Famed Chicago venue moving away from wrestling after alleged stabbing incident
The Berwyn Eagles Club in Chicago, Illinois, is getting out of hosting wrestling shows after a recent alleged stabbing incident involving Krule.
As a result, a GCW show scheduled for June 20 had to be cancelled after owner Brett Lauderdale learned about the new policy. A new location has yet to be announced.
Lauderdale took to X Thursday afternoon to air his frustrations:
“This was directly caused by an incident (the fake stabbing) that took place at another promotions event which has caused the town, lawyers & police to be involved. It’s truly a shame to see the Berwyn Eagles and 20+ years of Chicago wrestling history come to an end like this,” he wrote.
The “fake stabbing” is a reference to a late-March incident that saw indie wrestler Krule allegedly stabbed by a fan during a brawl. This took place at his merch table during the final event for deathmatch promotion Ruthless Pro. The wrestler said he was fine afterward and there has been speculation as to whether the incident happened as described.
In a reply to a fan, Lauderdale wrote, “It wasnt a stunt, it was a lie made up by the locker room and the promoters to justify a gang beatdown.”
The final show is an AAW event set for April 24. The promotion noted on X that they were the first wrestling show in the building 22 years ago and will be the last.
“There are thousands of memories within the walls of this venue and it has had such a powerful influence on what you see on tv today. We hope to have you all join us for a final one on 4/24. Everyone at AAW is saddened by this turn of events but we will deliver a last incredible show in Berwyn only as AAW can! Let’s have a great time together!,” they wrote.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.