German-based promotion wXw has severed ties with Marius Al-Ani over the content of a TikTok video posted by the wrestler.
The TikTok video posted by Al-Ani used the song “Erika” by Herms Niel, a song used by the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.
The video has been deleted on TikTok but has been preserved on Reddit and shows Al-Ani encouraging Germans to take a stand as the music plays on the video.
wXw announced that they are no longer working with Al-Ani:
wXw terminates collaboration with Marius Alni After considering all circumstances, we are refraining from further with Marius Alni The wXw European Championship is hereby vacated.
Al-Ani, 34, has been wrestling since 2011 and working for wXw for over a decade. He has won all the promotion’s major titles, including its Unified World Wrestling Championship in 2021 and held that title for nearly six months. Upon his release, he vacated the promotion’s European title, which he won this past May.
While the song isn’t about politics, it became heavily associated with the Nazi regime and used for propaganda purposes.
The composer, Niel, ended up joining the Nazi regime and began composing marches and songs, and conducting bands at Nazi rallies. He died in July 1954.
