Wrestling: A roundtable discussion on #SpeakingOut and what’s next

In recent days, the wrestling world has been dealing with revelations of sexual abuse, assault, and intimate partner violence by talents and others in power.

The wrestling world is finally having its reckoning. It has been a long time coming.

About a week and a half ago, David Starr publicly addressed allegations of sexual abuse but not before victim-blaming and gaslighting. For someone that’s “really good at Twitter”, he showed that he is horrible at taking responsibility for his actions.

This opened the floodgates as more and more people have been #SpeakingOut. These accounts of abuse and mistreatment have come out against wrestlers, trainers, and bookers. The abusers involved range from men in high places such as Jim Cornette and Dave Lagana to big names in major promotions to all areas of independent wrestling.

There have also been horrendous accounts of bullying at Saraya Knight and her family’s promotion, World Association of Wrestling.

It has been mentally and emotionally exhausting these last few days. I can only imagine how these brave humans have been feeling.

As part of the wrestling media and wrestling fans, we felt that this was an important topic that needed to be discussed. Revelations are still going to be coming and they will reverberate for a long time. Now, we as a wrestling community can begin to heal and build the community we want to be a part of.

Dorathy Gass, Sonal Lad, Colby Applegate, Laura Mauro, and myself discuss the fallout from #SpeakingOut.

Have these stories affected how you’ll consume wrestling?

Dorathy: It’s made me wonder how many other survivors are out there. I know it appeared that the flood gates were opened this week; however, I still think there are many other women and men terrified of coming forward. The WWE and AEW have cultivated some major superstars over the years, and are there survivors linked to more main eventers in these larger promotions?

I’ve always been able to distinguish “characters” versus “talent”, but #SpeakingOut crossed a line on so many levels. Not only did you have victims of sexual assault and harassment, but some of the stories made me sick to my stomach, as there was an underlying corruption element to add to the victimization.

Sonal: When the news broke, it definitely impacted my love for wrestling and how I will consume it. I’ve started to doubt the industry I’ve spent the last three to four years investing my life in. From now on, I will always watch shows wondering what has gone on behind the scenes and whose life has been changed in the worst way possible because of this locker room mentality and the inability for many wrestlers to respect their fellow wrestlers and fans.

You have to remember that so many people who have been exposed have thousands of fans and now their worlds are being turned upside down. Merchandise is being pushed to the back of cupboards or put in the bins and there’s an empty place in many people’s hearts.

Like many others, I will be wary of watching wrestling and it sometimes makes me doubt whether it is worth it at all. Something this huge is always going to affect you and it will take a long time for it to go away.

Colby: I can’t say that these stories have immediately affected how I’ve consumed wrestling, but I’m a lot more hesitant now to check out a promotion or even a wrestler than I ever was before. It’s getting hard to support a whole company like WWE or Impact Wrestling when there are horrific stories about those in power. I still turn on their programming to support that talent that aren’t scums of the earth, but it gets more and more difficult as the days go on.

Laura: I’ve always had an awareness of the sexism and misogyny in wrestling but it’s been sobering to recognise just how prevalent it is behind the scenes. The way promotions deal with these incidents is a big factor in which I will support in future – I do believe it is the responsibility of all promotions, whether they harbour known perpetrators or not, to make a statement of intent regarding how they will prevent this in future. I will gravitate heavily towards those promotions.

Samantha: It hasn’t changed how I consume it, but it has given me pause. Several wrestlers that I was a fan of and had met or bought merch from were outed. That’s a disheartening realization. It does make me second guess others that I support and makes me cautious of who I’ll consider giving my hard-earned money too. It also makes me wonder who else hasn’t been named either because of people being afraid to name them or just not ready to go public.

What is the role of the wrestling media when covering sexual assault, abuse, and intimate partner violence? How does the current media landscape effect making sure these stories are handled respectfully and correctly, even with potentially limited resources?

Dorathy: To be honest, I dislike clickbait articles; I believe most fans do. The wrestling media should provide facts and present stories in a comprehensive and concise way by providing fans with facts and updates. While there may be limited resources, the wrestling media can present audiences with information to digest the situation and form an opinion of their own.

As most for the #SpeakingOut movement has come from Twitter and Facebook, providing statements from both survivor and accuser is important, as well as information that a promotion may release in terms of a statement.

Adding posts and tweets to a story, plus any relevant information presented in terms of history (i.e. how long talents worked at the same promotion, and potentially any stories run in the past by their outlet) is okay.

There should be no survivor shaming, or speculation that a survivor has come forward for “attention”; and there should be no bias within the article whatsoever.

