AEW talent have been hit with COVID-19.
Fightful, in collaboration with Spectrum Sports 360's Jon Alba, were able to confirm that multiple wrestlers and talent present at All Elite Wrestling's September 9 tapings tested positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks since. We were not told if those tests were separately conducted or if they were conducted and diagnosed at either set of tapings. There were others we've heard are ill or showing symptoms, but we're unsure if they've tested positive.
Some of the talent involved had been brought in for the last set of AEW Dark tapings. Many of those talent are not contracted and can take independent wrestling dates, but are tested before entering Daily's Place for All Elite Wrestling work.
There were numerous wrestlers missing from the September 24 set of tapings, but we will not be identifying anyone that we've heard has COVID-19. Lance Archer identified himself as having COVID-19 shortly before the show started, noting that he believes he contracted it from a family member.
There was another WWE related outbreak of COVID-19 associated to their makeshift Performance Center two weeks ago, as well.
Alba added the following:
Over the last few months, #AEW has by far had the most extensive COVID-19 protocols among any wrestling companies that chose to run during the pandemic. The conditions of how or where the virus was transmitted is not entirely clear at this time. Hoping everyone affected is OK.
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) September 24, 2020
It's entirely plausible talent were kept off this week's show for precautionary reasons, and didn't necessarily test positive.
— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) September 24, 2020
But we can report there were multiple positive cases in the past couple of weeks involving talent who were present at tapings earlier this month. #AEW
Fightful and Alba both reached out to All Elite Wrestling officials earlier this week, but did not hear back. For more information on the COVID-19 Coronavirus, how to limit the spread and protect yourself, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
