drew sharp criticism on social media Tuesday, August 18, after engaging positively with an anti-Islam post.
The post featured an armed woman wearing a shirt with a women’s restroom symbol, an image users also interpreted as a shot at trans people.
The post read:
“Hey ISLAM, come at take it. I dare ya.”
Rhodes didn’t write any comment about Muslims or trans people. His response was limited to two emojis:
“❤️🤘🏼”
That was enough to spark significant backlash. Mustafa Ali, who is Muslim, responded to Rhodes and expressed his disappointment.
“I respect you and your family immensely. You showing support to something like this is really disappointing.”
Other fans tagged Tony Khan directly, with some calling for Rhodes to be fired from AEW. Several replies specifically referenced All In: London, set for August 30 at Wembley Stadium.
The controversy is particularly notable given Rhodes’ own history. In 2020, he spoke out against anti-trans attacks and revealed he has a trans child. The following year, he released a trans flag-inspired t-shirt with proceeds going to what was then the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Rhodes remains under AEW contract but hasn’t wrestled since 2025 after undergoing double knee replacement surgery.