#SpeakingOut
154. We wanted to preface this section with our strong recommendation that any crime should be reported, and any victim supported. Issues clearly exist in wrestling but we, as an all-party group, are not a court of law and believe strongly in the process of natural justice. What follows must be read in that context.
156. There are many brilliant, inspiring and smart women across the UK talent pool. Now famous names like Kay Lee Ray, Jinny, Millie McKenzie and Nixon Newell sit alongside burgeoning prospects like Mercedes Blaze, Kanji and Gisele Shaw. As women in wrestling have increasingly been given more respect for their skills, to the extent that they have headlined the WWE Showcase event WrestleMania, so too there has been a reckoning for what came before. Women have been making themselves heard.
157. Though the phrase ‘Me Too’ had been used for over a decade on social media, the #MeToo Movement came to prominence in 2017, marking a watershed in international discourse, politics and action to address sexual misconduct, abuse and assault. Many women bravely came forward to share stories of individual attacks and cultures of harassment, rightly shaming those that had ignored, tacitly accepted or encouraged sexual misconduct. The Olympics, American football, gymnastics, theatres, movie studios and parliament too rightly came under scrutiny.
158. The wrestling industry had long been the focus of allegations of misconduct, with women taking to court their reports of locker room intrusions, grope and physical assault. British professional wrestling is no exception. We are aware of a number of public allegations dating back to 2017 which led to, in effect, alleged blacklisting of certain individuals and police investigations, though the submissions to our inquiry highlighted abuse and misconduct having been a regular phenomenon for well over a decade. Presumably this could be decades. One witness, herself a victim of alleged sexual assault, said that over her time in the early days of the British industry “I certainly witnessed and was subject to instances and a culture of sexism, misogyny, bullying, abuse of power and an overly sexualised atmosphere towards women in general”. She said she had heard of, or witnessed, wrestling gyms being used for “prostitution, paedophiles.. insurance fraud, tax evasion, benefit fraud and steroid abuse”. Her submission includes the following:
159. “I was regularly told how I’d have to work twice as hard to gain half the respect simply because I was female. I was told that in addition to this I’d get no respect from the lads because at the end of the day I wasn’t a wrestler. I saw how female wrestlers and trainees were treated and it was accepted as part of the business. Women, in whatever capacity, were constantly made aware that they were joining the boys club and that if they had a problem with any behaviour it was their problem and maybe the industry wasn’t for them. British wrestling has a long history and an assortment of traditions and cultural norms that go along with that. The behaviour of men in the industry and the reverence that is given to ‘the old school’ are powerful force against change and the evolution of attitudes. Mixed with the inherently private nature of wrestling going back to the days of kayfabe, it is a dangerously secretive industry. In my post wrestling years, I have even referred to British wrestling as cult-like.”
160. The British wrestling scene has a “culture of toxic masculinity that literally pushes women in the wrestling scene to its edges, leaving them with very few opportunities in any shape or form” was how another submission characterised it. Going on to explain that “I have 30 years experience in elite sport competing at a national level in five different disciplines… I was part of UK Sport funded national squads, world-class talent identification programmes…. And I never experienced the kind of misogyny, sexual harassment, sexual objectification and difficulties accessing basic sexist free coaching as I have while trying to learn to wrestle”
162. In the summer of 2020, amid the pandemic, the Speaking Out Movement known as #SpeakingOut was born and became a viral phenomenon online, highlighting sexual abuse and harassment, emotional and physical abuse and bullying in wrestling both in the UK Independent scene and in relation to contracted talent in major promotions. Public allegations, including many with evidence of wrongdoing, led to resignations, company shutdowns, job losses, titles being stripped or individuals entering rehabilitation. In some cases, at the time of publication, legal disputes are ongoing. Some reports suggest more than 70 wrestlers, promoters, referees, trainers, and fans have been called into question and more than 100 cases of abuse, harassment and sexual assault have surfaced. The campaign was given voice in parliament by Alex Davies-Jones MP, particularly in respect of lack of regulation and the absence of a regulatory body able to take action.
163. We believe that in all of this it is critically important to recognise that many women, and some men, were deeply affected by their experiences, and in many cases felt powerless – something that can be lost in discussion of the need for industry change. Each case of harassment or abuse can have, and we know did have for some, lasting impacts for individuals. We therefore make no apology in providing details of the evidence we received so that the breadth, specificity and the impact of what happened, and the related concerns can be properly understood.
164. As one of the co-founders of the Speaking Out Movement, know colloquially as Sierra Loxton, told us, there were no rules, no one was in charge, people were groomed, abused and then ‘gaslighted’ or victimised. She spoke to the difficulties in particular for young people in making informed decisions and the barriers to speaking out. She underlined, therefore, the importance of the movement in giving voice to the disenfranchised. Ms. Loxton was keen to point out that it wasn’t just at wrestling shows where problems occurred but at other locations including at post-show events and after-parties, and in the online sphere.
