WWE News: Big Update On Why WWE Suspended WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil

WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil has been suspended by the WWE. While the company has not put out an official press release or announcement regarding the suspension, they have confirmed the suspension to everyone. The original time was set at 90 days, but they have since reduced his suspension to 60 days. Sadly, this will still force him to miss WrestleMania 32.

Titus was not in any major plan for the event and most likely would have been in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at best, so his removal from the event will not really hurt him. However, the suspension is considered idiotic by just about anyone who hears of it. We know Vince McMahon tends to make emotional decisions in emotional times, but clearly the suspension of Titus O’Neil is above and beyond stupid.

Officially, Titus was suspended for “unprofessional conduct,” according to WWE. This is due to what seems to be a harmless touching incident that happened on WWE RAW this past week as all of the WWE Superstars and Divas were saying goodbye to Daniel Bryan, who officially retired from in-ring competition on Monday. Titus apparently grabbed McMahon in a playful manner and McMahon pushed him off. In the small video we have, it looks like both men are laughing over it.

This is why a suspension just over this seems a bit odd. Many believe something happened backstage after the incident, which is what ultimately led to the suspension. The problem is, no one is talking when it comes to this incident.

According to the Wrestling Observer, it seems WWE is using Titus as an example. It is said that Vince McMahon wanted to “send a message” to the roster about being professional. This is in response to WWE talent not following the rules as of late, which is why a small thing that we saw on television led to such a huge problem. To his credit, Titus O’Neil has not blasted WWE publicly over the suspension and seems to be taking it quite well.

This alone has to be commendable on his end, as Titus is considered a well-liked person by everyone backstage. What he does outside of WWE is huge for the company as he is part of several charities and even won awards for his work. Due to the fact that Titus is so well liked and respected, the message was surely sent to talent. It is a moment where people realize if Titus can be disciplined over something so small, then no one is truly above the law.

Of course due to Titus’ suspension still being weird, it has gained a lot of hate from fans. The New York Post cited racism in WWE as a problem, where they spoke about what fans were saying about the suspension. WWE responded to this, saying simply that the “suspension of Titus O’Neil had nothing to do with race and everything to do with unprofessional conduct.”

Clearly, race had nothing to do with Titus’ suspension, and it is only race baiting to say as much. While people like Darren Young and R-Truth have been suspended by WWE for Wellness Policy violations, Titus was suspended for something unrelated to that. Most fans who understand WWE’s reasoning still believe 60 days is a long time to suspend someone. This amount of time happens for those who fail a drug test twice. Titus’ actions are in no way as significant. He would have been better off to have been found taking steroids to get his first violation for 30 days than the minor issue he had on Monday. That is sad.

This could be a blessing in disguise for Titus O’Neil however, as he could get fans behind him after all of this. Fans love to get behind people that they feel the company is holding back or keeping down. As a result, his comeback could lead to more fan interest in him and force WWE’s hand a bit. Titus was missing fan love before, despite working babyface for a while. Really, his fate is in the hands of the fans once he comes back like all the rest.

[Image via WWE]