In a time where wrestling promotions are alleged to be at war, is welfare a priority for promotions?
So, I started 2020 with a prescription for antibiotics for an ear infection… it’s now February and, lo and behold, I’m still ill. This is the reason why I’ve not been as active on the article front as I’d have liked. This 6-ish weeks of being ill (ear infections combined with anaemia and other issues) have forced me to look at my life and attempt to make changes to introduce habits that enable me to take ‘me time’. This, I must admit, has been difficult. For example, I’m attempting to set aside 10 minutes a day to practice a new technique to help me to relax. Doing so makes me feel incredibly guilty and I sometimes think of ways this time could be ‘better spent’. If this is difficult for me, with my ‘regular’ job and writing articles as a hobby, it made wonder how difficult this would be to do when travelling from state to state, country to country, being involved in press and publicity tours, working out and attempting to learn and improve in such a physical profession. Presumably, it must get harder for talent to make such time between January – April, considering its officially Wrestlemania season. Arguably the most important time for wrestling fans and performers alike. During this time, so much happens in terms of storylines, promotion tours, PPVs etc, that these first few months of the wrestling year seemingly pass within a blink of an eye. This year, it seems more intense, especially with new promotions and competition on the scene and the presumed one-upmanship that accompanies such changes. If we as wrestling fans struggle to make time for ourselves, it must be asked, how can promotions make welfare a priority?
Before I continue, it’s important to clarify a few things – when I discuss wellness or welfare, I mean both the mental and physical happiness of the wrestlers as, for me, these have equal importance. I also do not know the ins and outs of being a professional wrestler and the demands placed on them by companies; if any. The ‘demands’ I allude to throughout this has been assumed based off what I’ve seen in documentaries, magazines, interviews, etc. and the application of common sense. As with most articles, I will attempt to keep this as generic as I can and attempt not to single out one promotion over another. However, it’s important to admit here that I am pretty much an exclusive WWE viewer so whilst I may use more examples from WWE this is in no way aimed directly at them or their practices. It’s also important to remember, that some of the responsibility for welfare and wellbeing needs to be placed onto the performers themselves – after all, they know themselves better than anyone else!
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There were two catalysts for this article, and both centre around WWE and their conduct. The first one was their conflicting attitudes and treatment of staff with mental health conditions. Of course, this is where we discuss the treatment of Mauro Ranallo during his tenures with the company. Mauro has openly discussed his bipolar on social media and via his documentary “Bipolar Rock N’ Roller”. Given that Mauro is an advocate for mental health, it would be easy to assume that the company would factor this in when dealing with any issue that arises concerning him. Yet in March 2017 Mauro disappeared from commentary for Smack Down Live. Despite the explanations given by WWE at the time, it was clear that something wasn’t quite right. Then accusations of bullying started circulating, identifying JBL as the culprit. From the outside it felt like nothing was done. Fair play to the fans, they started chanting “fire JBL” and cancelling their network subscriptions in protest, but even this wasn’t enough to trigger WWE to act. Whilst the bullying accusations have been denied on both Mauro and JBLs part, who has since decreased his appearances on WWE programming, there was still enough rumours and anecdotes that negatively portrayed JBL.
Whilst Mauro eventually returned to WWE on their NXT brand two years later WWE found themselves in another controversy involving Mauro and another staff member. This time, it was Corey Graves. The platform was more public, as Corey had made unprovoked negative comments seemingly aimed at Mauro via Twitter. Again, Mauro missed work and has deleted his social media accounts. Whilst Corey has apologised via his podcast, admitting that it wasn’t the most professional of moves to make, Mauro has still not returned to social media, but has (thankfully) returned to commentary on NXT. Yet again, from the outside, it seems that WWE have done nothing to tackle this. What’s even more upsetting is that Corey himself has experienced mental health conditions, even tweeting about them on World Mental Health Day.
