Spotlight

Abraham Washington Furious Over Release; WWE Spokesperson Says He Was Fired For Exhibiting Poor Judgment On Live TV & Social Media

Richard Gray August 10, 2012 WWE News 50 Comments

TMZ has coverage of Abraham Washington’s release from WWE, recapping his Tweets and providing an interesting statement from a WWE spokesperson. Below are the highlights:

Washington’s Tweets:

“It was the #WWE that made me bold and now it has turned it’s back on me.”

“Just be normal shut up and be a yes man so you can collect your check and feel like your special. #SELLOUTS!!”

“I remember a time when the WWE didn’t care about breaking the mold but now everyone is so afraid of their own shadow. #RemeberTheFans”

“Thank you WWE for creating me and then killing me because I only portrayed what I grew up watching… The #WWE!!”

WWE Rep Speaks:

“Unfortunately, Brian Jossie, playing the character of A.W. was terminated because he continued to exhibit poor judgment by making offensive and inappropriate comments on live television and on social media.”

Click here for coverage by TMZ.

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About The Author

Richard Gray

Richard Gray is the owner and editor of WrestlingNewsWorld.com. Covering the professional wrestling business since 1999, Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia University. He is also the owner of Gray Internet Technologies, LLC. and should be contacted with all business matters. You can friend him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. Email him directly at [email protected].

sal

best of luck to aw. he was cool with the ptp. man im sick of the wwe what a bunch of sell outs. pg sucks. now they will continue to shove cena sheamus and aj down r throat
Kleck

In his statements are kernels of truth. Another RF shoot is in our future
Kevin

Vote or die… Fantastic thing to say!
- Ryan
  
  it's actually the motto of a well-known and very popular campaign to encourage voting, especially among young people
Logan_Walker

That’s what happens for being named “A.W”. Idiot.
Matthew

You speak the truth about the WWE! They leave all there old fans in the shadows while try to find new meat, I feel you on this AW!!!
- Wwe4L76
  
  Agree
- n1ck
  
  you came off a little dumb saying that
  - Wwe4L76
    
    No
http://snakeystory.tumblr.com Rick

He said WWE didn't care about 'breaking the mold' at one point, but I am guessing that anger and frustration has blinded him to the fact that times change. As has been said numerous times on this site, the Attitude Era is over, and we are in the PG Era now, love it or hate it. It has been more 'edgy' recently, but WWE obviously felt that his remarks were over the top. Do I agree? I don't know, I'm not in a position to know all the details and potential reactions. I think it's time for Mr. Jossie to set aside his anger and resentment and move onto whatever path he chooses to take to his future.
Scottyo614

I was not a huge A.W fan, but this is getting bad. In my opinion WWE is in a 93-96 rut. I saw on twitter an ex writer said he feels WWE is a mirror of Cena playing it safe and scared to go all in on Punk and evolve alway. I find that very true right now.

A.W if accurate, was playing a character they wanted him to be. I found the comment funny… Those in their 0-12 target audience had no idea what it meant. Yet A.W suffers the Linda McMahon for senate problem. I've been a fan for 20+ years and I love what Richard does with this site… After tonight I'll make sure my TV is on Monday Night Football till WWE decides to get back to what it did best and keep visiting the site to support Richard. (Good stories, creativity, and fun)
- Adam
  
  You said you were a fan of 20+ years, I am a fan of a year and 1/2. I am only young (a non teen smark) and I agree with u. I am a Cena fan but agree he needs a change, I think the pg era is boring, I watch old videos online. Give A.W another chance. And I’m from England, so no football for me.
diddy

Breaking news A W to TNA will be revealed as the leader of aces and eights.
You heard it here first!
- Billkmc
  
  If a WWE talent is released are they still held to the 90 day rule. If so that would IMO be a bit long for TNA hold off announcing him as leader of the group.
  - ChromeyDaniels
    
