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| Uti went from meme to alleged murderer Photo via @GreatPowerUti |
Uti, whose real name is John Eke Uti, stands accused of beating his wife, Toyin, so badly that she died from her injury on October 10. He left the body in a room to decompose until it was discovered by authorities. The court case was adjourned to be continued on November 15, which is tomorrow. Much like in America, however, the courts in Nigeria don't seem to trend towards this being a slam dunk conviction. The United States has had a problem with underprosecuting domestic violence and waiting until it's too late to save the victims to act.
Outside of one of the most absurd and hilarious episodes of a beloved podcast having a sour ending (and really, who gives a fuck about a fucking podcast, even if it's one as good as Colt Cabana's), this story shows why domestic violence should always be taken seriously, not just by law enforcement, but by wrestling promotions and other places of employment. Abusers, when left unchecked, can end up irrevocably damaging their victims, and people are left to wonder what they could have done to prevent it even though the answer was staring them right in the face the whole time. Wrestling especially is a place where people need to put in the work, because it is a violent sport/form of entertainment that attracts violent people. You can't adopt a laissez-faire attitude towards abuse and abusers just because the art itself lends itself to violence.
That reason is why people get so up in arms when promotions like Revolution Pro speak glowingly about abusers like Bram. It's why it's hard for me to get excited about an American indie scene that is pock-marked by abusers like Sami Callihan, Moose, Mr. 450, and Aaron Epic. It's why when people like Viper speak up on behalf of these abusers, it's so embarrassing and shameful. It's also not like wrestling hasn't seen the nuclear end of domestic violence happen in the most grotesque way possible. I mean, Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son, and people still yammer and yak about how "We need to separate ART from ARTIST" and bristle if anyone brings up how that piece of shit ended his and two other people's lives.
Uti will now stand as another nuclear example of why everyone should take domestic violence seriously. Life's too short and too precious to allow people free reign to make others live in fear for their lives. Toyin Uti is dead because people brush this kind of thing off like it's nothing to worry about. Until everyone, from folks like you and I all the way up to people in power, starts taking domestic violence seriously, shit like this is going to keep happening.
