The planned in-ring return of controversial wrestler Joey Ryan has been canceled. The “Portland Wrestling: Reborn” promotion announced that it has pulled Ryan from its upcoming August 23rd event following significant backlash from the wrestling community.
In a statement, the promotion confirmed that Ryan will no longer be a part of the show in Vancouver, Washington. “I have canceled Joey Ryan’s flight,” the promotion announced. “He will not be appearing at the August 23rd show.” Ryan has been out of the wrestling industry since 2020 after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct during the #SpeakingOut movement.
The person behind the revival of Portland Wrestling also stated that the entire event is now in jeopardy of being canceled. They placed the blame on another local promotion, Prestige Wrestling, for allegedly threatening to “black ball” any talent or crew that worked the show. “We currently do not have a ring for a show taking place in less than three weeks,” the promoter wrote.
In response to the initial announcement of Ryan’s booking, the established Pacific Northwest promotion Prestige Wrestling announced a counter-show for the same night, August 23, in Portland. The event is being billed as “a night of safe space pro-wrestling action,” with a “pay what you want” ticket model where all profits will be donated to charity. This move highlights the strong stance much of the independent wrestling community has taken in the years following the #SpeakingOut movement.
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