Titus O'Neil Gives Update On WWE In-Ring Future Following Injury
It has been nearly a year and a half since Titus O'Neil last wrestled for WWE on a November episode of Monday Night RAW. That doesn't mean that he's retired, however.
In an interview with Beckles & Recher, Titus O'Neil confirmed that he isn't retired, but is instead rehabbing following a procedure that was done on his knee.
"I'm not retired," O'Neil said. "Not even close. Well, I mean, I haven't wrestled in a minute. I had a procedure done on my knee so I've been rehabbing. But a lot of people don't know that, so they just assumed that I've been retired but I'm a global ambassador for the company. I'm in Saudi Arabia and everywhere else so it should show somebody that I'm still with the company."
Titus O'Neil also talked about injuries he sustained during his football career. He revealed he was on the verge of quitting football when he was approached about the possibility of playing Arena Football.
"I went to Jacksonville after the UF and I tore my ACL here in training camp," O'Neil said. "I actually was going to be done with football altogether. I was like, 'hey, I'm gonna go coach.' I had a few opportunities to go coach and then I was on a plane, going to Las Vegas, and I met Mr. Ferraro, who was the owner of the Las Vegas Gladiators. And he was like 'hey, do you play football?' And I was like 'no, I did. I just came off of rehabbing my knee.'
"And he was like 'we have a football team out here. You ever heard or have any interest in arena football?' I was like 'I don't really know much about it.' He was like 'meet me down at such and such and we'll have lunch.' I met with the coach, and next thing you know, I'm signing with Las Vegas. And then I ended up playing that for arena football for six or seven years. Two years in Vegas, two years in Utah, two years in Tampa."
Perhaps the most famous moment of Tius O'Neil's WWE career was when he accidentally slipped and slid at WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. O'Neil revealed that Kurt Angle had warned guys it would be slippery because of the humid temperatures in Saudi Arabia, but ultimately sees the slip and slide as a positive.
"It was very slippery because it was very humid," O'Neil said. "I mean, we were in Saudi Arabia. It's 105° at nighttime. When Kurt Angle came back into gorilla, he said 'hey guys, be careful on the ramp. It's slippery, it's slick.' And he actually tore his groin that night. And a couple of other guys tweaked some stuff too. But yeah, running full speed and I slip and fell, and thank God there was no metal bar in the ring. Nothing at all.
"My pride was shot for about thrifty seconds. Then I realized I needed to get up and do what I needed to do. And then probably a day after it happened, I realized I'm about to make a lot of money. And I did. I had t-shirt sales, another action, so my house is paid off now. It's the greatest, most lucrative fall I ever had in my life."
To quote this article, please credit Beckles & Recher and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription