wrestling / News

Darren Young On How Vince McMahon Reacted When He Came Out, Possible NEXUS Reunion

June 19, 2020 | Posted by Ashish
Darren Young Fred Rosser

In an interview with TVInsider, Darren Young discussed Vince McMahon’s reaction when he came out as gay, as well as the rumored NEXUS reunion at WrestleMania this year. Highlights are below.

On Vince McMahon’s reaction when he came out: “When I came out, one of the first people to call me up was [WWE cofounder] Vince McMahon. He was happy I was courageous enough to come out. One of his best friends, Pat Patterson, is also gay. He said he didn’t want it to be a storyline. I was cool with it either way because I was finally able to be myself and live my truth. Recently when I was at the Sundance Film Festival, I spoke to a representative for GLAAD. They heard me talk and said WWE just isn’t ready for such a storyline. Nothing against me or anyone else, they just said WWE wasn’t ready for it. We’re making moves and making waves. I can’t control what WWE puts on TV. I can only control what I put out.”

On Wade Barrett turning down a possible NEXUS reunion for WrestleMania earlier this year: “Right before the pandemic hit, me and Wade were at a signing in L.A. We were just talking, and I told him I got contacted by WWE to be part of WrestleMania, and I said yes to it. He told me he said no because the money just wasn’t right. They didn’t really tell me what I’d be doing. They just said I would be doing network interviews and part of signings. I was cool with it. I always say if I would have done this for the money, I would have complained a long time ago. The money wasn’t right for Wade.

He didn’t quite know what he would be doing. He turned it down. I respect Wade. He is a great friend of mine, but the money has to be right for some people. I’ve been a fan since I came out of the womb. I miss WWE. I love being part of the WWE family. Recently, I was on their show The Bump talking about pride. If I ever got a call to come back, I would jump on it right away. I love the business, love everyone backstage. Any time I can go backstage and visit, everyone is so kind to me and genuinely misses me. Life goes on. I have my podcast, side hustles. I got to keep it moving.”