Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Greg Coleman and Robert DeFelice discuss the current issues of concussions in professional wrestling.
Question 1: With concussions in wrestling seemingly at an all time high, is there anything the major wrestling promotions can do to mitigate them? Are concussions ultimately unavoidable despite taking precautions in professional wrestling?
ALLSOPP: I seriously believe there needs to be an industry wide training programme implemented sooner, rather than later. This would need to be a series of training events and education on the dangers of concussions. Think about it this way - Christopher Nowinski has been working hard to highlight the issues of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy for many years. Yes, Steel Chair shots to the head are pretty much outlawed these days, and wrestlers are perhaps competing in the safest era of the industry, but further education is required to truly mitigate the risk of concussions. I will admit that part of the danger of being a professional wrestler is injuries, especially head and neck injuries due to the manner of tucking your head. Still, more things can be done to prevent concussions, with the current spike in incidents suggesting that such a training programme would help address some of the issues.
COLEMAN: I believe the biggest thing that pro wrestling promotions can do to mitigate concussions is to train referees extensively to spot the early warning signs of potential concussions, and appoint medical personnel to watch matches to also look for signs of potential concussions. Pro wrestling is similar to boxing, MMA, and Football in that participating in the sport inherently brings a risk of concussions. Limiting moves that are considered high risk could help, but a wrestler could get a concussion from taking a bad flat back bump or a clothesline.
DeFELICE: I don't feel comfortable saying that concussions are unavoidable, and I don't think that is a factor of concussions being at an all-time high, I think it's a case of concussion awareness being at an all-time high. This is a good thing because this means that proper precautions are being taken, as seen with Adam Page. In another era, the match would have been continued and eventually finished but as we saw on Wednesday, things were quickly stopped and the right steps were taken to look after his health.
As for what can be done to mitigate concussions, I think wrestlers do their best to take calculated risks. Sometimes, as we saw with Page, it's the most routine maneuvers that lead to these unfortunate injuries.
Question 2: Hangman Adam Page is reported to have sustained a concussion against Jon Moxley on Dynamite. What are your thoughts on fans booing this - is it an indication that fans generally aren't fully aware of the dangers of concussions?
COLEMAN: My answer to this question is a bit layered. I think fans that boo any athlete being legitimately hurt is disgusting and disrespectful. However, I believe in the specific space of pro wrestling, fans that boo initially should be granted a bit of grace because of how injuries have been used as an angle in the past. Although I don’t agree, I could see a fan’s initial reaction seeing Hangman Adam Page laid out from the King Kong Lariat by Moxley, and having the match called thinking that this was a way to have a non-finish in a match that in my opinion shouldn’t have happened to begin with. Now, if after you see genuine concern from Moxley and the EMTs come out with a stretcher, you still boo, you are a terrible, disgusting human being who should be banned from attending any performing arts event or sports event in person.
I believe wrestling fans that are fans of other sports especially football and boxing are fully aware of the dangers of concussions and brain trauma. The difference is if you see Tom Brady get a hard hit and he lays motionless on the field, no one watching would believe Brady was selling.
DeFELICE: They weren't booing the precautions taken they were booing the fact that a highly-anticipated main event was cut short. I think that's natural. It comes down to feeling and by the end of the night, they were all chanting his name.
ALLSOPP: To boo despite it being clear that there was a genuine injury is a severely egregious mistake on behalf of the fans who did so. It may have been the main event of a show for the AEW World Championship, but the safety of wrestlers is paramount, trumping the importance of actually finishing a match. I'd like to think it was a case of being invested in the bout, but I'm not convinced. Just as wrestlers could do with further education on the risks of concussions, I feel the smart fans should also educate themselves on those risks to apprecaite the hard work put in by wrestlers to provide them with match after match of enjoyment.
Question 3: Bryan Danielson returned to active wrestling following years in the wilderness due to historical concussion issues. Is his return an outlier, or proof that with the right support and monitoring, multiple concussions don't need to result in retirement?
DeFELICE: Daniel Bryan returning, Edge returning, and even Saraya, I think all of these returns have showing that with the proper care, people can continue to perform and do what they love. There's never going to be a single solitary answer as to how athletes in any sport should approach concussions because every human being is different and all we can do is learn as we go. I hope that Adam Page will be back in due time just as I hope the same for Adam Cole.
ALLSOPP: I have issues with wrestlers (and performers in other sports such as Formula One, Rugby, American Football etc) coming back to a sport they have taken a step back from due to serious injury. This is even moreso the case when they have a family, as further injury could end up in a debilitating outcome. From a fan's point of view, I'm glad Bryan Danielsion has returned to the sport he loves, but as a father myself, I do feel worried that one freak incident could result in tragedy. Adam Cole is also reportedly out with a severe concussion a la Danielson, so I hope he takes all the time he needs to recover and identify what he should do next. Safety should always be the number one priority.
COLEMAN: I don’t believe Daniel Bryan’s situation has to be an outlier. I think the more educated everyone in wrestling becomes about concussions, the better everyone in wrestling will be able to provide care, treatment, and resources to improve both short and long-term recovery from concussions.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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