On the flipside, I shared 2 stories last night with a loved one of myself at 15 being taken advantage of/pressured by older girls in wrestling who were 20-22 at the time. [63], NXT UK referees Joel Allen and Chris Roberts were released by WWE on June 30 following allegations against them. [81], Saraya Knight retired on June 23 following allegations that she had abused both trainees and fellow colleagues. To the survivors, I again thank you for your bravery. It was overwhelming and emotionally draining to read story after story. SmackDown's Matt Riddle has been accused by three separate people, including independent stars Candy Cartwright and Jamie Senegal. This has also brought back conversation on former WWE wrestler and assault victim Ashley Massaro who sadly passed last year. Thats 1 in 2 that has been sexually harassed, 1 in 3 that, On Monday (November 29), R&B singer Ari Lennox was arrested by Dutch military police at Schiphol Airport. 0:40. The accusations against men affiliated with Chikara, a professional wrestling events company with a . Chris Jericho has made it official: you will not see Y2J at WrestleMania 34, but you can at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Opinions on breaking news, major . The lack of a governing body who oversees abuse allegations and has the power to reprimand abusers means that its up to promoters and, indeed, fans to police this, which historically hasnt proven to be the best method. Im not sure, Dick says, expressing concern for ease of access for women, queer people and people of colour, and wrestlings history of reluctance to unionisation. I hope that you are getting the peace you deserve. Hes going to keep trying because he needs this business to survive and feel relevant. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Ideally, everyone involved would do it. ), Dave Lagana - (questions arise following claims against Dave Lagana as to why he was initially fired from WWE in 2008. People were continually coming forward to bare their souls and speak their truths. On the 17th of June, 2020, Starr's ex-girlfriend accused him of physical and mental abuse, alongside sexually assaulting her throughout the relationship. August 2020: Accused of domestic abuse and rape during the Speaking Out . ", "Marty Scurll releases new statement on sexual allegations", "ROH launches investigation into accusations made against talent", "Marty Scurll and Ring of Honor agree to mutually part ways", "Jay Lethal Releases Statement Regarding Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct", "Report: NXT UK Suspends Joe Coffey, Releases Two Referees", "WWE releases Jack Gallagher following sexual assault claim", "Jack Gallagher Released by WWE As #SpeakingOut Movement Accuses Wrestling Stars Of Sexual Misconduct", "FORMER WWE STAR JACK GALLAGHER RELEASES STATEMENT REGARDING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO HIS WWE RELEASE", "WWE looking into abuse allegations made against Jordan Devlin", "Jordan Devlin Calls Assault Allegation "Completely and Utterly False", "Jordan Devlin and Travis Banks Suspended Indefinitely from PROGRESS Wrestling", "Matt Riddle accused of sexual abuse, WWE releases statement", "Matt Riddle's Lawyer Releases Statement Denying Sexual Assault Allegation", "WWE already knew about the sexual abuse accusation against Matt Riddle", "WWE's Matt Riddle releases video responding to #SpeakingOut allegations", "Matt Riddle Files Notice Of Voluntary Dismissal Of Restraining Order In Sexual Assault Case", "WWE STAR MATT RIDDLE FILING CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST CANDY CARTWRIGHT IN WAKE OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM", "WWE, Matt Riddle, Gabe Sapolsky, Evolve Wrestling Sued By Candy Cartwright For $10 Million Each", "Candy Cartwright drops lawsuit against WWE's Matt Riddle", "Travis Banks responds to accusations by Millie Mckenzie", "Travis Banks & Ligero dropped by PROGRESS amid abuse allegations", "Ligero Denies "Indecent Assault" Allegation, Acknowledges Inappropriate Messages and Conduct", "Ligero Released By WWE After Multiple Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior", "#MeToo in WWE: More evidence emerges against Velveteen Dream", "Velveteen Dream denies allegation of inappropriate behavior", "Triple H addresses Velveteen Dream's return to NXT TV, says absence was due to car accident", "Velveteen Dream makes first comments since WWE release", "WWE Releases Statement Regarding Talent Accused in #SpeakingOut Movement", "As was mentioned yesterday, we were made aware of the allegations brought forth against a member of our roster and management team. ), Austin Aries- (Austin Aries has shared an email from 2013 with a quote from Christ Hemme addressing a controversial angle on TNA at the time. [21] He filed lawsuits against some of his accusers as well as a lawsuit against Impact. I f you tuned in to the WWF on Saturday morning in the late '80s, or watched an episode of Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, it was hard not to notice the cultural and ethnic diversity the cast . 