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Amazingly, fans defended Mauro publicly via Twitter and other social media outlets. With many fans commenting that the unprovoked nature of Corey’s comments seemingly made the situation worse. In the aftermath that followed, rumours circulated that WWE Officials backstage believed that Corey is the wronged party in this situation, especially as he was playing up to the brand rivalry element of Survivor Series. The issue? It appears that no one told Mauro that this was part of the storyline. Surely, if this was the case someone should have mentioned it to him? Interestingly, Corey’s’ tweets from November 23rd surrounding Mauro have been deleted, but you can easily find them via google or the screen shots floating about Twitter.
Irrespective of how we view JBL, Corey and Mauro, given our knowledge of the mental health conditions of two of the individuals, as a repercussion for both situations, WWE should have been seen to act whilst it ‘investigated’? Even if no action was taken? This would, from a PR perspective, sent the message that WWE truly valued the mental wellbeing of its staff. It would have made it loud and clear that overall welfare of its employees is imperative to them. They could have been seen to embrace the positive changes surrounding mental health currently happening in our society. As wrestling is a male dominated profession, acting on both incidents could have encouraged others (especially males) to openly discuss their mental health. Instead, WWE was seemingly hasty to silence the situation in the hopes that it died down on its own. Inevitably, it did – but this whole situation could have easily been avoided had WWE been more proactive in its approach to dealing with bullying allegations.
The other was the rumour that Bray Wyatt would face Kane in an inferno match at the upcoming Super Showdown event. I’ll try not to get too political or make WWE the easy targets on this issue, it is worth considering that WWEs behaviour on this one issue alone seems to contradict other points I will raise later in this article.
You may have seen this image I shared to the Wrestling With Johners Facebook Page back in January:
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When I first saw the image and the rumour that this would be an inferno match, my initial thought was “really? In the heat of Saudi Arabia?” I was reminded of previous concerns raised regarding the temperatures of Saudi Arabia and if performers would be able to cope in them. I also had concerns as to whether this event would be held in an open-air arena, increasing the possibility for injury due to unpredictable weather. Let’s not forget that The Undertaker famously suffered second-degree burns during his entrance before the Elimination Chamber match in 2010. This was due to a pyro malfunction but was conducted in a ‘controlled environment’ and an arena with a roof. I dread to think what could happen if there was a malfunction in an open-air arena during an inferno match. Surely, I can’t be the only one?
Nevertheless, the scheduled 27th February show will be conducted in much cooler temperatures than previous events, as Crown Jewel falls in October / November which is the hotter months on average, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in being concerned about the performers welfare should an inferno match happen at an event in Saudi Arabia. Whilst it’s now mid-February and we know this won’t happen, due to Goldberg challenging the Fiend, the thought of an inferno match in such unpredictable conditions still makes me uncomfortable, especially as wrestling isn’t like football or rugby – there is no one waiting on the touch lines with water, ready to run on and hand out drinks to help keep performers hydrated and, whilst it may be scripted, it would somewhat ruin the suspension of belief if the ref were to call for a ‘water break’.
Thinking of the other complaints that have arisen from the Saudi Arabia shows (and I’ll mention a few, but not all); from the controversy caused by showing of a trailer featuring female performers (granted, women were not allowed to perform at the time of it being broadcast, but surely it must have been made clear that this was a worldwide broadcast and not just in Jeddah); political tensions both internationally and amongst the talents who ended up refusing to perform on the show; to the travel issues caused after the 2019 Crown Jewel show, surely the above would be enough to make WWE reconsider this deal. It can be argued that continuing with it sends a clear message not only to the talent but to the fans. The objective is to make money rather than listen to the concerns or prioritise the wellbeing of performers. John Oliver pointed out that for a crowd to turn on The Undertaker when cutting a promo shows just how upset the fans are with the situation – whatever their reason for it.
