AEW Producers Throw Wrestlers Under Bus Regarding Match Safety
Highlights
- AEW has a concerning work environment with a high risk of accidents due to inexperienced performers and a focus on dangerous moves.
- Producers in AEW claim they have instructed wrestlers not to attempt these risky moves, but the wrestlers often ignore them and do their own thing.
- The responsibility falls on Tony Khan, who needs to step in and prioritize safety instead of encouraging wrestlers to push through injuries.
When it comes to work safety in AEW, the company should have a sign up backstage that reads "0 days without incident". Since the day that company came into existence, there has been controversy surrounding not just the inexperience of some of the performers, but the style of the veterans, many of whom are all about high spots and crazy moves. While fun to watch when pulled off properly, the downside is that accidents tend to happen in the ring often.
In fact, things have gotten so bad that analysts and former wrestlers are calling AEW out for such a dangerous work environment. In some cases, the onus is placed on the wrestlers. In others, producers have been called out for allowing matches to be constructed with so many segments that could lead to huge problems. One such wrestler was former ECW and WCW star Stevie Richards. He posted a video of Jon Moxley's recent concussion and called out a lot of people for how incredibly ludicrious it was that the match not only continued, but that some of spots that took place after Moxley was concussed was potentially life threatening.
Richards was part of a follow-up video on the Cafe de Rene with Rene Dupree show and noted that AEW actually reached out to him about the video he made talking about Moxley's injury. Interestingly, the producers who called him wanted to clarify a few things.
First, when Richards got on the phone with more than one producer, he said to tell him where he was right and wrong whiile he analyzed the video. Richards noted that the producers wanted to correct him on any notion that they were telling these wrestlers to do this stuff. In fact, they said that they've been giving instructions to the performers not to try these moves and the wrestlers simply don't listen.
He said that these producers are being ignored and at this point, simply collecting checks because they know the wrestlers will go into business for themselves and do what they want. AEW's roster seems to think they know better than the match producers and just do their own thing. The panel noted that it's going to come back to bite Tony Khan who is ultimately responsible for the safety of his roster.
AEW Has A Real Pecking Order Problem
This isn't the first time AEW's name has been dragged through the mud when it comes to the wrestlers running the show. It's old addage that the inmates are running the asylum and now the producers are taking to tell those with a platform that they aren't responsible. They're trying to keep everyone safe, but their messaging isn't landing.
Until Khan steps in and forces the wrestlers to be safe, this is trend that is likely to continue. And, because speculation is that Khan likes the idea that the performers battle through everything, the focus on safety isn't likely to become a priority.
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