0. From the head-bob arm-swing entrance, to the finishing Lo-Down, no one enjoyed a D'Lo Brown . (Id also just like to say that over past 24 hours Ive spent about 8 hours thoroughly searching through the #SpeakingOut tag in attempt to dig out the original claimants for these posts. ), Marty Scurll - (Marty Scurll has released two statements following the allegations: 1, 2. For its 74th year, some of our globes biggest stars ventured to Los Angeles Microsoft Theater to acknowledge the in, After being detained by Russian police at Sheremetyevo Airport on drug allegations in February, WNBA athlete Brittney Griner has officially been sentenced, On July 4, Macy Gray chose to go on known bigot Piers Morgans show Uncensored and reveal herself as a transphobe on national television. In this file photo, a WrestleMania sign hangs over the crowd during the WWE Monday Night RAW event, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Boston. I went through something similar in 2018 and understand his pain. [7] Havoc would be released by AEW on August 13. Also an ICW wrestler was named, Lewis Girvan, by Jessi Jezebel and she said she didnt put his name in her original tweet for reason but has now mentioned him since. They also released this statement last August: In response to the #SpeakingOut movement highlighting an endemic abuse problem within the wrestling industry, RIPTIDE has put live shows on hiatus to make structural changes relating to safeguarding, whistle-blowing, codes of conduct, and diversity and inclusion.. They eventually parted ways with him. The following day, Lagana resigned from his position. On September 7, Ring of Honor announced that Rok-C had signed a deal with the promotion. Speaking with Tim Battle and Eli on the . Longtime wrestling personality Jim Cornette and his wife, Stacey, are also accused of acting inappropriately with wrestlers. Progress and Trust Wrestling announced they would be working with the APPG. Dan Gartland writes Sports Illustrateds flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is SIs pro wrestling editor. ", "Black Label Pro And British Wrestling Revolution Cut Ties With Wrestlers Accused Of Sexual Abuse", "Tyson Kidd Okay With In-Ring Career Being Over, IMPACT Star Added To GCW Show | Fight-Size Update", "Fierce Females Cuts Ties With Owner Mikey Whiplash Following Allegations Of Abuse", "Inspire Pro Wrestling Ends Relationship With Andy Dalton", "Ever since I took over, we've had zero tolerance to Sexual Harassment. My story was told to support other women. Anecdotally, it would appear that many who have spoken out about abuse in wrestling have been white women but, as with #MeToo, it might be indicative that people who dont belong to that group havent been as empowered by the movement to tell their stories. This training is being specifically tailored to cater to the world of professional wrestling, will be interactive, and will relate to our experiences of how sexual violence affects us.. However, there are many more WWE stars that have been implicated in varying levels of abuse and harassment such as Matt Riddle, Jordan Devlin, Ligero, Travis Banks, and Jack Gallagher. Quote. WWE UK's Jordan Devlin, Ligero, Travis Banks, Joe Coffey names have come up so far. Other male wrestlers have come forward to say they were taken advantage of early in their careers. Lethal released a statement denying the allegations. McGuire's Monday: Jay Lethal signing with AEW comes complete with Lethal's past and an examination of if the wrestling world has evolved since the Speaking Out movement began November 15, 2021 but i support everyone speaking out right now and am making sure me and my friends are heard as well. ), ECCW - (ECCW have issued a statement in regards to the allegations made against Jeff Duncan. We're all struggling with mental health, myself included. And we've improved protocols for reporting cases. Last month, as part of a review of the first episode of NJPW Strong, I wrote about New Japan's response (or really, lack of it) to some of its wrestlers being implicated by the Speaking Out movement, the June 2020 Me Too-like airing of abuses, largely sexual and by men against women, in the professional wrestling industry. Several former OVW performers backed up Earleys allegations. [DMDU being] a safe space for queer people is really important to me as a queer person, Dick says. Robinson remained silent throughout the Speaking Out movement, but his . Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. [6], All Elite Wrestling wrestler Jimmy Havoc was accused of emotional and verbal abuse by former partner, Rebecca Crow. [10], On June 23, Darby Allin was accused of emotional, mental, and sexual abuse by Hawlee Cromwell, an independent wrestler with whom he allegedly had a relationship. Riddle, in Twitter direct messages to a British YouTuberwhom he had previously been interviewed by, denied the allegation and accused Cartwright of harassing him. [35], On July 6, former ROH Women's Champion Kelly Klein alleged that Jay Lethal sexually harassed women and ROH covered it up. Rok-C is set to compete for the ROH Women's Championship against Miranda Alize at ROH Death Before Dishonor. We also look ahead to wrestling's future. [53] On July 13, 2021, it was reported Riddle's accuser dropped her lawsuit against him. ), WWE- (WWE is apparently going toclean up their roster), Michael Elgin- (Elgin was initially suspended by IMPACT but now it is revealed that he wont be returning at all. Bull James. Robinson was accused of entering a relationship with a minor before the mother of Robinson's children found out and sent her nasty messages. Victims of Christian 'cult' leader speak out for first time Young men say they were encouraged to receive full-body massages on Rev Canon Mike