There was an incident last weekend at an ROH event involving a fan who claimed that he was escorted backstage during the show by security after being involved in an incident with Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, and Mandy Leon – The Allure. During the altercation the fan was said to have been spit on by Mandy Leon, and provoked verbally by Velvet Sky.
The fan says he was taken backstage and told to wait. All the while not knowing exactly what the issue was and why he was pulled from his ringside seat and led backstage. It was then allegedly that Bully Ray approached the fan and confronted him over what he considered inappropriate comments made towards his girlfriend, Velvet Sky.
The fan said that he immediately felt intimidated by Bully, and that he was fearful of being kicked out of the event when it was only the third match of the night, so he just went along with things and apologized before being told to go back to his seat and “be a fan.”
This situation has blown up online and brought out a heated debate involving all parties involved. ROH issued an initial statement on the incident which read:
“ROH has always taken fan-first approach, with fan experience being at the forefront of all of our live events. We consider this to be very serious and will be conducting an internal review over the next 48 hours to determine the appropriate actions.”
Earlier today Ring of Honor sent out another official statement regarding the matter involving Bully and the fan last weekend in Portland. The statement reads:
From Greg Gilleland, General Manager, Ring of Honor:
ROH FOLLOWUP STATEMENT:Ring of Honor prides itself on providing a fun and entertaining environment for both our fans and wrestlers to experience professional wrestling at the highest level.
Fans are encouraged to cheer, boo, and chant during the show while wrestlers interact both positively and in rivalry, as that is the engagement that makes the ROH experience what it is. Wrestlers interacting with fans is core to the experience, however, under no circumstance should any of our athletes or staff confront or engage fans outside the bounds of this entertainment experience or outside the bounds of the area that hosts this experience. We hold all of our athletes and staff members to the highest standards and, because of the actions over the weekend, we fell short of meeting those standards.
We are still in the process of investigating this matter as well as reviewing and assessing internal security protocols to ensure a safe environment for all fans and athletes. All of our athletes and staff will also be trained and reminded of our policies and protocols for fan interaction and appropriate behavior in all situations.
To our amazing and wonderful fans, we apologize for the matter that transpired this past weekend as it does not reflect who we are as an organization or how we hope to engage with our fans. ROH fans are known worldwide for their passion, admiration, and appreciation for our athletes, and we share this same admiration and appreciation for our fans. We encourage all of our fans to continue attending our events and supporting our amazing athletes in a respectful manner as they have done in the past, and we promise to continue delivering what the fans deserve – the best wrestling and the best fan experience on the planet.
We will keep you updated as more comes out regarding the incident with Bully Ray and the fan at ROH in Portland last weekend.
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