Sonal: At the end of the day, and I know it sometimes seems like a repetitive statement, there needs to be an increase in minority writers. We need people who are impacted by these issues directly and have their voices heard because it makes it more real. It’s the age-old story. We need more women writers. We need more POC writers.

The wrestling media works in tandem with the industry. So, if there is a need for safety and more equality in the business, the same works for journalism. Have these people tell their stories for people to hear rather than the same voices producing copy for the sake of views alone.

On another note, the wrestling media needs to be accurate. Nowadays, with everyone having access to everything, there are always so many inaccuracies in reporting. This is bad enough normally. Yet, on topics as serious as this, we need to make sure that all the facts are there and everything is done with empathy whilst following journalistic guidelines and regulations.

Colby: I feel like the wrestling media is responsible for letting the fanbase know who is being accused of heinous acts, especially when companies have to put out statements on investigations. I don’t know if it’s appropriate to report on every accusation that is tweeted out (because there are a lot of accusations and legal boundaries that come with them), but I do believe that wrestling media shouldn’t shy away from covering these stories when WWE, AEW, Impact Wrestling, etc. have to address accusations against talent. It doesn’t matter if the talent is a main-eventing champion or a glorified enhancement talent.

Laura: Of course this is difficult because for legal reasons and the protection of both the victims (who may need to take the case to court) and journalists (who risk being sued) we can’t always name the people responsible. I think we first owe it to everyone around us to properly research – to differentiate between rumour and what is known. I also think we owe a concerted effort not to sensationalise. We should be covering this stuff – it’s unconscionable not to – but we must cover it in a way that isn’t a 24-hour news reel of accusations. It has to be more sensitive than that.

Samantha: The biggest thing is believing survivors and giving their stories the attention they deserve. Big names are going to come out. People’s favorites will be names and some their fans aren’t going to believe these stories. They’re going to attack survivors and writers for reporting about them.

I’ve seen some people blame the wrestling media for not outing these predators. To an extent, they’re right. But, most wrestling websites don’t have the funding or lawyers to back up this type of investigative reporting. If a member of the wrestling media gets sued, who is going to pay for it when they’re not working for a major publication?

All of that being said, we in the wrestling media have a duty to get it right. We have to handle these stories with respect and care and to give those coming forward dignity in how they are covered.

What safeguards can be put in place? How can we create an environment where when reports happen, they can be taken seriously when so many promotions are failing & have abusers in leadership positions?

Dorathy: I’ll be honest, the #SpeakingOut movement stirred up so many mixed emotions within me. On the one hand, I was very proud of the women and men who stood up and told the truth. I’m not a survivor, but I’m in awe of their courage and bravery. This issue had to hit the surface, and thanks to many voices, it has. While part of me feels like it is a good thing that this has come to light (in the sense that the wrestling community is now aware of what has happened in the past and we can all move forward to ignite true change), the stories, and what many survivors have endured is heartbreaking and horrific.

Some talents I have met in the past hit these lists of abusers, some talents I have met were survivors and speaking up. And the fact that there were so many coming out, at the same time. I felt overwhelmed; I wondered what else and who else would come out in the days that followed.

I’m not sure what kind of “safeguards” can be put in place. I do know that change can only truly occur when we ready to make a change within our own lives. As a supporter of #SpeakingOut survivors, my first step is letting these men and women know that I’ve heard their stories, I believe them, and I support them. A tweet, a social media post, a text, a message; they seem like small things, but they can go a long way. They can raise awareness, make someone feel like they aren’t alone, and help change perceptions.

Sonal: It almost seems unheard of that safeguards need to be put in place in the first place as wrestling should be somewhere where people feel safe and that they can enjoy themselves without worrying. However, there needs to be change.

In terms of training for women, their needs to be a female presence within all of these schools and classes. Not only is this beneficial for the training, but it will give other women a feeling of safety with someone they can hopefully talk too about their problems and consult if something bad does happen to them either in the classes or on shows. Trainers, wrestlers and promotions need to ensure that people feel safe to come out and tell someone if something happens to them and not just sweep it under the carpet as many have done. It’s not locker room mentality, it’s wrong.

In the past, people have gotten away with this because of their reputation or fear from bookers of losing sales. However, they need to put the safety and wellbeing of wrestlers and fans ahead of that. Even something as simple as having a security presence prominent during shows and Meet and Greets. If they can show that they’re capable of making this stand, people will feel safer coming to shows.

