Titus O’Neil may now be best known as WWE’s Global Ambassador but fans may not have seen the last of him in the ring. During an appearance on Inside the Ring, O’Neil made it clear he’s not ruling out a return, even if the decision isn\’t up to him.
“It’s definitely a possibility now. But again, it’s all based on the situation — whether the company wants me to do it or not. It would have to be the right scenario for it to happen.”
While the door remains open, O’Neil shared that he\’s happy in his current role, which allows him to be in front of the camera and not have to take bumps. While Titus remains active in the gym, he realizes that being in ring-shape, five years after his most recent match, may prove difficult.
\”I’ll always stay in shape, but being in ring shape is a completely different challenge, as anyone who’s taken time away and come back can tell you.\”
O’Neil’s last match was on the November 9, 2020, edition of Monday Night Raw, where he lost to WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley. In 2022, it was shared that O\’Neil was no longer considered part of WWE\’s active roster, despite Titus being confident at the time that he would wrestle again.
For his charity work, O’Neil was WWE’s Warrior Award recipient at the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. While O\’Neil appears on WWE programming from time to time, it remains to be seen if an in-ring return will ever happen.
Week 6 of the NFL had one WWE Hall of Famer stopping by the forthcoming WrestleMania 41 grounds in Las Vegas and an AEW star becoming the \”Twelfth Man\” for his homestate Seattle Seahawks. Plus there\’s some \”mojo\” going down with Rob Gronkowski and the actor playing him. Let\’s kick it off.
Rey Mysterio Rocks Raiders Silver & Black
While last week\’s write-up showcased the Steelers heavily, this week we have Rey Mysterio to thank for the spotlight being shown on their opponent in the Las Vegas Raiders. WWE is revving up to crash the Las Vegas strip next year at WrestleMania 41, but before they do they teased the fans a little with a special appearance by Mysterio, Titus O\’Neil and Samatha Irvin (who actually sang the national anthem before the game).
Mysterio took photos before kickoff with some of the players and later with the fans, but it wasn\’t enough for them to thwart Pittsburgh, who made Aidan O\’Connell and the Raider offense walk the plank 32-13.
Pro wrestling became a factor in the very first game of week six when the Seattle Seahawks battled NFC East rival San Francisco in a Thursday night game. Considering AEW was in the area for their upcoming WrestleDream PPV on Saturday, AEW pillar Darby Allin popped by complete with his signature pink jacket. However, it was the 49ers who put the Coffin Drop on Seattle by winning 36-24.
Mojo Rawley \’Gets Hyped\’ For Gronk Actor In \’Aaron Hernandez: American Sports Story\’
Mojo Rawley (Dean Muhtadi) may not be grappling it up in the ring at the moment, but the former WWE star keeps busy being a notable TMZ personality. Rawley had some fun news to talk about this week as family and friendship collided this week in a viral moment involving FX\’s dark story behind deceased NFL tight end, Aaron Hernandez. The show has created a lot of buzz with the portrayals of notable NFL names like Bill Belicheck and Robert Kraft, but a shining star is the one actor playing Rob Gronkowski.
Gronk notoriously has a history with WWE and is a former teammate of the aformentioned Rawley at the University of Maryland. However, both have ties to the actor playing Gronk, Laith Wallschleger. Laith is a former D1 from the University of Delaware (alma mater of Joe Flacco – Blue Hens!) before spending some time in the NFL until making the trip to Hollywood. He now finds steady work as a stuntman, voice actor and now got eyes as Gronkowski. During an interview with Kay Adams, Gronkowski actually revealed that Wallschleger is his acting double for everything he does and the two are good friends. Rawley noted that Laith is actually his cousin!
The good vibes from Laith didn\’t translate for the actual Patriots on the field this week as they got stampeded by the Houston Texans 41-21.
Trevor Lee Celebrates A Ravens Win
Trevor Lee is currently a free agent in the world of pro wrestling, but he was flying to the moon during the Baltimore Ravens game against in-state adversary the Washington Commanders. For many, the game may have been tighter than expected, but the Ravens rode the legs Derrick Henry who trounced the Commanders in an effort to win by just a touchdown. Lee had a video of himself celebrating at the game following the team\’s fourth straight win.
WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil is featured on the song “I Am The Storm” by Vo Williams, which accompanied the highly praised segment between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns on the September 20 episode of SmackDown.
The cinematic confrontation, filmed at Reigns\’ alma mater Georgia Tech, set the stage for the upcoming tag team match at Bad Blood, where Rhodes and Reigns will team up to face the new Tribal Chief Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fat of The Bloodline.
In the segment, the two top stars agreed to support each other in the upcoming match while teasing a potential renewal of their own rivalry, adding more depth to their dynamic. It\’s still pretty surreal to see these former hated rivals working together against a common enemy, but this segment deserves the acclaim it\’s received and this tag match is going to be something.
Titus O\’Neil\’s Involvement
O’Neil is credited with a guest spot on \”I Am The Storm,\” along with artist Sonya Bryson-Kirksey. The former Prime Time Player confirmed his involvement on social media.
Twitter user @Ucepenitentiary identified that O\’Neil\’s voice is used in the opening of the song.
Not sure if I’m late to this but this is Titus O'Neils voice opening the song used in the promo with Roman and Cody called “i am the storm” pic.twitter.com/5u1lWjyqnk
Vo Williams says the streaming numbers were \”wild\” after the song premiered on SmackDown. He\’s helped pioneer a genre that\’s been dubbed Epic Hip Hop, which can best be described as anthemic hype songs that you\’d hear at championship sports games.
The @WWE EFFECT! Woke up in the TOP 100! ‘I AM THE STORM’ underscored probably the dopest most cinematic promo for WWE history between @CodyRhodes and @WWERomanReigns
WWE\’s Titus O\’Neil is giving two pit bulls a second chance after they were abandoned near a middle school in Tampa, Florida. O\’Neil and volunteers were at Sligh Middle School donating various school supplies when they found the two dogs, a statement from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay shared. O\’Neil contacted the HSTB, a group he is a longtime supporter of and they agreed to take the dogs and help them find homes.
The two pit bulls, now named Biggie and Betha, are believed to have been part of a dog fighting ring, Sherry Silk, executive director of HSTB, told FOX 13 News. That\’s because their ears have been clipped, a common experience for fighting dogs as it prevents other dogs from latching onto them.
Silk added that Bertha appears to have had puppies, which she believes may have been why she and Biggie were dumped. This is unfortunately a common occurrence that Silk called \”awful.\” Biggie and Betha have also been dealing with ear infections but have since found a space of their own inside the shelter.
Biggie and Bertha have been through an awful experience but thanks to Titus, the HSTB and other volunteers, they will hopefully have a new forever home very soon. Once again, the WWE Hall of Fame Warrior Award recipient has shown his immense kindness, as he continues to be an ambassador for WWE and a role model to all.
WWE\’s visits to Saudi Arabia always make headlines and their shows in the country are filled with memorable moments. Not all of these moments however are planned in advance.
Former WWE star Matt Hardy talked about his experiences of being part of some of the early WWE shows in the Kingdom on the latest episode of his podcast.
During the episode, he was asked about one such moment that Hardy got to witness firsthand, which was Titus O\’Neil\’s hilarious fall during his entrance in the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. Hardy branded it as the \’craziest most insane thing ever\’:
\”It was just the craziest most insane thing ever. I remember everyone saw him slide underneath the ring and everybody was like \’he\’s dead.\’ I mean everybody felt like he slid into a portal and he\’s now somewhere in the 15th dimension. It was just so crazy that he ran and slid.\”
It Was So Crazy: Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy mentioned that Titus could have hit the steel posts beneath the ring and got seriously injured. The former Prime Time Player however, somehow managed to come out unscathed:
\”In the middle of the frame, of the ring there\’s like an iron or steel post that\’s big and thick that goes to the floor. Everyone\’s like \’Oh my god, if he slid in and hit his neck on that thing, he broke his neck.\’ He made it in and he got out unscathed, which was crazy.
