Tag: dallas edwards

Referee Dallas Edwards cleared to return months after scary in-ring incident

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Referee Dallas Edwards is getting back into the swing of things nearly three months after being involved in a terrible in-ring accident.

At an Ohio Valley Wrestling show in March, Edwards suffered a medical emergency where he began convulsing after taking part in a planned spot. He was taken to the hospital after the incident and monitored for a possible brain bleed and concussion. He faced a difficult recovery in the following weeks and months but is now fully cleared and has already returned to refereeing.

“A great majority of people already caught wind, but I got fully cleared recently and am back to reffing! The recovery hasn’t been an easy one, but there have been some amazing people in my circle that went above and beyond to make sure that I wasn’t alone. You all know who you are,” Edwards wrote on social media. “I want every one of you to know that I am eternally grateful for your love, and support through a really tough time.

“With that being said, I will be resuming my schedule from before and taking additional bookings accordingly!!”

Controversy over OVW incident —

OVW faced significant backlash for how it handled Edwards’ medical emergency. When he started convulsing, the match did not immediately stop and the wrestlers continued working around him. The talent involved, and the medic at ringside, did not grasp the severity of the situation right away. OVW said that, because the referee is supposed to be the central point of communication, this was an unprecedented situation and resulted in a communication breakdown.

Edwards’ friends and family were among those to criticize OVW. His mother spoke to WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky in March when the incident happened.

“I’m not upset about the bump. Dallas knows how to fall, and he has trained as a wrestler,” Tammy Edwards said. “What I’m concerned about is the lack of preparation OVW had when a medical emergency like this happened. Nobody stopped the match. They are wrestling over top of my child as he seizes.”

The medical emergency happened after a spot where Edwards took a Phenomenal Forearm and then hit the mat hard. Eventually, the match and show were stopped and Edwards received medical attention.

OVW referee Dallas Edwards home following in-ring incident

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Dallas Edwards is home recovering after a scary incident took place during an OVW event last week.

Bryan Alvarez reports that Edwards is now home recovering, writing: “Referee Dallas Edwards went home Sunday and is on the road to recovery! Best wishes to him!”

The injury took place Thursday when Edwards landed badly after taking a phenomenal forearm, causing him to visibly convulse as the match went on. Despite this the match continued for some time, with one wrestler even moving Edwards with his foot so he wouldn’t be in the way. Eventually it was called off and the show went off the air as Edwards got medical attention. Shortly after the incident, it was said he was awake and alert.

Edwards released a statement on social media the following day saying that he suffered a concussion and a subdural hematoma and would be taking some time away to get his health and life back in order.

Co-owner of OVW Al Snow later released a statement saying the company would review “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.”

WOL: Why was Cody Rhodes so annoying on WWE SmackDown?

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

OVW referee Dallas Edwards released a positive message from the hospital regarding his unfortunate, dangerous and scary incident at OVW in Kentucky on Thursday.

On Friday’s WWE SmackDown, was Cody Rhodes being annoying on purpose during the contract signing with Randy Orton? He was so syrupy sweet and nice to Orton, so it was no wonder part of the crowd booed him. Is this the direction to WrestleMania or just for the angle?

Also, Jim talks about Rey de Reyes night one on Saturday and who is leaving AAA: Dom or Vikingo?

Plus, CMLL, New Japan Cup, AEW Collision, Jelly Roll, Danhausen, Kit Wilson and lots more. Another packed Saturday so here we go.

Right Click Save As (sub needed)

Al Snow issues statement on OVW referee suffering medical emergency

Posted on by Ian Carey

Al Snow has released a statement regarding the medical emergency suffered by referee Dallas Edwards at an OVW show on Thursday.

Edwards was taken to the hospital after suffering a medical emergency following a spot where he took a Phenomenal Forearm to the head. After the move, Edwards suffered a seizure and was seen convulsing in the ring. The match continued around him, with one of the wrestlers at one point moving Edwards with his foot so the bout could continue.

Edwards was later said to be awake and coherent in hospital. His girlfriend released a statement to Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, noting that Edwards suffered a brain injury and is being monitored.

Edwards released a statement on Friday saying he suffered a concussion and a subdural hematoma (brain bleed). He said he was scheduled for a CT scan on Saturday and added that he holds no ill will toward anyone involved in the situation.

Several people from around the wrestling world have expressed criticism toward the promotion for how it handled the situation.

Snow, who is the co-owner of OVW, released the following statement on Saturday.

Snow’s statement reads:

“Hello everyone, this is Al Snow. I want to speak directly to our fans and the wrestling community regarding the incident involving Referee Dallas Edwards at last week’s event.

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.

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.

We are relieved to hear that Dallas is recovering and receiving the medical care he needs. Our thoughts are with him, and we’re hoping for his continued improvement.

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. 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.

These updates include enhanced communication systems, additional referee training, and expanded ringside response measures to help ensure that a situation like this is identified and addressed as quickly as possible.

We appreciate the concern and passion from our fans, and we understand the importance of transparency during moments like this. We will continue to share updates when appropriate, and we ask everyone to keep Dallas in your thoughts as he continues his recovery.

