Ukraine war: WWE shuts down its Russian network with immediate effect

In yet another brand pulling its plug from Russia, the World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. on Thursday confirmed that it had terminated its partnership with Russia's Match TV and shut down its local network amidst the ongoing Ukraine war.

WWE programming, including weekly shows' Raw' and 'SmackDown' and 'NXT', cannot be accessed on Match TV starting today. WWE had signed Match TV as its local broadcasting partner in early 2020.

A statement read, "WWE has terminated its partnership with Russian broadcaster Match and shut down WWE Network in Russia effective immediately."

"The move eliminates access in Russia to any WWE programming, including the company's weekly Raw, SmackDown and NXT shows, its on-demand library, and all of its premium live events, including WrestleMania 38," it added.

Also read: Ukraine War: Russian Football Union to appeal against FIFA and UEFA ban at CAS

WWE's dramatic move is the latest in a series of sporting sanctions that have been dished out to Russia since their invasion of Ukraine began last week.

Here is a list of some of the actions taken against Russia by various sporting associations:

FIFA and UEFA have banned the Russian national soccer team from international competition, including the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

UEFA has moved its May 28 Champions League final from Russia's Saint Petersberg to Paris.

The IIHF has banned the Russian national hockey team from international competition.

The NHL has suspended all business activities in Russia.

The IOC has recommended all Russian athletes be banned from international competitions.

World Athletics has banned all Russian track and field athletes from international competitions and pulled events from the country.

FIBA has suspended the Russian national basketball team from international competition.

The ISU has banned all Russian figure skaters from international competition.

The FIS has banned all Russian skiers from international competition.

The ATP, WTA, and ITF have suspended all events in Russia and are making all Russian tennis players compete as neutral athletes.

The IVF has pulled its men's world championship from Russia and banned Russian volleyball clubs.

The four major boxing organizations have stopped sanctioning any matches in Russia, and the WBO may remove Russian boxers from its rankings.

Formula 1 has removed the Russian Grand Prix from its 2022 calendar.

Motorsport UK has banned all Russian drivers.

EA Sports have removed all Russian teams from its FIFA video game series.

The International Judo Federation has stripped Russian president Vladimir Putin, a big judo fan, from his role as honorary president.

Also read: Football world mourns death of two Ukrainian players; hail them as heroes

This wave of bans and sanctions from sporting communities globally is indicative of the pariah status Russia has earned for its widely condemned invasion of Ukraine. Although isolating Russia from the world of sports may not be a huge concern for Moscow at present, it still serves as a reminder of just how livid the international community is with Vladimir Putin's decision.