WWE star Titus O'Neil was sent home from last night's Smackdown taping in Portland, Oregon shortly after he arrived. The word we are getting is that O'Neil has been suspended for unprofessional conduct.
During the ending of last night's Raw taping in Seattle, Washington, a number of WWE personalities and staff were assembled on the stage in honor of the retiring Bryan Danielson. At the end of that segment, which aired on Raw before going live on the WWE Network, Danielson returned to the locker room after passing through the center of the assembled WWE personnel.
As WWE talents returned to the back, O'Neill grabbed WWE owner Vince McMahon in what was described to us as in a "playful, physical way." McMahon responded by shoving O'Neil away. McMahon's shove of O'Neill actually made it onto the final seconds of the broadcast. We are told that McMahon was angry at being grabbed and that led to the suspension.
When O'Neil arrived at Smackdown, he was informed he was going sent home. The word making the rounds is that the suspension could be for upwards of 90 days. That would put O'Neil out of action through May, which means he would be missing Wrestlemania 32.
O'Neil, 39, signed with WWE in 2009 and is best known as one half of the Prime Time Players, although he's been used most recently in a singles role. He's been very active in local community outreach where he lives in Tampa. O'Neil had lost to Adam Rose earlier during the Raw broadcast.
Last night, the WWE Network exclusive video of Bryan Danielson's farewell was removed from Youtube and WWE.com as well as the WWE Network. It is likely that WWE is going to edit the snippet at the end out before restoring the videos.
Post by grandmasterPRA on Feb 10, 2016 9:27:34 GMT -5
This is the weirdest suspension ever. 90 days? seems a bit harsh to me since all he did was grab Vince. I have no idea what the heck actually happened, it looked like playful shoving to me. Vince obviously didn't think so.
This is the weirdest suspension ever. 90 days? seems a bit harsh to me since all he did was grab Vince. I have no idea what the heck actually happened, it looked like playful shoving to me. Vince obviously didn't think so.
Vince smiled and laughed and shoved him back.
This is one of the dumbest stories I've ever seen. If it turns out true good lord it's stupid.
This is the weirdest suspension ever. 90 days? seems a bit harsh to me since all he did was grab Vince. I have no idea what the heck actually happened, it looked like playful shoving to me. Vince obviously didn't think so.
Vince smiled and laughed and shoved him back
This is one of the dumbest stories I've ever seen. If it turns out true good lord it's stupid.
This is what I saw, too.
A suspension at all, let alone 90 days, seems ridiculous for what you could actually see happened.
I understand Vince McMahon the character exists on screen, but this was not an in character moment and not a good juncture to be doing a rib.
This probably stems from a worker in a non on screen storyline shoving the chairman of the company. WWE is publicly traded. If they rib each other in the back its fine or if Vince in his on screen role is for example Superman Punched.
I understand the likely logic surrounding the suspension.
Post by Lorenzo Alcazar on Feb 10, 2016 10:26:59 GMT -5
Vince McMahon clearly doesn't remember himself drunk on a plane and play-shoot fighting with Kurt Angle and almost busting through the emergency exit door in mid air.....
Post by punksnotdead on Feb 10, 2016 10:35:57 GMT -5
They seem to have edited it out of the WWE Network version now. I saw a clip on Youtube where he yanks his arm but it cutoff right after that. I mean if the guy was ing around, 90 days seems crazy, especially for Titus Super Dad/Super Spokesman for the WWE brand. I'm guessing he thought they were totally off air. What a weird situation.
I brought this up in the Raw thread and thought it looked really weird. I couldn't tell that it was Titus, though, only that he seemed to clear away when everyone turned to him.
Seeing it slow motion now makes even less sense. It's almost as if he pulled him back.