    IT’S TNA. They have dragged it out this long, what’s another 3 months?
http://twitter.com/SimplyMAB Marc

He has a point. You go from Debra flashing the puppies to distract opponents…meanwhile, AW’s fired for verbally mentioning a dismissed rape case. I understand rape is no joke, but I personally believe AW WAS the PTP. He was an appropriately loud-mouthed mouthpiece for a tag team on the rise. I don’t get it
stoney

WWE care too much about what the public thinks of them now
- Wwe4L76
  
  Yes, because of lindas political campagne. It ruines the whole wwe
nWo 4 Life

Gez low blow by the wwe, seems like they cant handle the truth.

Social media sux, so over it already
SRP

It’s like what happened with Daniel Bryan. What he did wasn’t considered PG so their knee jerk reaction was to fire him. They have sponsors to worry about, afterall.
http://twitter.com/SimplyMAB Marc

As much as I see people comment on how annoyed they get with the product and how they’re “done watching WWE”, lets be real. CM Punk said it best himself in his 2011 pipebomb: Vince will make money despite himself and the spoke on the wheel will keep on turning. Money will continue to be mad and shows will continue to be watched. Like pop culture’s constant change over the years, wrestling just isn’t the same thing it used to be…did I say “wrestling”? I meant entertainment.
Miles

Never liked him but come on wwe, how paranoid, anal, childish, pathetic etc etc can a company be? Hypocrites!
Philip Thompson

I think AW makes a good point and I think it's a shame when somebody who grew up as a fan and loved the business is fired for portraying the type of character he's meant to. It must also be so annoying to be allowed to out and work the day after the 'incident' and think that it's dealt with but still be fired after all – but that's the way that Vince runs business. We all know that 'PG' is just what Vince thinks will earn money and get Linda into the senate and that deep down he'd much rather the Divas were wrestling nude and faces were being rubbed into asses – I mean, this is the guy that wanted to do an incest angle with his own daughter. Enough said?
Philip Thompson

I think AW being fired is really going to hurt the Prime Time Players push – Vince needs to start looking at the bigger picture and considering that doing one action can hurt multiple people who don't deserve it.
XKonn247

Let me get this straight… You people are claiming WWE were WRONG to fire a man who made light of sexual assault on live TV? Do you know how sick you all sound!?
- Joe
  
  Shut up baby ears, stop being so Stuck up.
  - XKonn247
    
    Oh god I am being stuck up!! I forgot rape is hilarious! How can I be so ignorant! You people disgust me.
- Ace Vivid
  
  Your username is XKONN. As in ex-con. How dare you?
unknown

i have a feeling if Cena made a joke like that he wouldn't have been fired. Only because it was AW did they do this. so sad, smh
Chris Corkhill

Ok let’s be fair to WWE here it’s not just the ‘rape’ joke, during matches with primo and epico he has been constantly racist toasted them and I can’t see them been to happy about that. Yes he proberbly was a character designed to be offensive in someway but racism and rape jokes are just not funny and completly take it over the top. So in conclusion he did deserve to be scraped although I think this is going to ruin the tag team division again to nothing.
- Eric
  
  Everybody says racist, stereotype jokes. It doesnt matter if your black, white, blue , green ,orange or yellow. Everyone has said or heard a racist joke and thought it was funny. Does it mean your racist? No it dont.
  
  Also, you say racist jokes are not funny. Look at shows like All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son. All those show used racist and stereotype jokes and those shows did extremely well.
Chris Corkhill

Towards instead of toasted my bad
Ken

Remember back in the day when Vince stood up to organisations like the PTC and flipped them the proverbial bird? He didn't care, because he had balls the size of grapefruits. Now he's bending over for people like that to shaft him up the rear, and his balls have shrivelled to raisins and are about to drop off. The man, the decision, the company as a whole… total disgrace. Any respect I still had for Vince is straight down the toilet now.
ericdraven86

If memory serves, wasn't there a segment involving the Nation and Chyna where The Rock was subtly talking about them raping Chyna? I think it ended with him saying he wouldn't touch her, and told Mark Henry to kiss her.