Moving away from WWE for a while, other promotions should not be ignored when it comes to controversy surrounding the welfare of performers. The match between Omega and Moxley at AEW Full Gear in 2019 was one of the more controversial matches of recent times. From the barbed wire bed frame; the glass table spot; to the bloodshed and the investigation that followed it, this was enough for mainstream media outlets to become aware of and discuss it. To us wrestling fans, although divided in opinions, we can often agree that this match is tame in comparison to other promotions and matches, especially those involving Moxley. A quick internet search will provide access to the CZW Tournament of Death archives featuring Moxley. There are more famous death matches that I can mention, such as the Mick Foley vs Terry Funk King of the Deathmatch 1995 finals, but they are a difficult watch. I have said before that death matches are not my thing – I understand their appeal and respect anyone who works them, but I become too uncomfortable watching them, possibly due to my own anxieties regarding pain or because I am genuinely concerned for the welfare of the performers. How far is too far when it comes to deathmatches? Given the past decade of changes that have happened within professional wrestling it can be argued that death matches need to become a thing of the past if performer welfare is truly made a priority within promotions. (I know it won’t happen, as they’re always a draw, but it does need to be asked).
Whilst were here, it is also worth considering if it’s time for the impact of Strong Style on wrestlers to be looked at from a welfare perspective. Whilst there is no doubt in my mind that all styles of wrestling hurt and will leave a mark, Strong Style seems to hurt more. I know that that’s what its intended to do, especially given the respect placed onto professional wrestling within Japan, where this style originates. For example, the crowd are largely silent during matches – a stark contrast to some American and British fans. It’s no secret that Strong Style causes divided opinions amongst fans – yet another reason to love this crazy industry! Whilst I love watching Strong Style (if I’m being honest, I’ve not seen that much of it) and respect any of the performers who use this style, it can sometimes be brutal to watch. If we look at the broken neck Hiromu Takahashi’s suffered during his match against Dragon Lee at the G1 Special in July 2018, not only do I wince and hold my breath every time I see it (and let out several expletives), but I instantly respect Takahashi a lot more because of his ability to finish the match yet alone walk backstage and eventually return to wrestling in 2020. However, it also raises questions. It is one thing for a performer to say they’re ok, but what if they’re not being truthful to themselves or their colleagues’? Whilst I don’t know if the seriousness of the injury was apparent at the time, surely it would have been a wise decision to stop the match as soon as the move had ended and had Takahashi taken to hospital immediately from the ring? It may be argued that this action alone undermines the principals of Strong Style, but surely, it’s better to be cautious, especially when it concerns a neck injury? Again, I’m left asking how far is too far? What is the mental impact of Strong Style on a performer, especially if in constant pain? (I know this won’t happen, but I must play devil’s advocate… right?).
Yet, there seems to be slithers of change immerging from promotions. One of the biggest ones is AEWs’ announcement in 2019 that all talents will begin on the same rate of pay. Whilst this is not directly related to welfare per se, I can only imagine that this has done wonders for the morale of the locker room, especially the female half. New talents to the company will see that they are equal – they do the same job, take similar risks to perform, in the same company, attend the same shows… so why not? It is literally their gender that separates them. Granted, things like experience comes into play, but as Brandi Rhodes herself explained it:
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Another encouraging change is the fact that issues like this are being addressed so publicly. The wrestling industry was once shrouded in mystery that only the ‘hardcore’ fans were in the know. This has continued to change – from Mean Genes’ Hotline, to internet-based dirt sheets to podcasts (to name but a few) the industry is more exposed than ever. Whilst it can be argued that addressing of the gender pay gap is merely AEW doing everything they can to please the fans and make it stand out against WWE, it is one hell of a statement to make. It could lead to other promotions falling in line to ensure they are on the same level – especially if things continue to be as competitive.