It was so crazy. It was just like such a viral moment because if you would have planned that you couldn\’t have done it in 1000 takes. It just happened on that one take and he was able to get in and get out unscathed and uninjured. It was crazy.\”
Hardy was part of two WWE events in Saudi Arabia. He teamed with Bray Wyatt to win the Raw Tag Team Titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 and competed in the 51 Men Battle Royal won by Mansoor at Super ShowDown in 2019.
WWE will be running their 11th PPV event from the country called King and Queen of The Ring from the Jeddah Super Dome today on May 25. You can check out the streaming details and full match card for the show here
The wrestling world was out in force for the premiere of Dune: Part Two which stars none other than WWE\’s animal Dave Batista.
Dune: Part Two is the sequel to 2021\’s Dune. Both films are based on the 1965 novel of the same name from Frank Herbert\’s Dune franchise. The films tell the story of Paul Atreides, whose noble family is thrust into war for \’Spice\’ the key to interstellar travel that can be found only on the dangerous sand planet Arrakis.
WWE & AEW at Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two sees Batista return as the villainous Glossue Rabban, a psychotic warrior and nephew of primary antagonist Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. On Twitter, Titus O\’Neil, a close friend of the Animal, shared a photo from the premiere in New York alongside Batista and MVP.
Had a great time at the @dunemovie premiere in New York. Super proud of my brother @davebautista and the entire Dune cast on a Spectacular Performance all around. Looking forward to more of what’s to come ?? @davebautista THANK YOU, LOVE YOU TO THE MOON!!! #DreamChaser indeed ? pic.twitter.com/UYFfcF6yIH
The two Dune films are just some of the massive blockbuster projects that Dave Batista has been attached to. After a series of roles, the former WWE World Champion had his breakout moment in 2014 as part of Marvel\’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The following year, he would go one-on-one with Daniel Craig\’s James Bond as the villainous Mr. Hinx in Spectre. He once again shared the screen with Craig in 2022\’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and also starred in the 2023 psychological thriller Knock at the Cabin
Titus O\’Neil has been with WWE for 13 years, after first signing for the promotion in mid-2009.
In recent years however, O\’Neil hasn\’t wrestled, and has spent his time working as an ambassador for the promotion.
O\’Neil\’s last match was on the November 9, 2020, edition of Monday Night Raw, where he lost to WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley in a title match.
Titus\’ Update
While it\’s been nearly two years since Titus O\’Neil\’s last match, the former WWE Tag Team Champion hasn\’t hung up his boots.
In an interview with Wrestling Inc earlier this month, O\’Neil seemed confident that he will wrestle again, saying his return match will happen \”at the right time.
Speaking with Fightful, O\’Neil gave an update and said he does not have any timetable to return but is still planning on doing so.
Speaking to a source within WWE, Fightful also noted that O’Neil is not considered to be on WWE’s ‘active roster’.
Titus\’ Career
Beginning in Season 2 of the original NXT, O\’Neil would return for the show\’s fifth season, before moving to the main roster in 2012.
Teaming with Darren Young as the Prime Time Players, the pair would win the WWE Tag Team Titles in 2015.
In May 2020, Titus became the inaugural WWE 24/7 Champion, winning the title in a battle royal, but was pinned shortly after by Robert Roode.
For his charity work, O\’Neil was WWE\’s Warrior Award recipient at the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony and would co-host WrestleMania 37 over the next two nights with Hulk Hogan.
Titus O\’Neill has not wrestled for over 19 months but the former champion is now teasing an in-ring return in near future.
The 45-year-old recently had an interview with WrestlingInc. He talked about things such as his role as the Global Ambassador for WWE and more.
Speaking about his in-ring return, Titus claimed that he had been talking to the officials about it. He didn\’t reveal the plans for his return to competition, claiming that it\’ll happen \’at the right time\’:
\”We’re [he and WWE] are talking about some things, I won’t say how soon but it’ll definitely happen at the right time. But I’m very, very committed to continuing to be the best Global Ambassador that I can possibly be.