Pilavachi's bed and engage in wrestling matches Jun 19, 2020 #90 milamber182. Dick tells me that they were spurred on by the #SpeakingOut movement to put her community-building skills that she had honed outside of wrestling by joining the nascent Deathmatch Down Under (DMDU), which had a few shows prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns but relaunched in early 2021 with a whole new ethos. [39][40] His profile was later deleted from WWE.com. Many of us, myself included, felt we owed it to them to read their stories. The ones who were expendable were released. Riddle said his lawyer and WWE were exploring the possibility of legal action against Cartwright. [46] Riddle denied the allegation through his attorney. [1] Cornette denied the allegations. WWE. Hulk Hogan: 4 Days. However, this one is . [5], Many wrestlers, personalities, and journalists overwhelmingly supported those that spoke out on their experiences. The "Rated R Superstar" also stated that he doesn't . If any new information comes to light, I will add it to this list as soon as possible. Wrestling Resurgence has a note about #SpeakingOut and says In light of various recent revelations we continue to enhance and view our safeguarding and employment practices. While Starr recognised that he was physically and emotionally abusive to his ex, he did deny sexually assaulting her. ), Anyone can be a victim- (Keith Lee has shared his own personal story about an encounter in Dallas. Like the ones you and your wife used to have with the OVW boys.). The goal is to call out people who have victimized people to create a safer space for everyone involved. Im going to take a break from all of this today. The Speaking Out movement is a social movement against emotional, physical and sexual abuse in the professional wrestling industry, where people publicize their allegations of misconduct committed by powerful and/or prominent individuals. Thank you for bringing this information to me, youve been very helpful. Not booking abusers is a start, but is not nearly enough. Many prominent performers from WWE, AEW, Impact, Ring of Honor and elsewhere have been tweeting their support of those who are speaking out, and the effort to make wrestling safer for all involved in it. The policy outlined below and our Code of Conduct will therefore be subject to ongoing review and enhancement. Below the statement is the Code of Conduct, although its not clear when it was posted or if/when it has been updated. However, both policies pertains specifically to Portsmouth School of Wrestling. ), CHIKARA - (the indie promotion is [71], Mikey Whiplash was accused of sexual harassment and physical abuse. This last year has been a reckoning for many. In the wake of the stories about David Starr, his response, and the moves made by several promotions to distance themselves from Starr, numerous people have come forward to tell their stories of being subjected to predatory behavior and abuse by wrestlers and others in the industry. ", "He will also be absolved of all his non-performing responsibilities and roles, including talent coordinating, training, ownership, etc. [72], Inspire Pro Wrestling ended their relationship with wrestler Andy Dalton on June 20 following allegations that Dalton had sent inappropriate messages to a minor. Now, unfortunately there is)), Ryan Smile(Former IPWUK workers experience), Cieran Donnelly(Former IPWUK workers experience), Damian Dunne(Former IPWUK workers experience), Strangler Davis(Former IPWUK workers experience), Daniel Elder(Former IPWUK workers experience), Joey Ryan(Former IPWUK workers experience). OSAKA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 10: General view during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling 'G1 Climax 30' at Edion Arena Osaka on October 10, 2020 in Osaka, Japan. During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Jordynne Grace commented on the #SpeakingOut movement, her feuds with Taya Valkyrie and Deonna Purrazzo, and more.You can check out some highlights from the interview below: On working with Purrazzo: "I'd worked with Deonna a lot on the independent scene before she got signed to WWE, and she was on the list of women I hoped Impact would . Admittedly, there were plenty of other shorter reigns that could've made the cut over it. Effective immediately, Steve West will no longer perform on 3-2-1 BATTLE! [52] On March 24, 2021, a judge ruled to terminate WWE and Gabe Sapolsky as defendants in the lawsuit. Fierce Wrestling would cut ties with him following the allegations. We have compiled a list in an attempt to do so. As the fallout continues from the #SpeakingOut movement, IMPACT Wrestling has released a statement, announcing it has fired . If anyone has any information for her or requires support, her and her team have been very helpful throughout this. WWE also released an official statement on Devlin - a former Cruiserweight champion - stating: "We take any allegation of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter.". ", "Former B.C. Regarding Benoit, that feels different because it's arguable that his issues were a result of his wrestling style. [73], Following a string of sexual misconduct allegations made towards Singaporean wrestler Alex Cuevas, Singapore Pro Wrestling and Philippine Wrestling Revolution cut all ties with him. [65][66][67][68][69], Black Label Pro released wrestler Johnathan Wolf on June 19, following