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WWE Germany Live Cologne – Road To Wrestlemania WWE
The New Day during WWE Road to WrestleMania at the Lanxess Arena on Feb. 11, 2016, in Cologne, Germany. Marc Pfitzenreuter/Getty Images

WWE wrestlers react to Hulk Hogan’s Hall of Fame reinstatement

Kofi Kingston says Hogan must make ‘genuine effort to change’

Martenzie Johnson By @10zJohnson

5:42 PMOn July 15, WWE announced that wrestling legend Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) had been reinstated to the company’s Hall of Fame after a three-year ban for racist comments Hogan made on a sex tape in 2007. In the video, Hogan used the N-word multiple times in reference to an African-American man who was dating Hogan’s daughter, Brooke.

Hours before the video leaked online, WWE terminated Hogan’s contract, removed him from its reality television show and scrubbed his name from the WWE website. The news was met with mixed reaction from wrestling fans, falling mostly along racial and ideological lines. Most African-Americans and liberal-leaning individuals appeared to oppose Hogan’s reinstatement, while some conservative white Americans seemed to believe either Hogan had paid the price for his comments or the entire episode was overblown.

The voices missing from the debate, though, were the WWE employees, specifically the black ones, who had to essentially welcome Hogan back into the fold. After three days of relative radio silence, the wrestlers have begun to use Twitter to publicize their feelings on Hogan’s return to professional wrestling. Below are a collection of tweets, starting with WWE’s most high-profile black wrestlers, The New Day:

Kofi Kingston, one-third of The New Day, released a statement on July 18 that while there is “no argument on whether or not Hogan should have his place” in the WWE Hall of Fame, the group, which also includes Xavier Woods and Big E, has no plans to associate with Hogan until he makes a “genuine effort to change.”

Woods added to Kingston’s original message, while Big E — alongside fellow black wrestlers Apollo Crews and Cedric Alexander as well as white wrestler Seth Rollins, who has lent his voice to issues about African-Americans in the past — retweeted the message to his followers:

Tag team The Usos, made up of Samoan twins Jimmy and Jey Uso, tweeted a message that read, “RESPECT,” which came hours after Kingston’s tweet:

Rumors surfaced earlier in the week that when Hogan arrived backstage at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, wrestler Titus O’Neil refused to shake his hand and stormed out of the arena. After supporting The New Day’s statement, O’Neil provided his own later the same day, calling the original reports “false and inaccurate” and adding that Hogan’s apology lacked “contrition, remorse and a desire to change”:

Women’s wrestler Sasha Banks, who is black and German, responded to O’Neil’s statement with a heart emoji:

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, who has been employed by the company since 1996, was one of the first wrestlers to comment on Hogan’s return, telling TMZ on July 16 there was a “50-50” split among black wrestlers over Hogan’s re-induction:

Alexander, who was hired in 2016, had tweeted a celebratory message in response to Hogan’s return within minutes of the announcement:

After some social media backlash from Hogan detractors, Alexander clarified that while he might not “like someone personally” it doesn’t mean he won’t “respect them professionally”:

After it initially appeared that only black wrestlers would make public comments, current and former WWE employees who are white, including Finn Balor, Lance Storm, Curt Hawkins and Hurricane Helms, issued support of O’Neil’s and Kingston’s statements:

All Star Game Baseball Commentary
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader (71) throws during the eighth inning at the Major League Baseball All-star Game, Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP Photo

The American League won the All-Star Game, but Brewers’ Josh Hader stole show with racist, anti-gay tweets

You already know the excuse: He was young

Rhiannon Walker By @InstantRHIplay

9:27 AMImagine pitching only a third of an inning, giving up a three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning after your teammates tied the game the inning before, and that wasn’t even the worst part of your evening.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader, who during that same one-third of an inning had his racist and anti-gay tweets recirculate on social media. The tweets were from about seven years ago, when Hader was 17 years old.

