Comedian and actress Betty White passed away on December 31, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday on January 17, 2022. Her long career in entertainment began in the 1940s, in radio, and then crossed over to television and film. Her iconic roles in the television sitcoms “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls” cemented her place in pop culture. White’s gimmick was a study in contrasts: her outwardly prim and wholesome exterior belied her mastery of the double entendre. Well into her 90s, White continued to hold her place in the zeitgeist, with her self-deprecating humor about aging and ‘forever young’ antics.
The legend Betty White has died at 99.
We'll never forget when she co-hosted @WWE Raw and was ready to fight everyone 🥲 pic.twitter.com/lKwOjPrdsL
— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2021
That is, in fact, how she found her way to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2014. She joined WWE’s cavalcade of celebrity guest hosts of Monday Night Raw while promoting season 3 of her show “Off Their Rockers”. White mixed it up with prominent WWE Superstars of the era, such as the Bella Twins, and shared tea with The New Age Outlaws. In a highlight of her appearance, White promised to kick some ass, much to the adoration of the live crowd.
Long before her Raw guest appearance, however, White had a fan in New Day member, and current King of the Ring, Xavier Woods. Woods has made no secret of his ardent appreciation of “The Golden Girls”, over the years. In a November 2021 appearance on the podcast Out of Character With Ryan Satin, Woods professed that if he ever got his own theme music as a singles performer he would want to incorporate the legendary “Golden Girls” theme. In December 2021, Woods cheekily implied on social media that he requested time off from WWE to attend Golden-Con, which is precisely as its name implies: a “Golden Girls” fan convention.
Woods reacted on Twitter to the news of White’s death with a characteristically open heart on Twitter, writing, “I hope that the people who were lucky enough to be close to her are doing alright. Call your loved ones and let them know what they mean to you”.
I hope that the people who were lucky enough to be close to her are doing alright. Call your loved ones and let them know what they mean to you. #BettyWhite
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) December 31, 2021
Legend. #BettyWhite pic.twitter.com/KcK6CaeDkv
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 31, 2021
Really 2021… really … 😭😭😭RIP Betty White 🖤
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) December 31, 2021