allegations of sexual assault and mental abuse. The following is an excerpt from David "The Masked Man" Shoemaker's new book, The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling.It has been slightly modified for this publication. Speaking to media after the PBKS match, Fleming sought to defend the team's bowlers after a four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings in their IPL match here and said the likes of Tushar Deshpande and . Hannah Maher, In July 2020, Megan thee Stallion was involved in an intense police stop after attending a celebrity pool party in Los Angeles, leading to the shocking rev, At least half of all women in Australia have experienced sexual harassment, abuse or violence. Now that more and more promotions are running shows globally, we will see who keeps their word, who is being performative, what changes still need to be made, and where people feel safe. Charles Krupa AP. If youre just joining my updates you can view part 1, part 2 & part 3 here. Please bear in mind that I only ever post information on here linked directly with the victims claim. [74][75], On June 20, independent wrestler Kyle Boone tweeted about being assaulted and bullied by Kongo Kong at an independent wrestling event. He continued his statement by saying if he had known sooner, he would have tried to hash it out like adults. He abused me and I'm tired of being called a liar by "fans" who have no idea the shitty person he really is. Jeff signed with AEW in March 2022, and during his first few months in the company, he mixed it up with stars like Darby Allin, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), and Adam Cole, But he was suspended following his DUI arrest in June 2022. Banks responded to the allegations via a statement. By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet). People might never tell their story. Independent wrestler Phil Earley alleged that when Cornette was in charge of Ohio Valley Wrestling, then a developmental territory for WWE, novice wrestlers were pressured into performing sex acts with Stacey(many times with [Cornette] watching) in exchange for opportunities in OVW. Seeing a few more people coming forward with stories some of them are older stories, but some of them are recent stories people need to be prepared that this [speaking out] process is ongoing, says Erin Dick, Head of Community Management at Melbourne wrestling company Deathmatch Down Under, referring to both local allegations and those across the international professional wrestling scene more broadly. [38], Jack Gallagher was accused of sexual assault. #SpeakingOut didnt hit just the small, independent companies. Wrestling stars from several federations, including the WWE, are being accused of sexual misconduct in online forums.The movement, loosely organized under the hashtag #SpeakingOut, has already led . Please contact Ringside News if any name needs to be added to this list as we wish to provide a resource for others to see the strength of this movement in hopes that true change occurs. Will Cooling wrote an excellent piece on the grooming of Millie McKenzie by Travis Banks for Pro Wrestling Torch and I would recommend you start there. milamber182. WWE Icon "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wrestles with some new gigs in Stone Cold Takes on America, A&E's freewheeling new series that finds him on the road in an RV, trying his hand at odd jobs . [11][12], On June 19, Chikara removed Kobald from their roster following allegations made against him. Soon after, one of the victims making the accusations stated that Yorkshire Police were investigating the accusations and that she and another victim had a list of 70 wrestlers with 100 incidents documented. All promotions should have clear safeguarding policies in place and they should be easily accessible. (With things slowing down and these updates becoming more sparse, Ill probably turn to towards collecting information over a period of a few days rather than everyday now. Kindred KyMari. A look around the audience at DMDU indicates this, too. Sierra Loxton, Millie Mckenzie, April Hunter, Alexxis Falcon, Leanne-Marie& "If you want to see Chris Jericho wrestle, the Tokyo Dome is where you're going . [13] Chikara owner Mike Quackenbush was also accused of knowingly overseeing a company that enabled abuse and neglect, which led to many wrestlers on the Chikara roster such as Hallowicked, Kimber Lee, Jacob Hammermeier, Frightmare and Green Ant resigning from the promotion. It is very confusing to see a list of names that are essentially blacklisted and not to be given any information as to why. Speaking on Logan Paul's "ImPAULsive" podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he thinks he may have around a year left as far as it pertains to performing at his current level. Unfortunately I am on the fourth update of this movement. Cruise commented on niche performers like in professional wrestling sharing their own accounts of abuse on social media through the #SpeakingOut movement, explaining that real change won't . [18] On June 26, Impact Wrestling announced Elgin would be removed from all future programing. For every Flair (who,againit is claimed,has faced minimal repercussions for hisallegedhistoricalmisbehaviour), theres an Austin Theory (who was named in the initial wave of #SpeakingOut stories asallegedlyengagingin, Closer to home, veteran wrestler whos