That’s a very prevalent question in light of the events at AEW’s latest show, Fyter Fest, which happened this past weekend at Daytona Beach, Florida.
AEW’s Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes, who is also a competitor, fought to a 20 minute time limit against up and comer Darby Allin when Shawn Spears (WWE’s former Tye Dillinger) came into the ring and absolutely levelled the former NWA World Champion with one of the most vicious chair shots I’ve seen in 20 years.
The impact of the chair to Cody’s head was so brutal that blood immediately started gushing from a gash on the back of his head, leaving his blond head soaked in a crimson red as officials and some other AEW talent helped Rhodes to the back. Luckily, he did not suffer a concussion as reported, although he needed about 12 stitches to close up the gaping wound.
In post match analysis, there was talk that while they booked that chair shot into that match, the chair struck Cody’s head from an incorrect angle and therefore led to the more severe damage than originally intended.
AEW President Tony Khan assured media during a post show press conference that chair shots like that would not be part of the weekly TV show that AEW is set to launch in November. But in a wider general scope, are head chair shots no longer acceptable in the world of professional wrestling in 2019?
WWE long ago did away with head chair shots on their programming, and even the chair shots they do have are mediocre in that they hit the back or are used to jam someone in the stomach. More astute observers can tell that the chair strikes a portion of the back that can absorb a blow, therefore negating any actual impact, but then again we all know it’s a work anyways.
But like football these days, the issue of concussions is a major concern in wrestling these days, in light of the tragedy surrounding Chris Benoit and what led to him doing what he did 12 years ago. Thankfully, Cody did not get a concussion from Spears’ chair shot, but considering he needed 12 stitches and juiced that much blood live on pay per view, it’s not unusual upon first impression to assume the worst.
Many people expected AEW to bring something edgy and different that WWE is lacking, and indeed Fyter Fest and Double or Nothing have shown that the fledgling company can do that. But it should not be at the expense of someone’s overall health, no matter how entertaining we find it to be.
An average professional doing the 9-5 grind who really loves wrestling across all platforms. Here's hoping wrestlers finally get some basic workers rights in 2021.
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