Other issues such as the #GiveDivasAChance movement in 2015 that trended and started the ‘Women’s Evolution’ that we now see in WWE. This movement can be argued that it was simply a ploy by WWE to placate the fans and establish damage limitations – especially in the wake of AJ Lee calling out Stephanie McMahon on Twitter, raising concerns over pay issues and screen time. From a female perspective, women’s wrestling in WWE alone has come a long way in close to 5 years. Its not perfect… see Lana / Rusev / Lashley, but for every misstep there is a Becky Lynch, Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair and Toni Storm (to name a few) that give glimmers of hope. There are other promotions that continue to raise the bar when it comes to Women’s Wrestling. The likes of World Wonder Ring Stardom, Women of Honour, Impact Wrestling, ICW and Progress all offer viable alternatives. Hell, at the time of writing this, the current Impact Wrestling world champion is none other than Tessa Blanchard. This can be nothing but good for the welfare of female performers – especially as there are now bigger and bolder goals to aim for.
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Another example of change is the portrayal of real injuries during a live broadcast. During the Worlds Collide Tournament in January 2020, Alexander Wolfe was knocked out during the main event of Imperium vs Undisputed Era. The footage is available online and a simple internet search will take you to it. Whilst this is professional wrestling, the performers take risks and there is a chance that things can go wrong, the way this incident was portrayed on WWE TV was different. The Referee Drake Younger (ironically another CZW Tournament of Death Alumni) notices something is not right during the pin and stops counting, pushing Bobby Fish off so he can get a closer look at Wolfe. Before you know it, the ‘X’ is thrown up and the reaction of everyone – those in the ring, the stunned silence of the crowd to those on commentary lets you at home know something is not right. Wolfe was quickly removed from the ring and the match continued, albeit with a slightly sombre tone. Wolfe did tweet later to say that he was fine, it was his own fault and thanking Drake and WWE Medical staff for their help. The way Alexander Wolfe’s situation was handled is a stark contrast to how Enzo Amore’s injury was treated during the Payback PPV in 2016. The audience was treated to several replays of Enzo being knocked out – both at home and in the arena. Irrespective of your opinions towards Enzo as a person, this was difficult to watch. A legitimate knock out to a human being. There was, IMO anyway, no need to have that many replays of it. Where appropriate, replays can be a good thing – Titus World-Slide, for example. Please, WWE replay it to your hearts content… but a knockout… no. Just no.
Even more positively, look at WWEs’ treatment of Lars Sullivan and his anxiety. According to sources, it was a panic attack that initially stopped his debut on the main roster in 2019. I have an anxiety disorder that can result in panic attacks, so I can absolutely sympathise with anyone who has them. Although everyone is different, panic attacks are scary; they make you think you can’t breathe; you think your heart will explode because its beating so fast; that you’re going to pass out at best or at worse you will die; they make you embarrassed, forgetful, and tired; you can be on edge for hours after, if you’re unlucky; if you’re lucky they happen in private and last minutes (but this feels like hours). They are no laughing matter. Irrespective of the trigger for Sullivan’s’ attack – some sources imply it was stage fright others suggest that the trigger was the knowledge that his poor conduct on social media was about to resurface. Putting feelings towards these comments aside for a moment, in my opinion, WWE made the right decision to take Sullivan out of the situation and let him address the anxiety. Although a person will never be anxiety free (it is normal to have anxiety from time to time), hopefully the right treatment for Sullivan was sought – be it medication, counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (to name a few). Although Sullivan is now injured and therefore off TV, it will be a case of waiting and seeing if this issue is now fully resolved. It will be interesting over the next few months and years to see how prepared promotions are when it comes to helping superstars cope with mental health conditions.
From a PR perspective, every wrestling promotion would love to be praised for truly putting the performers wellbeing at the centre of what they do. In an ideal world, performers wellbeing would be prioritised over anything else – be it ratings to revenue. As discussed throughout this article, there are some promotions that are better at it than others, just like there are certain businesses that excel at one aspect compared to another and vice versa. It is interesting that some of these promotions are newer than others, meaning one could make the argument that the newer promotions are not stuck in their ways. Importantly, positive changes are happening and, even if they may not be directly related to welfare, the positive impact on the morale of performers must make a difference. An issue this big is going to take time; promotions may make mistakes along the way and it is worth noting that whilst one method may work for one company, it may not be possible for others to follow suit. With that in mind, there is still a long way to go before wellbeing is truly made a priority for some wrestling promotions.