performed for WWE and AEW, Shazza McKenzie, has. Jake Atlas: June 2022: Accused of domestic violence . Each name is linked to a source which should provide additional information concerning their individual stories. In June 2020, Paul Robinson was named as part of the Speaking Out movement. The 3-2-1 BATTLE! So many of us have not. There are so many cases it's hard to know where to begin. [42], Jordan Devlin was accused of physical abuse by a former partner. That same energy should be kept for all of the perpetrators, but since theyre worming their way back in, its not likely. Impact Wrestling's parent company, Anthem Sports & Entertainment, released a statement saying they were reviewing the allegations. [76], On June 21, Bar Wrestling was shut down following several multiple sexual assault allegations against owner Joey Ryan. A movement that has not only touched every corner of the wrestling . The reverberations of the movement that would become known as #SpeakingOut would also be felt globally. [45], Matt Riddle was accused of sexual misconduct by a female wrestler. The past week has been an eye-opening and heartbreaking one for the world of professional wrestling as sexual abuse, assault, and harassment accusations have been made against a wide range of . Many people have swept it under the rug or have forgotten. He was not given any indication that something was wrong as it was all "hugs and smiles". He had been previously accused by Taeler Hendrix of sexually harassing her in 2018. If you see or encounter something speak up, [22][23][24] On March 8, 2021, Ryan issued a statement saying he would drop several lawsuits. [82], Revolution Pro Wrestling fired trainer Andy Simmonz and one training student on June 24 following allegations against both. Leanne-Marie met with the West Yorkshire Police (UK) today and looks to have got a lot of things moving. Riddle's request for termination of the lawsuit was denied. [8], On June 22, audio from a podcast went viral where Sammy Guevara joked that he wanted to rape WWE women's wrestler Sasha Banks. Two Men Convicted For The 1965 Assassination Of Malcolm X Have Be Why Alisha Aitken-Radburn Chose To Speak Out Against Toxic Workpl Diwali Is Here! RevPro has both a Safeguarding Adults Policy along with a Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy. April 26, 2023. It was also when the wrestling community was turned upside down. [37], WWE released a statement concerning Devlin and Riddle saying they took the matters seriously and were looking into it. Yeah, pro-wrestling is a less than ideal workplace (hell, corporate america is a scummy world.. capitalism makes the world a scummy world everywhere) but at some point, yeah it's ok to have big ideas but really when you make BIG money from such an awful company, you should either shut the fuck up or leave, really. The pro wrestling industry has been hit hard the past week with the #SpeakingOut movement. Several promotions cut ties with Starr after the allegations. An array of allegations came out against Jim Cornette and his wife including grooming and sexual favors to be booked. Those harassed said they felt pressured not to speak out due to fear for their future career prospects, and it was alleged that a trainee who did speak out was purposefully injured during training by a trainer. The founder of a Northeast Philadelphia wrestling network "discontinued" the organization last month following public allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior by wrestlers, trainers, and the owner himself. Nothing defending them but people randomly posting stuff on twitter and selling their story to the sun isn't getting anything resolved Dec 15, 2017 6,007 Australia. I did want to address something though. These two things drive me. [3] After the allegation came out, several wrestling promotions stripped Starr of his titles and fired him. We recognize that safety, health and well-being, inclusivity, and safeguarding must be ongoing processes. It all started when one of the scenes best known and one of its most popular stars, David Starr, posted a letter to his ex-girlfriends. [49] On September 16, Riddle dropped his petition for a restraining order against his accuser. Some allegations have been kept anonymous as well and could be named at a later date. The majority of the wrestlers being accused of misconduct by women using the #SpeakingOut hashtag work in the U.K. On Wednesday, prominent independent wrestler David Starr (real name Max Barsky), an American who was a fixture in the British wrestling scene, was accused of sexual abuse by a woman he had been in a relationship with. The tweet had a two-page screenshot of a statement in which Gonzalez accused prominent independent and . McKenzie proceeded to tweet screenshots of a text conversation between the two where Banks, who seemed to be intoxicated by the nature of his messages, had stalked McKenzie and was harassing her in a hotel room. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Thank you to everyone whos messaged me asking how Im doing in this time. But wrestling is a mirror to society and just like many abusers implicated in #MeToo who are now finding their way back into the entertainment industry, allegedly abusive wrestlers have seen minimal repercussions for their abusive behaviour.
Bharadwaja Gotra Surnames,
What Is The Tone Of The Declaration Of Sentiments,
Land For Sale In Brown County, Ohio,
Articles S