WrestleCon pulled Rick Steiner.
After WrestleCon scheduled Rick Steiner for their upcoming event(s) in Detroit, Michigan in August, they were met with backlash deriving from Steiner’s altercation with IMPACT Wrestling talent Gisele Shaw.
That altercation took place at WrestleCon in Los Angeles, California. Shaw released a statement and noted that Steiner called her ‘dude’, ‘filth’ and a ‘piece of trash’. On Sunday, WrestleCon and Highspots’ Michael Bochicchio issued a statement explaining why Steiner was booked.
A new statement has been issued to announce that Steiner has been pulled from WrestleCon Detroit. It was decided that Steiner needed to make a public apology and they gave him 24 hours to do so. They have not received a statement from Rick. In addition to that, WrestleCon drafted their first Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment policy.
Attention: Rick Steiner has been removed from Wrestlecon.
When we allowed Rick Steiner to return to our Convention as a vendor guest of Tony Hunter Promotions, we did not adequately take into account the impact his past words from our last event still held in the LGBTQIA+ community. We initially allowed him to return because 1) We still feel that people deserve a second chance. 2) Rick did make an apology to all parties that chose to be present. 3) We lacked any type of code of conduct/harassment policy that clearly defined our expectations as a convention participant.
After a thoughtful dialogue with Brian Bell from SB Nation’s Outsports and host of the LGBT In the Ring podcast on Monday morning, we agreed with his opinion it was necessary to have some type of public acknowledgment/apology from Rick Steiner, at an absolute minimum, to allow him to attend Detroit. Because we understand this issue required great urgency, we gave Rick Steiner 24 hours to make such a statement. Unfortunately, there is not currently and we do not expect to receive such a statement, and we have therefore made a decision to revoke our permission for him to attend.
Additionally, we now have created a first draft of our Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment policy that will be posted on our website for everybody to see later today. We will continue to improve upon this code of conduct over time and with the cooperation of others. We understand and appreciate that there will be many differences of opinion among our participants and we want to create a safe and enjoyable space for everybody at our Conventions. At this time, we have partnered in solidarity with other Wrestling industry Convention leaders, notably Starrcast, Wrestlecade, and The Gathering (Charlotte Fanfest) who also agree to adopt and adhere to a similar code of conduct for their events.
Attention: Rick Steiner has been removed from Wrestlecon.
When we allowed Rick Steiner to return to our Convention as a vendor guest of Tony Hunter Promotions, we did not adequately take into account the impact his past words from our last event still held in the LGBTQIA+…
— WrestleCon – Detroit – August 4 & 5 (@wrestlecon) July 18, 2023
Gisele Shaw has not further commented on the situation at hand. Back in May, she stated that she would share more when she’s ready. Shaw went public about being transgender in 2022.