165. The numerous other submissions explaining and exploring these and other problems in detail made for painful reading. These included allegations of emotional abuse, manipulation, grooming, bullying, harassment, unwanted attention and even sexual abuse and assaults, twinned with efforts to discredit and intimidate those seeking to speak out. There was one particularly shocking allegation that fans had been promised merchandise in order to buy their secrecy in connection with sexual assault.
168. This general acceptance and toleration of abuse were repeated in a number of the testimonies we received. “He openly flirted and touched up other female wrestlers as well, which apparently was ‘normal’, though I never saw it that way.” said one who continued that they had seen “many wrestlers discussing encounters with female fans which they labelled ‘rats’, with each sharing which ones were an easy target.” Someone else said, “I would go as far as to say everyone in the business, at all levels, knew someone who spoke out, and someone who had been named in the many allegations.”. We were again told that the cultural issues centred on a boys club mentality.
172. The movement also provided an awakening for some. “I had a wrestler on the show, who had abused another member of the show. I had no idea about this, the abuser was well respected and even signed by WWE, so the victim felt unable to tell her story due to fear of not being believed or fears of losing bookings. At my show, she spent the entirety of it, avoiding this man, feeling uncomfortable and she wouldn’t be alone. I only found this out after SpeakingOut, and this has put a dark memory on what was a fantastic day. I have apologised however I had no idea that this man was an abuser.”
181. We recommend that wrestling organisations, including promotions, and in particular training schools provide regular platforms for survivors of abuse to talk to their experiences and to educate others that might be experiencing abuse about the impact of Speaking Out.
182. Before the #SpeakingOut movement, address for the issues raised at the independent level, if any, has been informal. One anecdote related to us involved humiliation of a young talent which was only resolved when a well-known wrestler came in to stop the abuse. That wrestler was Pete Dunne, who deserves credit for his attempts to assist the industry through this period but also what has evidently been a long history of facing down inappropriate bullying conduct.
183. In relation to the major companies – and WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor, IMPACT, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Chikara were all host to individuals named in the Speaking Out movement – those that remain say that they have appropriate safeguards in place. WWE, for example said the responsibility fell to individuals for their conduct, that the company had ‘zero tolerance for domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault’ and arrests would lead to immediate suspension, whilst conviction would lead to contract termination. However, WWE stated its absolute right to fine, suspend or terminate talent based on ‘incontrovertible evidence’ and did release a number of contracted talents.
189. The response from the UK industry was decidedly mixed. Some promotions appear to have sat on their hands or to have done nothing. However, in other cases, organisations sought to seize the initiative. High profile promotions like ProWrestling: Eve, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Progress told us they worked with the Equity Union, the Ann Craft Trust and others to institute procedures which they hoped would build confidence in their brands. So too had the well-respected Wrestling Resurgence promotion. A submission from someone with close knowledge of the northern English promotion TNT Extreme wrestling explained that it had stripped two of its top champions of their belts and a commentator, and had been working to introduce safeguarding measures. The Knucklelocks School of Wrestling set out its attempts to address a specific case of alleged misconduct, protect a talent who had been named despite wishing to remain anonymous, and said that it had undertaken a “full assessment of operations” including joining with schools, fans, commentators and wrestlers “in an effort to share knowledge and develop some best practice guidelines for the entire wrestling community.
190. One of the most impressive resources emerging since the SpeakingOut movement to which our attention was drawn is the Wrestling Safely Working group, and we make no apology for drawing attention to it again. This website highlights key concerns regarding safety in the industry and its authors should be commended. Anyone – promoters, schools, talent should bookmark this site and reference it regularly. We hope the site will build on the content available with examples of good practice. https://www.wrestlingsafely.co.uk/
191. However, there is scepticism, even amongst those seeking to improve the industry about the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of the measures these various promotions and others are introducing, without independent oversight from an agreed regulatory body. We were told some could not have faith in a process in which their abusers were considered part of the solution. We were also told that when wrestling schools, promotions and groups made efforts in the immediate aftermath of #SpeakingOut to improve documentation and share knowledge, some felt that they were vigorously attacked online by those refusing to accept any efforts to make legitimate improvements.
203. We call on promotions, training schools, and other wrestling institutions to commit to the activities outlined in the APPG pledge and call on fans to consider your custom of any promotions or schools unwilling to follow what we consider minimum standards for the industry. We are not naïve, shows will go ahead without these measures in place, but they can at present, only be enforced by patronage until any form of oversight is in place. This then is our contribution to the Speaking Out Movement, a tool for fans and talent to use to demand better. Having heard from a wide range of sources what must change, we are seeking to create a difference.
204. Of course, beyond the pledge, readers should be aware and share knowledge that anyone can report a sexual offence or pass on information about sexual abuse, by calling the police on 101 and asking to speak to a specially trained officer. You can also pass information to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Alleged Perpetrators in Wrestling
205. There is, of course, no excuse whatsoever for abusive, coercive, inappropriate, sexualised behaviour or unwanted contact. Illegal activity must be reported to the police, and as we do nationally with hate crime, we should approach allegations of sexual misconduct according to the Macpherson principles, that is to treat those making allegations with appropriate care and understanding and investigate their concerns and allegations thoroughly and with due diligence. It must be a victim-led process. That is our unequivocal approach and should be the approach adopted by the wrestling industry which, generally speaking, it appears to be.
