WWE Monday Night Raw opening statement a slap in the face for viewers

WWE’s message was basically “watch wrestling and forget about our bad behavior.”

Reading between the lines is a skill that comes up often in professional wrestling. It’s how fans stay abreast of potential storylines and subtle burns during promos. But WWE’s message to open Monday Night Raw this week was also a “read between the lines” moment meant to push back against mounting criticism as the company faces multiple distasteful situations. It was a poor attempt at damage control and shows just how far off things are from the leadership all the way down.

WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil opened the night with the standard “Welcome to Monday Night Raw” message, but with a little added sauce.

“Regardless of your race, economic status, or your nationality, this is a place that we deserve to have a safe haven,” O’Neil said. “This is a place that WWE wants to simply make sure that we all have a good time.”

Those are some choice words and a choice decision of who to give said message.

Who exactly is WWE a safe haven for? Does this include the women who Vince McMahon has paid out millions of dollars of hush money? Does this include the women that expressed disdain when John Laurinaitis was reinserted Head of Talent Relations? Probably not. Instead, the company is more of a safe haven for those accused of abusing their power over others. Just look at the number of men on the roster who have been accused of assault in one form or another throughout the years.

Instead of being the message of positivity, WWE leadership may think this is, it’s clear this is another moment of McMahon flexing his power to “fight back” against the investigation. When news broke of the initial investigation, he took up time on WWE television to soak in bows and cheers just to make meaningless statements on air. As if to say, “I’m not going anywhere.” Even as those investigations deepen this is an eyebrow-raising step that flies in the face of accountability and consequences.

This statement skewed the truth of what WWE presents every week

To think that WWE isn’t political would be quite a foolish statement. Look no further than current characters like Lacey Evans’s gimmick, John Cena’s frequent tributes to police and military personnel, or heel gimmicks wrapped up in nationalistic statements and stereotypes as examples. Or even more so, Linda McMahon’s relationship with the Trump administration and using that connection to remain operating in Florida during a global pandemic.

What they meant to relay is that WWE is not a space where fans would see political stances that support the marginalized peoples the country’s government leaves hanging. The company didn’t make a powerful statement about women’s rights at a time when the Supreme Court and other politicians are making it a point to roll back as many as they can. Even though The New Day took a knee in the ring back in 2020, the company failed to make a strong statement to support two of its biggest stars and others like them.

And it also doesn’t go unnoticed who was used to make this statement. O’Neil is a beloved member of the professional wrestling community for all the service work he’s completed. But instead of highlighting him more frequently on television, he’s used to be the front man to speak out as white men face calls for accountability. Would O’Neil have been on television if this situation weren’t going on? Probably not. This comes at a time when WWE has taken every step they could to embarrass and punish Sasha Banks and Naomi who stood up for themselves back in May. Another situation that viewers will not forget about soon.

WWE is a revenue-generating machine powerhouse that still fails to operate as one in a variety of ways. Having Titus O’Neil deliver a message that’s blatantly untrue in light of mounting allegations and past actions shows that the company can’t be trusted to hold its employees responsible. And sadly, fans continue to eat up these tone-deaf messages.