The comment AW made was dated, but not extremely controversial in my opinion, The kids at home, and the arena, didn't understand it I am sure. Besides, the gimmick is for a loud-mouthed, arrogant manager that berates his clients' opponents all through the match while providing instruction to his team. You have to expect outlandish things from that gimmick.
AW…Your fired!

I can't recall a time, including the attitude area, that the WWE nor any company would commend or accept remarks or jokes that hinted a rape and rape victims. Bold and stupid are not synonymous. WWE may have taught him the former, but he developed the latter entirley on his own.
- Miss D Meaner
  
  So, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco in their roles as Vince's Stooges didn't 'drug' Chyna and fondle her breasts against her will during a segment in the middle of the ring then? It's not penetration, but it's still against her will. That's one, and that's a light example.
  Goldust against Brian Pillman. Goldust loses a stipulation match, Brian gets to 'own' Goldust's wife Terri's services for, what was it… 90 days? It was never said out loud, but the implication was that it was sexual services, not simple managerial duties.
  Trips drugging and marrying Steph against her will. Part of a larger angle, but before she was revealed to have sided with Hunter all along, one had to wonder how far Trips had gone while Steph was drugged.
  I can't even remember all of Scotty Steiner's WCW rants, but I'm sure he would have made a lot of references to such things.
  This example was a little more obvious than most, but it's not a precedent by any means.
  - No!, Nope! Naw!
    
    Where are the rape examples?! Did Chyna not consent to the segment?! Sexuality, weird sexual behavior and rape aren't synonymous either!!! And any topic where WCW is used to give validity is horrible argument. They went out off business because of their juvenile perspective on business. Just a bad example!
    
    By the Way…Let go of the urban myth that all wrestlers are treated the same in any locker room…Its a dictatorship not a democracy. ..Doink the Clown and Hulk Hogan were not given the same rule book, no more than The Rock and Greg Helms. So stop the naiveté grown-ups!
    - Wwe4L76
      
      Wwe suck ass
- Joe O.
  
  *You’re.
truckerbob3007

I personally didnt care for AW, he did not illicit a reaction from me, i go the bathroom when thise two titus and the other guy are on, i cant stand the ” Monkey Dance” they do and the big one going woo woo BUT saying all that, the WWE wanted this guy to be arrogant and over the top, and fire him for it.. Good job WWE
Jitters84

Richard, I know the announcers and refs have an earpiece line to VKM… Did AW ever have one? Or was he always 100% off script?
Bogusstang

He was the best part of the show. This is a joke. Keep alienating viewers and ur sat am cena kids show will b all thats left
- Wwe4L76
  
  Thank you linda for this kids show called wwe
Zack

To the people who say WWE would never allow a rape joke… Didn't Big Show make the EXACT SAME JOKE to John Cena not that long ago in a rap? Kobe Bryant and everything? Or did we just all forget about that because its The Big Show?
- Wwe4L76
  
  Wwe suck
Monty

He should’ve been released for to atrocity that was the Abraham Washington Show back on WWE’s ECW.
British bulldog

Think I need to give wwe a miss for a few months!! If this was the usual pg prats as in cena orton Sheamus etc they would get a slap on the wrist.

End of the day, this Bryant stuff never went to court did it??(I don’t know), and there was no conviction, unless I’m missing something.

Definately need a break from this baby-crap
Mojo

Linda for Senate = bad for business. Very bad.
- Wwe4L76
  
  So true
Kevin

Brian, aka A.W., is right: the WWE made him who he is, then fired him when he did what they taught him to do. The WWE pg programming SUCKS!!!!! They really need to get back to the Attitude Era. If parents aren't down with that, we got 2 words for ya: SUCK IT!!!!!