As you likely have heard by now, Titus O’Neil has been suspended 60 days by the WWE for ‘inappropriate conduct’. This has been widely discussed as being too harsh of a punishment for what actually occurred. There have been a small group of fans questioning if the suspension was racially motivated.
On the Steve Austin Show, Stone Cold rejected the idea that the suspension had anything to do with race:
“Vince is 70 [years old] 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.” Austin added “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 bulls–t in this one.'”
SOURCE: Steve Austin Show Episode 299, H/T WrestlingInc.com for transcription.
I agree in thinking that the suspension was not racially motivated at all. I think regardless of race or gender, if anyone grabbed Vince during that moment they were getting heat. I think it might be an ego thing where Vince is very upset that someone made him look bad.
Still think Titus should have just been fined or given a suspension of a week or two instead of two months.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Oh Steve I think you’re way off base. Grabbing him may have been wrong but him fining him & suspending him that long was way too harsh. Should have been 3 days tops.