Brian Jossie, best known to fans as Abraham Washington and manager of The Prime Time Players (Titus O’Neil and Darren Young) in WWE, faced a terrifying health crisis in July, where he almost died. He was hospitalized unexpectedly – initially for one issue, but his condition spiraled, and he was placed on life support, according to Duke Loves Rasslin.
Adding to the alarm, Jossie had only recently participated in a bodybuilding competition. That sudden shift from peak physical condition to critical care was both shocking and worrisome.
Thankfully, the tide turned. Jossie endured nearly a month in the hospital. Eventually, he was discharged and is now back home, walking under his own power and on the mend.
Why WWE Fired Abraham Washington
On the July 30, 2012 episode of Monday Night RAW, Abraham Washington sparked controversy with a remark made during a live match. While managing Titus O’Neil in his bout against Kofi Kingston, Jossie shouted into his headset microphone, comparing O’Neil to Kobe Bryant and referencing the NBA star’s 2003 $exual assault case, saying:
“Titus O’Neil is like Kobe Bryant at a hotel in Colorado – HE’S UNSTOPPABLE!”
The comment was immediately met with backlash. After the commercial break, WWE commentator Michael Cole issued an on-air apology. Later that night, Abraham followed up with a statement on Twitter, insisting he hadn’t meant any harm by the joke.
WWE also released an official apology to TMZ, calling the line “inappropriate” and noting that “appropriate action” had been taken, though they did not explain what that entailed.
The incident even reached ESPN’s Around the Horn, where analyst Israel Gutierrez criticized WWE for allowing such a comment to air, despite Abraham’s defense that it was an ad-libbed line.
Less than two weeks later, on August 10, WWE parted ways with Abraham. Following his release, he went on a tirade against the company on his verified Twitter account, @AWPromotions, which WWE later suspended indefinitely.
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