Al Snow Issues Statement After OVW Referee Dallas Edwards’ Injury, Promises New Safety Protocols

Al Snow released a statement after the recent scary incident at Ohio Valley Wrestling.

An Ohio Valley Wrestling show from March 12 saw an unfortunate accident take place during a match. Referee Dallas Edwards was hit with a springboard forearm during a six-man tag match, which led to seizures.

Despite that, the match continued. A wrestler from the bout moved Edwards’ body to the side, as he was convulsing. Dallas Edwards later said in a statement that he has suffered a concussion and internal bleeding. Fans can read more about this here.

Now, Ohio Valley Wrestling’s Al Snow has also addressed the incident. He released the following on social media:

“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.”