207. For example, in one case, an individual accepted their wrongdoing and had apologised. They accepted that the result was the end of a career and reputation. However, they also reported death threats, threats of violence, harassment, threats against their family and fear for personal safety. This is clearly unacceptable. The one wrong does not beget the other. So too, we reviewed cases in which allegations were subsequently unproven. Though understandably painful and sensitive, these matters do require proper inquiry. Social media has played an important role in bringing the stories of many brave women to public attention but so too, it has fed a toxic and abusive atmosphere, with consequences for the victim’s mental health, as well as facilitating the above hateful conduct against alleged perpetrators. Such conduct also makes more difficult, if not negates, the possibility of rehabilitation when someone is found guilty of criminal or unprofessional conduct including for example restorative justice – a process proven successful in certain cases and which we believe has a place in wrestling as elsewhere.
208. This point, amongst others, was well made in a submission by a partner of one of those accused in the Speaking Out Movement. Her testimony is striking: “I feel silenced. I was tolerating being talked about online in grotesque ways” she said. “I am an empowered woman, I have a strong mind, I’m capable of making my own decisions, and I too deserve to be listened too”. “We all feel that the abuse spoken out about in this movement needs addressing and that it was wrong, yet what we fail to condemn is the onslaught of abusive tweets, hurtful ‘memes’, and messages encouraging foul and violent behaviour to those involved.” “Not only do we fail to condemn these malicious communications, but we often champion them. The inconceivable amount of likes, retweets, and humorous replies to malicious tweets was perplexing considering this is a movement trying to rid the scene of this kind of behavior”. The submission further suggested that the right to a fair trial, as required by the Human Rights Act may well be impeded by such behaviours not to mention future employment subject to a social media review. This is far from the only case of social media abuse of which we are aware.
209. This was a concern raised in another submission we received which suggested that on the one hand the presence of allegations of criminality on social media might subvert the process and perception of the justice system, and on the other, Speaking Out might be misused by some and indeed had been, giving the example of a photographer of “being rude to them at a show”.
‘Customs’, Alternative Social Media and the Sex Industry
213. Across many of our meetings with wrestling talent, we discussed the concept of ‘customs’. That is matches ordered, or rather purchased by an individual who defines the parameters of the bout. In some instances, this can cross over with what some term the sex industry.
214. The testimony we received from the Knucklelocks school of wrestling, which states that it is “pro-sex work and sex positive” argued that a lack of financial security twinned with easy access to social media lent itself to custom – or what they termed fetish – wrestling. We were told that whereas performing on a show might earn someone £50, they could earn five times that amount from a customs arrangement in a day, for less work. This form of wrestling, they reported, had continued throughout the pandemic and alleged that safeguards had not been put in place. We were also asked to consider concerns about the recruitment of young children and teens, the risk of grooming and lack of parental supervision. The recommendation made to us was that support, guidance and advice from experts for sex workers should be sought.
216. This is, of course, one take on the ‘customs’ arrangement but not the only one. One of more than four women we talked to, all of whom had been involved in customs work, suggested that customs wrestling meant different things to different people. The term “gets a bad rep” we were told because it “often” includes sexualised matches – “but not necessarily”. “I wouldn’t do something in one of those that I wouldn’t do in front of an audience” the witness told us. “You don’t know why they order that match though”. In some cases, we were informed, a wrestler might agree a customs match because they hadn’t faced someone in real life but of course the booker’s true intentions are outside of the wrestler’s control. Though this was said to create a blurred line, the witness said, it was a “legitimate source of income”. Moreover, “men do this” we were told. “It may not be public but they don’t get the hassle”. “There are issues with wrestling full stop, but women bear the brunt of it”. “I don’t see a problem with it – each to their own” said another, who made the comparison to “wearing a short skirt”.
218. The question of customs wrestling was also linked in many submissions to the use of alternative media platforms to post sexualised or erotic content. One witness suggested that the OnlyFans platform and others which talent use was not much different from some of the nineties and noughties ‘lads mags’. “OnlyFans, Patreon, people are adult and consenting. Go wild. Have at it. Sex work is work” said another. A third suggested that OnlyFans material was not far from what one might encounter in a magazine, going into or walking past a shop. “It’s in your everyday life” we were told, “and you have to be over-18 and enter card details to access the majority of content in any case”.
222. We recommend that promotions introduce mutually agreed formal classification for shows: Adult, Family, Custom and that appropriate quality controls be introduced for family shows including in relation to merchandising. We further recommend that any show should include audience announcements to remind fans about the performers and their role as actor-athletes, and to consider this if and when afforded the opportunity to meet them and recommend that all merchandise tables should be appropriately staffed.