Al Snow issues statement on OVW referee suffering medical emergency
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.”
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.