Vince McMahon’s Racist Remark Disgusted Ex-WWE Stars
A racist comment by Vince McMahon on one of his shows has two former superstars wondering how that could make it on the air.
At the WWE Survivor Series 2005 PLE in Detroit, Vince McMahon appeared in a backstage segment with John Cena, who was the WWE Champion at the time. It’s a segment that most fans will remember because of what Vince said in the segment.
Vince asked Cena: “What’s good in the hood?” They shook hands. That’s when Vince said the line that people always remember: “Keep it up, my ni**a.”
That’s when Booker T and Sharmell showed up as Vince walked by with Booker delivering his line: “Tell me he didn’t just say that.” Vince walked away off screen doing his strut to end the scene.
WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley (aka Brother D-Von) and former WWE superstar Maven reacted to Vince’s comments on Maven’s YouTube channel. D-Von wondered how it could even make it on air.
“I don’t know what to say about that. Luckily, I wasn’t in the company during that time. I was in another organization, but damn, how did the USA Network even say yes to that?”
Since it was on pay-per-view, it wasn’t on USA Network, so it’s possible that Vince McMahon only did it on a PPV because he knew it wouldn’t be censored.
Maven echoed D’Von’s thoughts by also wondering how others in the company were okay with it.
“I’ve wondered for years how this made it to air. I’ve wondered for years how people off camera, writers, whoever was okay with this. I don’t know if Vince did it on his own volition. I don’t even know how John didn’t stop it right then. John’s entrenched in the hip hop community at this time. I had no idea how this went forward.”
Vince McMahon Was Showing What He Can Get Away With
In Maven’s opinion, Vince McMahon did that segment with a racist word because it was Vince’s way of showing that he could get away with anything.
“Tell me if I’m wrong, wrestling’s a good old boy organization. Always has been, always will be. I’ve always heard, I’m not gonna say from who that this was Vince’s subtle way, or not so subtle, but this was Vince’s way of keeping people in their place, showing people what I can get away with, and you won’t do anything about it.”
John Bradshaw Layfield also shared a story about Vince McMahon getting angry at Michael Cole for saying “that door” instead of “the door” during commentary of a steel cage match.