Michael Seitz, WWE Friday Night Smackdown Head Writer and WWE executive, was suspended Wednesday, for 60 days without pay by the WWE due to "inappropriate behavior." According to reports, Seitz, who went by the ring name Michael 'P.S.' (Purely Sexy) Hayes as a member of the Fabulous Freebirds, allegedly went up to an African-American wrestler, rumored to be former Olympic weightlifter Mark Henry, and told him "I'm (Seitz) more of a [n-word] than you (Henry)". Hayes was said to have been drinking heavily at a post WrestleMania afterparty when the incident occurred. Word got back to WWE top officials and action was taken. However, this is the same company that very famously showed their CEO and Chairman, Vince McMahon, referring to his White wrestler as "my [N-word]" at the Survivor Series ’05 PPV.
A rep for the WWE released this statement: "Due to inappropriate behavior, Michael Hayes was suspended for 60 days with no pay. In order to return to work, Michael Hayes will be required to undergo further evaluation."
This isn't the first rumored incident involving Seitz (shown above during his wrestling heyday and here where he routinely donned confederate flag colors in his wrestling attire), using the 'n-word,' as previous situations have occurred with other African-American performers no longer with the company. Most recently it is speculated that former NAIA National Wrestling champion, Bobby Lashley, who participated in 2007’s WrestleMania match involving Donald Trump, left the company over these same reasons. Inappropriate comments made to Lashly’s girlfriend, Kristal Marshall, resulted in both no longer being employed by the WWE. At the time, Marshall declined a storyline where she would be turned heel (bad guy) and taking over a slutty valet role as WWE Superstar Edge's girlfriend, a role previously performed by a former WWE Diva.
The scandal comes on the heels of the wrestling companies high profile coup of having all three front running Presidential candidates appear on last Monday's edition of their cable show, Raw. Throughout the show, three different pre-tape speeches were shown of Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain and African-American Presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama.
No comment has yet to be issued by any of the candidates regarding the situation, however most will be interested in the response of Sen. Obama after the controversial remarks on race made by Reverend Jeffery Wright which promoted the well received speech by the Illinois Senator. However with the constant internal shenanigans occur at the 'Fed,' it proves once again why you rarely ever want to get in bed with them as there’s always scandal waiting to transpire.
