What’s the story?
According to The Sun, a person at a shopping centre in the UK saw a Roman Reigns mask and believed that it looked like an infamous serial killer named Peter Sutcliffe, notoriously known as The Yorkshire Ripper.
A father was shopping in a toy store when he saw the mask, with a Roman Reigns picture and a WWE logo on its package. As he felt it resembled The Yorkshire Ripper, he issued a demand for the store to remove the mask. He said:
“I said to [my wife] think of a serial killer, and showed her the mask, without hesitation, and in an instant, she said ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’. The mask looks nothing like the actual WWE wrestler, and I have shown a close up the mask to friends and they all said ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’.”
This is the mask which that caused outrage by the person.
In case you didn't know...
The Yorkshire Ripper (real name Peter Sutcliffe) is a serial killer, who went on a killing spree for five years between 1975 to 1980. In 1981, he was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder 7 more.
He is currently in prison, where he will spend the rest of his life. He was said to have faked mental illness to avoid prison and go to a mental facility. In August 2016, he was released from the facility back to prison.
His notoriety has lasted for over three and a half decades, and this can be seen from the fact that his face is still remembered by many.
What’s next?
Jakks Pacific, who manufactures the mask (among other merchandise) commented that they have no plans to remove the mask from the shelves. Ultimately, it was only one person who made the complaint and demanded to remove it from the shelves, so there will be no action taken.
Sportskeeda’s take
Jakks Pacific and Ringside Collectibles made the right move by not listening to the demand of the sole individual to take down the mask. It is officially licensed merchandise, and given that Roman Reigns is a top calibre star, it very likely sells well among the younger demographic. The claim, even if not baseless, should cause no harm or trouble.
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