Jason Burgos
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) owner Al Snow made his first public statement on Saturday about the horrifying events that saw officials respond slowly to a referee who was having a seizure during a match for the company.
A scary moment from a recent OVW event that went viral on Friday had wrestling fans demanding the heads of top officials in the company. During a Friday TV taping, referee Dallas Edwards became physically involved in a match when one of the competitors pulled him in the way of a top rope crossbody from his opponent.
The move knocked Edwards unconscious after he had banged the back of his head hard against the mat. However, the moment did not lead to an immediate stop to the match, and the wrestlers involved continued on. That lack of quick medical care led to Edwards suffering a seizure inside the ring.
Unfortunately, despite having violent tremors from the seizure, OVW staff and officials waited close to two minutes before attending to Edwards. The incident spread quickly over social media and put the wrestling promotion in a terrible light.
On Saturday, OVW owner and former WWE star Al Snow gave his first public statement on the scary moment.
“Professional wrestling has always carried an inherent risk of injury for everyone who steps into the ring. On March 12th, during a live OVW television event, Dallas was involved in a planned moment of physical contact with a wrestler that resulted in him suffering a head injury,” Snow wrote.
“Traditionally, when an in-ring injury occurs, the referee is the central point of communication, assessment, and decision-making. In this unprecedented situation, the person who would normally make that assessment was the one who needed assistance. That unforeseen breakdown in communication contributed to a delay in stopping the match and concluding the show.”
“… At OVW, the health and safety of our performers and officials has always been our top priority. We are proud of the standards we’ve maintained over the years, but we also recognize that there is always room to strengthen and improve,” he added.
“With that in mind, we are reviewing our existing procedures and updating several of our in-ring and ringside protocols to ensure we continue to meet the highest expectations for performer safety.”
Snow stated that enhanced communication systems, more referee training, and expanded ringside response measures are part of the changes. He also added that Edwards is recovering from the injuries suffered this week.