The fact that the Seattle Mariners’ Jean Segura belted the three-run homer off Hader, the National League rallied in the final two innings from three runs down and the American League’s three-run 10th inning secured the team’s 8-6 win all took a back seat to Hader’s vile remarks.

So after his brief action on the mound, Major League Baseball sent Hader out to reporters to answer for himself. News spread so fast that a fan wearing his jersey took it off, flipped it inside out and wore it like that. Hader’s family also removed the jersey with his name on the back.

Y’all already know the line: Hader explained he was young — old enough to know he shouldn’t say the N-word, he hates gays or white power, but, hey — and that the person who expressed those views was not the person standing in front of the media.

After an exciting few days surrounding the league’s 89th All-Star Game, the midseason festivities in Washington, D.C., came to a close with the talk centered on the repugnant views of one of its participants. Karma would have it that Hader had his pitch taken to task by a black player in Chocolate City.

T-Mobile Home Run Derby
Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and National League competes during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Nationals Park on July 16 in Washington, DC. Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Bryce Harper keeps the good times rolling for D.C. fans

Nationals outfielder wins Home Run Derby in home stadium a month after Capitals win Stanley Cup

Rhiannon Walker By @InstantRHIplay

8:24 AMNew championship, who dis? This is the energy Washington, D.C., after 26 years without a championship from one of its big four teams, has brought the past month and into Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby on Monday night.

The nation’s capital has suddenly gone from cursed to winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in the city’s history to Bryce Harper becoming the first player in franchise history (Washington Nationals or Montreal Expos) to take home the crown.

Say what you want, but just a short while ago, D.C. sports fans wouldn’t allow themselves to get their hopes up that Harper, down nine home runs with a minute to go, would be able to make a comeback on the Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber. But that is exactly what the Nationals outfielder did after hitting nine home runs in 26 swings during his first three minutes in the final round.

In the final minute, nine of Harper’s 10 hits went yard, and he barely needed the extra 30 seconds he earned to end the affair, hitting the Derby winner on only his second swing. Harper held his bat over his head with both hands and flipped it forward before being mobbed by his National League teammates.

Don’t worry, the pitcher — Harper’s father, Ron — didn’t take offense at his bat flip and gave his son a huge bear hug. When Harper was presented with the trophy, he immediately handed it over to his dad. Social media lit up seeing Ron Harper’s jacked arms, because clearly the man doesn’t miss arm day at the gym.

Frankly, this moment should come as no surprise, considering Harper was winning competitions called “King of Swat” 14 years ago in Cooperstown, New York.

And Harper winning the Home Run Derby may actually turn out to be amazing foreshadowing for the Nationals.

2018 Las Vegas Summer League – New York Knicks v New Orleans Pelicans 2018 NBA Summer League
Tyrius Walker of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Morehouse’s Tyrius Walker gets his chance at summer league and balls out

From the start, he was making things happen: 16 points, 5 boards, 6 assists, 5 steals

C. Isaiah Smalls II By

2:01 PMUpdate: Tyrius Walker has been added as the 20th player to the New York Knicks roster, Walker went undrafted in June. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal, today.

Toward the end of the NBA summer league, teams like to sit their lottery picks, giving the other guys a chance to shine.

Thank God for Tyrius Walker’s love for the spotlight.

Walker turned heads after leading the New York Knicks to a 103-92 route of the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was on from the beginning. The game’s first points came courtesy of Walker’s lob to the high-flying Mitchell Robinson.

The former Morehouse guard ended the game by channeling his inner Antonio Brown, snatching a pass in transition. Talk about savage.

Walker finished with 16 points, 5 boards, 6 dimes and 5 steals. His play even impressed Knicks reporter Ian Begley.

The Morehouse community, on the other hand, had been hip. After Walker played just six minutes in the Knicks’ first four games, they were just waiting for his moment.

Walker has already drawn interest overseas. Per his agent Darrell Comer, they will continue to explore “development opportunities” in the association.

Your move, NBA.

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