Eric Bischoff On Recent Scary Situation Involving OVW Referee: Everybody F***ed Up’

As the expression goes “to err is human,” especially in a high-paced space like pro wrestling. Mistakes do happen. Luckily by the grace of good fortune, what started off as a near death moment on Thursday, March 12, turned mending after an Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) referee, Dallas Edwards, took an unpleasant Phenomenal Forearm bump, leaving him convulsed and in an apparent seizure. Rather than stop the match, it continued. Wearing many hats on the mat and around it, the current Chief Media Officer for Real American Freestyle Wrestling, Eric Bischoff, had this to say about the catastrophic event.

“Everybody f***ed up,” the former Executive Producer and late Senior Vice President of WCW said on his “83 Weeks” podcast. “There’s really one thing that should have happened in that situation, and that would be to shut the show down and make sure this young man wasn’t in a situation worse than he obviously was, because that could have been true, too…It’s just life or potentially life or death…The talent, they’re too caught up in their own s***. They’re inexperienced and probably never even imagined being in a situation like this. There’s pressure on them, unrealistic pressure that they’re probably putting on themselves.”

Since the initial report, Edwards is out of the hospital and recovering at home. In a social media post on X [formerly known as Twitter], the referee noted that he had suffered a concussion and a subdural hematoma.

Later, co-owner of OVW, Al Snow, released a statement stating 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.” OVW’s next show will be held this Thursday.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.