Summary

Al Snow issued a public statement after OVW referee Dallas Edwards suffered a head injury during a March 12 live OVW television event.

The source text says Edwards was struck during a planned in-ring contact moment in a six-man tag match, experienced seizures, and the match was not stopped immediately.

Snow said the usual in-ring communication chain broke down because the referee, who would normally assess and relay injury status, was the person needing assistance.

He added that OVW is introducing updated safety measures, including enhanced communication systems, additional referee training, and expanded ringside response protocols.

Al Snow and OVW now face immediate accountability on in-ring emergency handling

Snow publicly confirming procedure updates creates a concrete consequence, OVW's next events will be judged on how quickly officials identify and stop matches during medical emergencies.

With Dallas Edwards still in recovery, and OVW already stating he is alert and improving after the incident, these protocol changes become the key test of whether the promotion can restore trust around ringside safety.

Quotes

Quote from Al Snow

"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."

Sources

As reported by Fightful.