A sombre evening for the whole WWE locker room ended in drama last Monday when Titus O’Neil grabbed Vince McMahon’s arm as he was walking back after Daniel Bryan’s farewell.
Titus, who was rumouredly was about to receive a push, was summarily suspended for 90 days, reduced to 60. The conspiracy theorists were only too quick to pounce on the whole predicament and insinuated a racist angle to it.
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin was particularly vocal in his opinion of the racism allegations. He weighed in on the racism card during his podcast:
“The whole racist thing really irritated me because any time you hear about anything these days it’s racist, and, man, it’s 2016. I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist, but, I mean, to play that card in this situation was total B.S. from my perspective… racism and that? Absolutely not. It was a reprimand for something that didn’t need to happen at that time. End of story.
“If you’re going to suspend somebody, I think 30 [days]. I think 60 is still a little overreacting. Did something need to happen, a come to Jesus meeting or a stern talking to backstage? Something needed to happen because I do believe it was inappropriate. It was the wrong person, at the wrong time.
Vince is 70 right now and that was a serious moment for him. He was totally in character. He cares about Daniel Bryan. He gets jerked pretty forcibly over there to Titus O’Neil and it was completely inappropriate.
“This may be pro wrestling, sports-entertainment, whatever you want to call it, but that was a serious moment. It’s not a time to be shucking and jiving out there, so lay some type of punishment down.
“Fine him, this, that, or whatever. I don’t know. Something was appropriate, but when I started hearing the racism things, I was like, ‘I’ve got to roll my eyes and I’ve got to call complete and utter bullsh*t in this one.”
