Steve Carrier on March 14, 2026
A frightening moment during an Ohio Valley Wrestling event earlier this week has now prompted a response from the wrestler who was directly involved in the incident that left referee Dallas Edwards hospitalized.
The incident took place during the March 12 episode of OVW Rise in Louisville, Kentucky. During the main event six-man tag match, Edwards was struck with a springboard forearm in what was reportedly a planned spot. After the impact, Edwards remained on the mat while the match continued, but the situation quickly turned alarming when he began convulsing in the ring.
One of the wrestlers involved in the match, Tony Evans, ended up pushing Edwards out of the way as the sequence continued before realizing the severity of the situation. The match was eventually stopped and the broadcast was cut short as officials rushed to help the injured referee. Evans has now issued a lengthy statement addressing the moment, explaining that the chaotic nature of the match and the structure of the planned sequence made it difficult to immediately realize something had gone wrong.
“I want to start by expressing my support and love for Dallas Edwards and wishing him the best in his recovery. I’ve spoken with him, he’s doing well, and he knows we’re all thinking of him.”
Evans explained that the match had multiple moving parts, including several wrestlers and run-ins, which made the situation difficult to read in real time.
“During Thursday’s match, there was a planned spot that resulted in an unexpected injury to Dallas. The match was 35+ minutes with 12 men, 2 run-ins and 2 referee bumps. Dallas’ time came as planned and everything seemed fine from my point of view.”
According to Evans, the next part of the sequence required him to move away from Edwards while focusing on other wrestlers in the ring. When he noticed the referee was still close to the center of the ring, he attempted to move him out of the way as he normally would during a match.
“The next sequence had me falling next to Dallas and crawling away with my back turned to him, having my eyes focusing on the other wrestlers in the ring though I knew where Dallas was. As we set up for the next thing, in my periphery, I noticed Dallas was still close to center as he didn’t know what we were doing next, so I go to move him.”
Evans explained that he initially assumed everything was proceeding according to plan and did not realize Edwards was seriously hurt when he moved him.
“Dallas and I have worked together frequently and he will usually always go dead-weight as I try to move him. When I touched him was the first time I had laid eyes on him specifically to this point for a brief second, and I saw OVW officials running from the back but assumed it was for the chaos that had just happened outside of the ring.”
“I go to move him and scooted him with my foot as I usually would, not realizing the severity of what was going on in that moment, as I was under the impression everything was going according to plan.”
Evans said it wasn’t until moments later that he realized something was seriously wrong.
“I then did the next spot and turned to find many people in the ring huddled around Dallas and stopped in my tracks, confused, scared and worried for my friend.”
The wrestler also made it clear that if he had understood the seriousness of the situation sooner, he would have stopped immediately. Evans added that he has since spoken with Edwards directly and said there is no ill will between them following the incident.
“Had I known in that split second moment when I moved him that something was wrong, I would’ve immediately stopped and tended to him as best I knew how. I wish I had known the severity of the situation, nothing is more important in pro wrestling than the safety of ALL involved.”
“Dallas and I have spoken, and we are good. He understands there was no malicious intent and per Dallas, he doesn’t ‘hold it to any of us personally’, and his perspective is the one that matters most to me.”
“I am as distraught about this situation as everybody. My heart hurts knowing what my friend has gone through. I look forward to being with him back in the OVW locker room soon and wish him a full and speedy recovery. Love you, Dally.”
The statement comes as more details continue to emerge about Edwards’ condition. The referee later revealed doctors diagnosed him with both a concussion and a subdural hematoma, a form of brain bleed. He has since stepped away from wrestling while focusing on recovery.
The situation has already sparked a wave of discussion across the wrestling world about in-ring communication and safety procedures during chaotic multi-man matches.
What do you think about Tony Evans’ explanation of what happened in the ring that night? Should wrestling promotions implement stricter emergency stop protocols for situations like this? Let us know what you think in the comments and join the conversation.
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