WWE Pulls Trick Williams ‘Lemon Pepper Steppers’ Shirt After Online Backlash Over Racism & A.I. Usage Claims

WWE recently pulled a new shirt for Trick Williams from their WWE Shop on Fanatics.

This shirt was a “Lemon Pepper Steppers” merchandise t-shirt which featured fried chicken wings and legs being dunked into a shoe filled with a white sauce.

This shirt quickly drew online backlash on social media after it was released for the low-effort design that was claimed to have been made using A.I. and for the casual racism and stereotypes undertones.

“Lemon Pepper Steppers” is a catchphrase Williams has used to describe his fancy white shoes that he wears during his appearances and matches. While the term itself means something that is cool and fashionable, the inclusion of fried chicken wings and legs in the shirt’s design invokes a long-term racist and stereotype association for African Americans.

“Lemon Pepper Steppers” is a term Williams has used to describe his shoes, essentially saying they’re fashionable and dripping with sauce.

The Trick Williams Lemon Pepper Stepper t-shirt was pulled from WWE Shop pic.twitter.com/R1v0c3TpSE

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) September 22, 2026

This is the second time this month that WWE has been involved in a controversy revolving around a questionable shirt they had released for sale. The previous incident involved a commemorative 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that was later updated with a new design after online criticism from fans over the low quality effort and A.I. used for it.