Colby: When the wrestling media does cover accusations that have yet to be addressed by companies, I think the next move is for the respective company to issue a statement that an investigation is ongoing. And that’s the least they can do. But when it comes to possible cover-ups from those in power, I believe the industry would benefit from some sort of checks and balances system. There needs to be an outside investigator with no ties to the accused parties or those in power who comes in and gets to the bottom of things. I’m not exactly sure how to go about establishing such a system, but I don’t think it’s a far stretch.

Laura: I think the Speak Out movement has shown that women (and men, because this isn’t exclusively a female phenomenon) feel emboldened to speak when others are speaking. There’s safety in numbers and you are less of a target if you aren’t the only one talking. I feel like an official support or crisis group would be a good start. Unionisation also offers protection. Basically, we need to make victims feel safe first and foremost, or these things get swept under the rug.

Samantha: Hire more women and hire as many as possible. Women need to be writing stories, booking shows, promoting shows, running the whole damn show. They need to be there for actual valuable input, not to be paraded as a “diversity hire” to look good. Hire more POC and LGBTQIA+ people. Wrestling promotions need to look like the fans in their audience and tell their stories too.

Promotions need to make it clear that their locker rooms are a safe space. They need to know who to go to if anything arises that makes them uncomfortable. They need to know that they will be believed. Terra Calaway has created a private Facebook group for women/non-binary talent, managers, refs, etc. to have a safe space. This was created after Sam Leterna recommended pages for women to coordinate travel, share info, and experiences for women in wrestling.

I’ve seen quite a few people recommend background checks on all hires. This is important as background checks are done in a majority of workplaces. Of course, there will be “clean” people who still do bad things. The point is to limit it as much as possible where promotions can.

Make mental health a priority. A common thread seems to be issues with mental health. Mental health is not an excuse to harm another person. It’s likely not plausible for smaller promotions to have a mental health expert on hand, however, they should have the information of one to direct talent and employees to at the very least. Major promotion should employ mental health experts or therapists to have available 24/7.

How do you think the promotions have handled this situation so far (this can be major or indie)?

Dorathy: I’m not overly impressed by how the promotions have handles things, overall; however, we are really less than a week into the stories coming out, and true and substantial change takes time. Of course, WWE and AEW issued statements, with Jack Gallagher eventually being released. Was he let go because he was expendable, or because he fessed up, or because there was enough evidence to prove his guilt? It’s hard to say at this point.

I believe the way AEW handled Jimmy Havoc and ensuring he gets help is a step in the right direction. It’s also important for us all to realize that while all these stories are grouped together within a hashtag, all cases are unique and individual in their own right.

With that said, there are some smaller promotions who have either refuted the claims outright, or tried to create an illusion around a “safe” environment (which is the way I read it), which seems as if they are trying to tuck this under the rug. The first thing that all wrestling promotions need to do is acknowledge that there is a problem, and how to move forward to ensure talents feel like they are working in a professional and safe place.

Sonal: The honest answer is that nobody ever expected all the promotions to react in the right way. For many of them, especially the larger ones, they’re just doing the bare minimum to avoid any backlash. Many have dismissed talent that they see as disposable and not focused on those larger names with the same allegations.

Another has seen the best route as therapy rather than holding that person to account on such a serious matter. On a more positive note, the smaller promotions seem to be trying. Many promotions and schools in the UK have taken amazing steps by adding women to their organisational teams, creating wellbeing outlets and ensuring that all training classes have women present if needed. In hindsight, all of this should have been present before, but it’s a start.

However, more can always be done but it will definitely be a long and ongoing process.

Colby:  As of this writing, I would venture to say that indie companies have handled this better than major promotions so far. I say this because some of the smaller companies under fire were the first to cut ties with accused abusers and make administrative changes where needed.

AEW and Impact have only addressed a select number of cases and certainly not everyone with claims against them. Then there’s WWE who are eerily quiet on the matter. The company immediately cut ties with Jack Gallagher, but only released vague statements on the likes of Jordan Devlin and Matt Riddle. So, what gives?

It’s quite possible that WWE and Gallagher didn’t have a great relationship, so they decided to part ways without hesitation. Maybe Gallagher failed to deny the claims? Either way, I personally don’t like that WWE keeps these serious matters so hush-hush, while smaller companies tend to be more direct in their announcements on this matter.

Laura: Purging the rot is a good start, but it’s a hollow gesture if that’s all they do. I’ve spoken to a few people closely affiliated with certain indies and there is work happening, crucially involving the wrestlers – that’s where it needs to start. It can’t just be a PR job, there has to be institutional change led by the talent. AEW re-educating wrestlers is a positive step in my view.

