Back in February, WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil was suspended for 90 days (later dropped to 60) for a bizarre incident with Vince McMahon at the end of Daniel Bryan’s retirement announcement. O’Neil grabbed McMahon’s arm as he was trying to leave, reportedly in a joking attempt to be chivalrous and let Stephanie McMahon leave first, and McMahon’s reaction was so negative it almost ended in a firing.
O’Neil was recently interviewed live on The Mike Calta Show on 102.5 The Bone, a Tampa Bay Radio Station, and opened up about what happened, how he felt about the suspension, and whether or not he’s staying with the company.
If you want to jump straight to the suspension discussion, it begins at the 8:35 mark and goes until about 12:45. Titus confirms the theory that he was just playing around, and wasn’t being deadly serious when it came to correcting Mr. McMahon on his manners. He’s got a history of being a jovial guy, but he realizes the timing was inappropriate and doesn’t think the punishment was unjust.
“Whether people call it an overreaction or the penalty was too harsh, you know, it all stemmed from my mistake.”
As for whether or not he’s leaving WWE like Dave Bautista suggested, O’Neil says he’s going to set a good example for his sons and finish out his contract.
“It’s not just that I love the business, you know … I don’t really love the business of professional wrestling, I love what the business of professional wrestling does for people. I have this son here, TJ, and my youngest son, Titus, who is 9, and my constant thing to them at home is, our number one rule is respect. Number two is, you always do your best, be your best. And number three is we don’t quit in anything. … I tell people all the time, I’m a man of my word. I’m under contract with the WWE, and I feel that I’m going to honor my word and then see what happens when that contract ends.”
h/t to Nick DiMeo @F5Penguin for the interview hookup