Every situation that I’ve ever been placed in, in WWE, I’ve always strived to make the best of it.\” said Titus O\’Neil, \”This is the most important role that I’ll ever have in the company, regardless of when I come back to the ring.\”
The former Prime Time Players member has not wrestled since November 2020. He lost to Bobby Lashley in a short match during a Raw episode in his last outing.
O\’Neil revealed earlier this year that he actually underwent knee surgery and has been rehabbing in the meantime. Though he claimed that he is not even close to retirement.
WWE Superstar Titus O\’Neil (Thaddeus Bullard) and his middle school have made Academy Awards (Oscars) history.
On Tuesday, O\’Neil appeared on ABC\’s Good Morning America to reveal the nominees for the Best Animated Feature. The announcement was made live from the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa, Florida. This was the first time Academy Award nominees were announced from a middle school.
\”Today we not only got to celebrate the best in cinema, but we got to celebrate diversity and the first black producer in Oscar history,\” Bullard said. \”Our foundation is about providing opportunities to youths in our most struggling neighborhoods to inspire them and to show them that anything is possible.\”
He added, \”We continue to try to bring opportunities to these kids to level the playing field and expand their minds far beyond their circumstances. I can’t thank Will Packer and the Academy enough for this amazing opportunity for exposure which will surely lead to expansion for so many of these kids and families.\”
The 94th Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 27, 2022.
Titus O\’Neil: WWE Global Ambassador
Although O\’Neil isn\’t wrestling for the company consistently, he has contributed greatly as the WWE Global Ambassador. His employers has allowed O\’Neil to help with their charity programs like Be A Star. However, he also continues work on his own charities and help his community in Tampa, Bay, Florida.
O\’Neil continues to expand his legacy outside of wrestling for WWE. While his in-ring career may be over, he has accomplished great things as the company\’s Global Ambassador.
Hulk Hogan was Corey Graves\’ guest this week on After the Bell. Hogan talked about hosting WrestleMania this year and his relationship with Titus O\’Neil.
\”To come back here to my hometown and to have Titus with me, hopefully the new Mayor of Florida, who knows? But to have Titus with me, we\’re coming in wide open, guns a blazing, to show everybody that the Super Bowl was cool but WrestleMania is the greatest show in the world.\”
Hogan would continue to say that hosting WrestleMania in Tampa \”tops his career off.\”
\”These people they know my history,\” Hogan said of the people in Tampa. \”They know the good, and they know the bad. They know I\’m just a normal guy here running around Tampa.\”
Hogan would continue to praise Titus O\’Neil\’s charity work during the interview.
\”He\’s the bomb dot com,\” Hogan said about Titus when asked.
“When I started working with the Boys Club again, through the WWE, I got to work hand-in-hand with Titus,\” Hogan continued. \”I mean, this brother is for real. There is no holes in his boat, there’s no agenda. He straight-up actually cares about these kids and these people.\”
\”I live here and this is 24/7. He’s not messing around, he works with the community, he works with the town, I mean he’s involved in every aspect of making life better in the Tampa Bay area. For me to live here and see the local news and see the stuff that he does, it’s just amazing. I wish we had about 10,000 more just like him, the world would be a much better place.”
The recipient of the Warrior Award for the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame class will be Titus O\’Neil. Fightful reported that was the plan as of February. With the Hall of Fame and WrestleMania being based around the city of Tampa this year in addition to O\’Neil being heavily involved with charity throughout his life, the powers at be thought this was the right choice.
Aside from his pro wrestling career, which saw him wrestle for FCW in the area for a couple of years, O\’Neil played professional football for the Tampa Bay Storm in 2006. He hasn’t wrestled since dropping a loss to Bobby Lashley this past November.
The ceremony is set to be filmed on Tuesday and Thursday of this week. The ceremony will air on April 6th on Peacock.
Batista, who is good friends with O\’Neil, was supposed to be part of the 2020 class where he would\’ve likely headlined. However, he has already confirmed that he won\’t be able to make it due to a schedule conflict but plans to be inducted in the coming years.
WWE has announced that Hulk Hogan and Titus O\’Neil will co-host this year\’s WrestleMania event. The company took to Twitter recently to announce that the two will be on-hand for both nights of this year\’s festivities.