Samantha: The bigger promotions have been largely disappointing. They give glossy statements that don’t address the issue. In the beginning, WWE put out a weak statement. They have since fired Jack Gallagher, Ligero and Travis Banks. However, they’ve allowed Matt Riddle debut on SmackDown.

AEW should be commended for getting Jimmy Havoc the treatment he obviously needs. However, mental illness and substance addictions are not excuses for rape. He should’ve been fired and they could’ve quietly paid for his treatment. They handled the Sammy Guevara situation much better. AEW have repeatedly touted themselves as being an alternative to WWE. If they are truly as progressive as they say they are, then they have to handle these allegations more seriously.

ROH put out an underwhelming statement and I don’t trust their internal investigations. An outside independent person or company should be investigating so that it is unbiased.

RIPTIDE Wrestling have handled this situation very well. They are currently editing out all matches that feature wrestlers that have been outed. This is the right thing to do and they should be commended for their quick response.

Where does the wrestling industry go from here?

Dorathy: First and foremost, each of these allegations needs to be investigated, and repercussions should follow suit. All promotions need to streamline policies and procedures for survivors within their company know and understand how to reach (and to whom) within an organization when something like this occurs. Survivors need to be treated with respect, so that if something terrible happens, they don’t come out years later, rather they do so right away.

I’m sure both AEW and WWE have a code of conduct, and both organizations need to have a zero-tolerance policy in this respect.

Moreover, the wrestling community needs to let these promotions – big or small – that we don’t accept this behavior, and our dollars and viewership will prove just how unacceptable this all is.

Sonal: That’s the million-pound question. For many, people have lost their faith and confidence in the industry. It’s going to take a lot to get this confidence back and it will take time. Nobody knows how it will affect wrestling in terms of attendance due to the current circumstances. However, the entire industry has a lot to answer for. They need to find a way to gain back the trust of their audiences and find a way to make it more welcoming.

There needs to be change in the way wrestling is run and they need to be proactive in going forward rather than trying to brush things under the carpet whether it’s imposing safeguards, sacking talent or an organisational restructure. Speak to the talent, speak to the fans and find out what would make them safe.

It’s time for companies to put safety above profits and only then can the wrestling industry find a way to make it alive. Ensure that this movement is never forgotten about and that they keep it in mind when booking every show or putting on every training class.

Colby: Changes need to be made across the board in the wrestling industry, and it should start at the top with WWE. However, I think what we’re going to see throughout this year as wrestling events resume and companies reevaluate is that the smaller promotions will lead the way in effective changes. WWE may unfortunately be last as long as Vince McMahon and other like-minded individuals are in power.

Wrestling companies need to put a hold on booking accused talent until an investigation has concluded. No more scaling back someone’s push or TV time until it “blows over.” That person needs to, at the very least, be temporarily removed from storylines or suspended. Full stop. Luckily, this is a policy that some indie companies have already established.

It may take a while before true change takes full effect, but the fight will be worth it. Don’t think for a second that this is just a social media movement taking place because we’re in quarantine. Believe victims. Call out and take action against abusers. The wrestling industry needs to be safe for everyone.

Laura: Safeguarding. No other industry would allow the training of young people in a potentially dangerous sport without proper background checks and certification. Better regulation is needed.

Samantha: Burn it all down and rebuild it. This reckoning is decades in the making and now the industry and fans have to work together to build the communities that they want. It will start with the indies. The bigger promotions will likely be slower, but they still have to be held accountable.

Although the fans can give input on what they want to see, it is on the wrestling industry to make these changes and ensure that safeguards are implemented and executed.

Is there anything else you’d like to share/add/discuss that hasn’t already been mentioned?

Sonal: It’s also so important to mention that these incidents shouldn’t just raise the topic of safety and respect for women as it is so much wider than that. Everyone should feel safe at a show no matter what their age, race, gender or sexuality.

Laura: One small ray of light has been that people are definitively moving towards believing the victim. I’ve seen so much support out there and if it were even ten years ago, I’m not sure it would have been the same. We need to continue to empower one another and support one another so that speaking out becomes the norm.

Samantha: These stories can’t be dismissed just because they’re calling out your favorite. A few of my favorites have been named and I believe the survivors. They deserve to have a space to tell their stories without being shamed, trolled, or worse–getting death threats.

Thank you to everyone that participated in this important discussion. This is just the beginning and we have a very long way to go. To everyone #SpeakingOut, thank you for your bravery and for your candidness. For those that aren’t ready to speak out, you are brave too.