Thank you.”

OVW referee Dallas Edwards shares health update following injury

Posted on by Bryan Rose

OVW referee Dallas Edwards gave an update on his health following a scary incident on Thursday.

On social media, Edwards wrote that he is suffering from a concussion and a subdural hematoma following the in-ring incident and will take some time away to get his health and life back in order. He said that he will get a CT scan on Saturday morning and if everything goes well, he will be heading home then.

“I appreciate all of the support everyone has been offering but as far as money goes, I am grateful to be in a position that I can manage an accident like this,” he said. “In lieu of donations, I instead implore all of my fellow workers to get some sort of training in assisting another’s life. Being in the position before, it’s very important to be educated in all scenarios relating to injury, illness, or condition in the ring, especially when we’re performing.”

“I am not mad at anyone or anything other than the situation as a whole, and that I’ve been sitting for about 24 hours straight in a hospital lol,” he added.

During a multi-man match at OVW Rise, Edwards did planned spot where he was to take a Phenomenal Forearm. That spot didn’t go as planned, with Edwards taking a hard fall on impact. He remained on the ground until he started to convulse. Despite this, the match continued as planned with one of the wrestlers pushing Edwards out of the way with their foot so Edwards wouldn’t be in the path for the next spot. The match was eventually stopped and the show went off the air as Edwards got medical attention.

OVW issues statement on referee Dallas Edwards medical emergency

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ohio Valley Wrestling has now issued a statement regarding the scary incident that took place at the promotion’s Thursday night event in Louisville, Kentucky.

During a match at the event, referee Dallas Edwards suffered a medical emergency while participating in a planned spot. He went down after taking a Phenomenal Forearm and started to convulse in an apparent seizure. Though something was clearly wrong, the performers continued with the match until it was stopped. Edwards then received medical attention and the show ended.

Edwards was taken to the hospital, and OVW said he is now doing much better. The promotion asked everyone to keep Edwards in their thoughts and respect his privacy and the privacy of his family.

“Last night during Rise, referee Dallas Edwards – a member of our OVW family – experienced a
medical emergency during the broadcast,” OVW said. “OVW takes the health and well-being of all our performers extremely seriously, and as a company we are all distraught to see an injury to one of our own.

“Dallas is alert and doing much better. We ask everyone to keep him in your thoughts and prayers and respect his and his family’s privacy at this time.

“We will provide an update as soon as it is available, but in the meantime, we wish Dallas a speedy recovery and we can’t wait until he’s back with our OVW family very soon.”

Video of the incident has circulated on social media, with OVW and the wrestlers in the match drawing criticism for how the situation was handled. ROH wrestler Beef/Gnarls Garvin — who is one of Edwards’ best friends — said he’s ashamed of all of the wrestlers involved who did not put Edwards’ safety first. Others have called for a renewed focus on safety in the wake of this incident.

WOL: Horrific incident involving Dallas Edwards, WrestleMania, Revolution

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm returns with tons to talk about including the horrific incident with referee Dallas Edwards at last night’s OVW show, injuries in wrestling, Seth Rollins and the build to WrestleMania, AEW Revolution and so much more. A packed show, so check it out~!

Right Click Save As

Referee Dallas Edwards suffers medical emergency during OVW spot

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Referee Dallas Edwards was taken to the hospital on Thursday night after suffering a medical emergency at an Ohio Valley Wrestling event.

During a multi-man tag match, there was a spot where Edwards entered the ring as the second referee after the initial ref was taken out in a ref bump. Edwards then took part in a planned spot where one of the competitors shoved him in the way to take a Phenomenal Forearm. The spot went wrong and Edwards hit hard. He stayed down on the mat until convulsing in an apparent seizure. As that happened, the match continued around him — with one of the wrestlers even moving Edwards out of the way and pushing him with his foot so that Edwards wouldn’t be in the path of the next move.

The match was then finally stopped and the show went off the air as Edwards received medical attention. He was taken to the hospital but is said to be awake, coherent, and in good spirits. OVW wrestler Jake Lawless shared a photo of Edwards in the hospital giving a thumbs up.

Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp shared a statement from Edwards’ girlfriend, who is asking everyone to keep him in their thoughts. She noted that Edwards suffered a brain injury that is being monitored at the hospital.

In a Facebook post, ROH wrestler Beef/Gnarls Garvin expressed how angry he is with everyone who did not help Edwards as he was suffering the medical emergency.

“This is a very serious post from me. Dallas Edwards is one of my best friends in this world. I spend time with him almost every single day. What happened last night at OVW Wrestling was and is complete total negligence and 100% avoidable,” he wrote. “I am beyond anger right now and everyone involved with not helping him while having a seizure, needs to burn their boots or go back to training day one.

“Accidents happen, what we do is very dangerous. I am very ashamed in all of the wrestlers who didn’t put safety first of all involved. Say a prayer for Dallas today.”

WWE referee Jason Ayers was among those who responded to the post from Beef/Garvin.

“Absolutely infuriating,” Ayers wrote. “I sent him a message but if you talk to him please tell him I’m sending prayers for a speedy recovery”

A statement from OVW regarding the incident can be read here.