Tickets for the event are on-sale now. WWE is hoping to have 25,000 fans in attendance on each night.
Titus O\’Neil and Hulk Hogan\’s names were linked together following Hogan\’s return to the company in 2018. O\’Neil expressed at the time that he did not feel Hogan\’s apology for past remarks was sincere.
\”Unfortunately, I must echo the sentiment and dissatisfaction expressed by many of my fellow contemporaries concerning Mr. Bollea’s apology and its lack of true contrition, remorse and a desire to change,\” O\’Neil said in a statement. \”Mr. Bollea’s apology \’that he didn’t know he was being recorded\’ is not remorse for the hateful and violent utterances he made which reprise language that has caused violence against blacks and minorities for centuries.\”
Titus O\’Neil and Hulk Hogan Have A Private Conversation
O\’Neil did have a private conversation later, however. O\’Neil spoke about this on the WINCLY podcast.
\”I had a private conversation with him long before the Be A Star Rally and heard from his perspective,” said Titus. “At that moment I realized the situation he was in where he clammed up and started rambling. He could have been more concise and contrite with his message. But at the end of the day, I’m not one to put anybody in a doghouse forever. I’m not saying he was in the doghouse with me, but I like for men to be men and women to be women and both be transparent, truthful and honest with me.\”
“At the end of the day, we’re part of this WWE family and our job is to put smiles on people’s faces. Arguably he’s put more smiles on anybody’s face, young and old, than any other WWE Superstar in the history of the company.”
Thaddeus Bullard, better known to wrestling fans as Titus O’Neil, is one of the most charitable people to ever be in the wrestling industry. Today is \”Giving Tuesday,\” held the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving every year. It is a day where people are encouraged to donate to charities rather than spend their money on Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales.
Titus O\’Neil and his Bullard Family Foundation have donated $127,500 to four different charities today.
A $100,000 donation was given to Metropolitan Ministries. This charity is based out of O\’Neil\’s hometown of Tampa Bay and helps at-risk populations and people experiencing homelessness in the region. The charity also provides meals for more than 40,000 families during the holiday season.
10K was also donated to Florida Sheriff Youths Ranches. Another 10K donation was made to the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program from the University of Florida. Finally, O\’Neil also donated $7500 to the MANNA FoodBank.
“I chose these four charities because their impact goes beyond just a donation. They invest in families so that they can change generations,” O\’Neil said regarding the donations.
Batista opted to post the following photo of him with Titus to help support the foundation:
Titus O\’Neil\’s inspiring story is available to read in book form. It can be purchased from Amazon here.
You can Pre-Order my Book “There’s No Such Thing as a Bad kid” before the August 6, 2019 Release date by Clicking the link below??I pray that you’re Educated, Entertained and Inspired to Help, Heal and Love people more than you thought you ever could??https://t.co/bWrjSslS1x
Titus O\’Neil has been named as a finalist for the 2020 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. The award was formerly known as the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award. It was renamed in 2017 to honor Ali.
The award is annually \”given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measured positive impact on their community through sports. The candidate must embrace the core principals that Muhammad Ali embodied so well, including confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and respect.\”
Other finalists for the award this year include Nelson Cruz, Kevin Love, Devin & Jason McCourty, and Maya Moore.
Past winners of the award include Chris Long, Kevin Durant, Mark Giordano, and Chris Paul.
Nelson Cruz Kevin Love Devin & Jason McCourty Maya Moore Titus O’Neil
All have made the world a better place. All are finalists for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
O\’Neil spoke to Sports Illustrated the wake of being named a finalist for the award. He talked about how a harsh upbringing helped make him the person he is today.
“For those that don’t know, I’m the product of sexual assault,” said O’Neil. “My mother was raped at 11 years old and had me at the age of 12 against the wishes of many. Life was very tough for me growing up impoverished in government housing, and I was mad at the world.”
“Slowly, I started to believe in myself, and that’s when I learned there were people in the world who wanted to help me for no other reason than to see positive outcomes.”
Titus O\’Neil\’s last WWE match was in April. He competed in the last chance MITB qualifying gauntlet match.
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