American national anthem gets booed mercilessly by Canadian WWE fans

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The WWE was back in Canada last night, but fans were not pleased with one very specific part of the event.

Toronto hosted the WWE’s Elimination Chamber on Saturday night which featured iconic wrestlers like The Rock and John Cena battle it out in the ring. It was a huge success as over 38,000 fans packed into Rogers Centre to get in on the action.

While these types of events are known for their lively crowds, they were not too happy to hear the American national anthem. A bevy of boos rained down as soon as the first few lines of “The Star-Spangled Banner” rang out throughout the stadium.

It was a tough position to be in for anthem singer Elizabeth Irving, who flew out from Vancouver for the occasion. However, she was able to receive a rousing ovation for the Canadian anthem as the boos turned into passionate cheering and singing.

This isn’t the first time that the American anthem has drawn the ire of Canadian sports fans over the past month or so. Multiple sporting events, spanning from the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and various Canadian NHL teams, have garnered a similar reaction to the U.S. anthem.

The booing is largely a by-product of American President Donald Trump continuously threatening Canada with tariffs as well as suggesting that the country become the “51st state”. It’s soured a lot of Canadians on the United States and booing the anthem has become the easiest way to show their displeasure with the 78-year-old President.

ESPN personality Pat McAfee was not impressed by the booing, calling Canada a “terrible country” on the broadcast in response.

Tensions are running hot between the two countries right now and it’s clear that fans are not afraid to use sports as a vehicle to voice their concerns.

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