Have you ever seen a state body DQ a kid, drag him through the mud, and then turn around and slap his face on ads like he’s their prized possession? Well, welcome to New Jersey, where high school wrestling just got its messiest plot twist yet with Anthony Knox. And all this while the kid’s name is already tangled up in legal drama — talk about adding insult to injury.
On March 1st, The Wrestling Room (@MrPatMineo) lit up X with the kind of post that makes you reread twice just to make sure it’s real. His report? “Quite the move in NJ… DQing Knox then using him for marketing ads and as the poster boy for their tournament. Can’t make this stuff up!” Yeah, that actually happened.
Quite the move in NJ…
DQing Knox then using him for marketing ads and as the poster boy for their tournament.
Can’t make this stuff up! pic.twitter.com/m25xz0oUmr
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) February 28, 2025
Quick rewind — on February 22nd, Knox, the 3 time state champion got DQ’d after a wild off-mat-incident, where Knox stepped in to help his father who was caught up in a brawl in the bleachers at a wrestling tournament. The NJSIAA claimed Anthony Knox violated the organization’s sportsmanship policy, even though he didn’t lift a finger. His family filed an appeal faster than a double-leg takedown, and guess what? The judge came through, saying that Knox could wrestle for his fourth state title after all.
And if you thought that was dramatic, here’s the kicker: Anthony Knox won the Region 7 quarterfinal match with a stunning 18-1 tech fall in 2:32 over Manchester senior Charlie Gold and walked off with the W, but, he had to leave the arena with a police escort because this whole thing was that chaotic. The NJSIAA even dropped an official statement about a restraining order being in place stating, “We will be appealing and considering all other options. In the meantime, Anthony Knox will be permitted to wrestle in the regional tournament under the terms of the temporary restraining order.”
The internet reacts in defense of Anthony Knox, and they got receipts
In light of recent events, fans naturally were displeased that the NJSIAA were using Anthony Knox for promo. But one fan questioned the veracity of the image asking, “Did you change that one cuz the NJSIAA has nothing to do with the site and the site has nothing to do with the NJSIAA?” The Wrestling Room clapped back immediately: “They have a full business partnership dopey.”
Another fan added: “Wait, the NJSIAA uses them for all their pub/stat recording/PR/record keeping/bracket releases. Ask them and they’ll tell you to go to it like it’s the only media in the state.” NJSIAA and NJ Advance Media — aka the folks who run NJ.com — have been business besties since 2018, after signing a deal that basically handed NJ.com exclusive rights to broadcast every postseason event. That means NJ.com not only covers, but controls stats, brackets, rosters, rankings — you name it. On top of that, NJ Advance Media hands the NJSIAA $15,000 in scholarships every year and even helps fund the NJSIAA Student Council Program.
“They paying him for NIL now?” While that’s a no (for now), here’s the wild part: NJ Advance Media gets first dibs on all postseason coverage and sells subscriptions for fans to watch these games. So yeah, they’re literally profiting off OF Knox — the same kid the NJSIAA just tried to cancel.
“It’s been like that for a while for the ppl chirping at you.. dummy’s,” wrote one fan in defense of The Wrestling Room. This whole NJ Advance and NJSIAA partnership isn’t even new — it’s been seven years deep since 2018. And through it all, wrestling’s always been part of the package, meaning every bracket, every seeding, every highlight reel — NJ.com cashes in.
So yeah, wrestling fans were none too pleased with this hypocritical move. However, for Anthony Knox, none of this would matter as he has his eyes set on his 4th wrestling title that was very nearly snatched away from him
The post Fans Accuse New Jersey of Profiting Off Wrestling Star Amidst Legal Drama appeared first on EssentiallySports.