Joey Ryan Blames Cancel Culture for Wrecking Lives After Wrestling Ban

Joey Ryan landed in hot water during the #SpeakingOut movement a few years ago as he was called out over a number of sexual misconduct allegations that cost him his wrestling career. Unsurprisingly, he has now called out cancel culture and compared it to the Salem Witch Trials.

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Joey Ryan said that cancel culture is basically public shaming. A single tweet, rumor, or headline can completely turn someone’s life upside down. It is not real justice but more like a spectacle, and it does not only affect celebrities. It can happen to anyone, whether a friend, co-worker or neighbor.

Ryan explained that it often starts when someone says or does something people do not like. The reaction is fast as people unfollow, boycott, cut ties or even push someone out of a job. Social media makes the situation louder, faster and almost impossible to control. True justice should involve evidence, discussion and a chance to make things right, but cancel culture skips all of that.

“Cancel culture gets called many things, but at its heart, it’s just public shaming. One tweet, one rumor, one headline, and a person’s whole life flips upside down. That’s not justice—it’s a spectacle. It doesn’t only happen to celebrities. It can happen to friends, co-workers, neighbors—anyone.

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It usually begins when someone says or does something people don’t like. The response comes fast: they’re unfollowed, boycotted, cut off, or even fired. Social media makes it louder, faster, and out of control. People confuse this with justice, but justice requires evidence, dialogue, and a chance for repair.”

According to him, it becomes instant judgment. Accusations are treated like guilt, and punishment comes before facts are clear. One post, even if false, can spread quickly, and the more dramatic the claim, the faster people share it. Crowds pile on, thinking they are doing the right thing, even without all the details. Once a person is dehumanized, it is almost impossible to get their dignity or reputation back.

Ryan compared cancel culture to the Scarlet Letter, where one mistake becomes someone’s whole identity. Today the mark is not fabric but social media handles, headlines, and hashtags. He said that the aim is not to fix but to erase.

“This isn’t that. It’s a rush to judgment. Accusations turn into guilt. Punishment comes before understanding. One post spreads like wildfire, true or not, and assumptions pile on. The more dramatic the story sounds, the faster it spreads. A mob forms, convinced it’s doing the right thing, even when the details aren’t clear. Once someone is dehumanized, it’s almost impossible to restore their humanity.

Cancel culture doesn’t ask what happened. It asks who to punish and how loud the punishment can be. It’s like the Scarlet Letter—one mistake becomes someone’s whole identity. Except now, the scarlet mark isn’t cloth, it’s an online handle branded in headlines and hashtags. The goal isn’t to restore, it’s to erase.”

Ryan said that in a healthy culture, conflict could lead to conversations, but now it becomes content. Mistakes are treated as entertainment. Real accountability happens privately through tough and honest talks, not through public shaming. Cancel culture does not look for resolution, only examples to shame, much like the Salem witch trials where accusations were seen as proof.

The punishment is social exile, and fear of being targeted keeps people silent. Sometimes it is about clout, where calling someone out makes people look morally superior. Even without breaking a law, someone can be branded dangerous and disposable.

If the truth cannot be attacked, then their character is. There is no fairness or context, and apologies are seen as weakness, not growth. Silence looks like guilt, and defending yourself looks like defiance. Often, begging is the only response people accept, and even that does not always work.

“In a healthy culture, conflict sparks conversation. In ours, it becomes content. We’ve been trained to consume mistakes for entertainment. Real accountability isn’t a performance. It happens in private, through honest conversations—not public takedowns. Cancel culture doesn’t want resolution. It wants examples. It doesn’t push growth. It enforces purity, even when the rules keep changing. It’s the same logic as the Salem witch trials. Back then, whispers of witchcraft were enough. Today, it’s tweets, headlines, and rumors.

The punishment is exile. Fear of being the next target keeps people quiet. Sometimes it’s about clout—calling someone out becomes a shortcut to moral superiority. Even if no law is broken, the person is labeled dangerous and disposable. If the truth can’t be discredited, their character is attacked instead. There’s no due process, no context, no repair. Public apologies aren’t treated as healing, but as proof of submission. Silence is seen as guilt. Defending yourself is seen as defiance. The only acceptable response is to grovel—and even that rarely satisfies the mob.”

Ryan made clear that this is not about excusing harmful behavior but about compassion. Justice should restore, not destroy. Cancel campaigns do more than harm reputations. They can take away someone’s job, home, food, and healthcare. Real accountability requires fairness and humanity. Ryan said that shame does not heal, it only breaks. True change comes not from cancellation but from conversation.

“This isn’t a defense of harmful behavior—it’s a call for compassion. Justice should be about restoration, not destruction. Cancel campaigns don’t just damage reputations—they strip people of work, food, housing, even healthcare. Real accountability requires fairness and humanity. Shame doesn’t heal—it breaks. You can’t terrorize someone into becoming better. Real change doesn’t come from cancellation. It comes from conversation.”

This comes after Joey Ryan’s return to wrestling was canceled mere hours after it was confirmed, simply because people had no interest in seeing him back in the squared circle again. Regardless, it’s clear Ryan isn’t happy about the fact he got canceled again but he ultimately has to accept it now.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.