Rodney Mack revealing some interesting information.
Coming off the helms of WWE's 'Crown Jewel' event in Saudi Arabia, there has been a great deal of controversy attached to World Wrestling Entertainment. Some of that controversy stems from the return of WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan who was on the outs with the company for years for the racially charged remarks that he was recorded making. This past July at the 'Extreme Rules' pay-per-view, a meeting was held between Hogan and the talents who were present at the show. Stars such as Titus O'Neil, James Ellsworth and New Day have all either offered their thoughts on the meeting or given their respective takes on Hulk Hogan being welcomed back into the WWE.
Former 3-time NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion Rodney Mack was the latest to do so. Mack joined the 'Duke Loves Rasslin' podcast and the two parties chatted about the current landscape in professional wrestling for African-Americans among other topics. As the conversation rolled on about WWE bringing back Hulk Hogan, Rodney Mack stated that he and his wife, current NWA World Women's Champion Jazz were told by Stephanie McMahon a few weeks before their release that they had jobs for life.
(Was not clarified if Rodney was referring to the 2004 or 2007 release from WWE):
?It goes to show you my opinion didn?t go anywhere. All they did was give him a tap on the wrist so-to-speak because they had to do something in the eyes of the public - not just let it go on." Mack said. "You know man, that sh*t ain?t change. It never did and in my opinion it never will. If you get a list? I'm gonna keep it real with you, anybody that?s colored; any color that goes into wrestling - let?s talk about me and I wasn?t as colored but I?m still black. I?m still an ass-kicker [when I get in there] and do your thing. Now I know they work better. I?m not gonna say I?m the greatest thing since sliced bread but I know damn well I was a lot better than a bunch of those guys that?s still getting paid, and I can?t see why I don't have a job or at the time didn?t have a job. I was everybody?s friend. Jazz and I were loved by everybody, so it?s like we were the first ones there on the job - the last ones to leave." He continued, "We were told by Stephanie McMahon in our face about two or three weeks before we got fired that she called on the side and had a special little talk and told us we had jobs for life. As Jazz was the most believable woman that they had on the roster and so was I, very believable, and we were good people - all that.?
On a related note, Fightful interviewed Jazz ahead of her NWA World Women's Title defense against Penelope Ford at NWA's 70th Anniversary Show and to listen to that interview, click here.
If any quotes from this article are used, please credit the 'Duke Loves Rasslin' podcast with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.