Titus O’Neil was this week’s guest on Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia. The two talked at length regarding a number of issues including O’Neil’s suspension in 2016 for unexpectedly pulling Vince McMahon off course as he was exiting to the back on live TV. O’Neil has maintained since that time he was on friendly terms with Vince and was just trying to allow Stephanie McMahon to pass to the back before Vince.
“I still don’t understand it. Like, I literally put my hand out and said ‘Ladies first.’ So I don’t know (when) the wrong time is to say ‘Ladies first,’ or the right time.”
Did Titus and Vince discuss the matter?
“A little bit. It’s water under the bridge. Really. It happened and I took ownership of it. Regardless of if I was right, wrong, or indifferent or if the situation could’ve been handled differently. It happened. I served my suspension and it’s over with.
“It goes back to the fact that I know who I am. I know what I did, and I know why I did it.”
As a religious man, O’Neil has stated he believes the suspension happened for a reason. Did any good come from it?
“Number one, I (found out) a lot of people (were) in my corner that I never knew were in my corner, inside and outside of wrestling. People that are in very powerful positions, they will go to war for me if they need to. Major publications, media outlets, things like that. Some of them wanted to go to war. It’s like ‘Nah, it’s cool.’ I got to spend time with my family and do my thing and let it all blow over. But it also was a test to me too to see what type of character I really have. Are you going to complain? Are you going to try to present it this way or whatever? If I had not done that, it wouldn’t have even been a conversation. If I had not even said ‘Ladies first,’ whatever I did, put my hand out, it wouldn’t have even been a situation. So I took ownership from that perspective.
“Do I feel like it could’ve been dealt with a little different, a lot differently, based on the fact that you could call me into an office and say ‘This was wrong. I’m going to fine you x amount of dollars and don’t let it happen again?’ I’m not a problem child. If I were a problem child, then I could see, like, ‘Alright, we’ve got to teach this guy a lesson.’ What lesson? Cool. Don’t deal with the powers that be in a certain way, even though you’ve dealt with them in that way on numerous other occasions. Just don’t deal with them at all in that way. Keep it professional. Be a professional. Do your job, do what you can to help the company.”
The interview touched on many other subjects including O’Neil’s interest in philanthropy, his friendship with Dave Bautista, his childhood and much more. To hear the entire episode, check out Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia.
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I still think Titus was wrongly suspended for that. I understand Vince is getting up there in age, but Titus didn’t do anything even remotely dangerous to him. This is the same Vince that bled hardway after a Kevin Owens head butt a year later, so he’s not exactly a frail old man here, just a petty one.