Referee Dallas Edwards cleared to return months after scary in-ring incident
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.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.