Right through his post-show press convention following the AEW Worlds Finish pay-per-view on Saturday, the wrestling promotion’s proprietor and president Tony Khan used to be requested about allegations of sexual harassment that have been made in opposition to some of the corporate’s most sensible stars, Chris Jericho, on social media.
Whilst Khan didn’t deal with the allegations without delay, he did shield AEW’s coverage referring to such issues.
“It’s one thing we’re very interested by. We’ve had a coverage in position and for sure I believe anytime there’s anything else like that, we’d ensure that we do the entirety we will be able to to forestall that,” Khan mentioned. “AEW has the most efficient protection file, I imagine, of any professional wrestling corporate on the planet. I imagine we’ve got probably the most protected setting. I imagine we’ve got the most efficient protection file of any professional wrestling corporate and I might dangle the file of AEW on protection in opposition to any professional wrestling corporate on the planet and I believe AEW is the most secure position for professional wrestling. And if any of our professional wrestlers have a priority, they at all times have an open line to speak to me. I imagine anyone would sit down right here and inform you they at all times can communicate to me anytime they’re all in favour of anything else.
“If there used to be anything else that got here to gentle to me, I might take it to the disciplinary committee and that’s how we’ve been doing it. I believe the disciplinary committee has been doing a perfect process and everyone is aware of they’ve an open line to me or anyone on that committee.”
Requested without delay whether or not Jericho had ever been the topic of a sexual misconduct investigation whilst within the corporate, Khan declined to substantiate or deny, pointing out, “I will’t discuss to web and unsourced rumors,” prior to referring again to his earlier resolution referring to AEW’s harassment coverage.
The allegations in opposition to Jericho started when longtime wrestling reporter Nick Hausman invoked convicted intercourse culprit Harvey Weinstein whilst discussing the wrestling superstar’s behind the scenes conduct throughout an episode of his Rumor & Innuendo podcast.
“There are problems with Chris at the back of the scenes the place I do know of a large number of individuals who had been harm via Chris and his movements,” Hausman mentioned. “It’s very uncomfortable to me to look him lauded as steadily as he’s with most effective the focal point on that as a result of I do suppose there are a large number of questionable tales about Chris that can in finding there method out over the years and when persons are in a position to inform the ones tales that can solid him in an excessively other gentle. I imply glance, Harvey Weinstein received a large number of Oscars. Harvey Weinstein produced a large number of very talked-about motion pictures. Harvey Weinstein is now in prison. I’m now not pronouncing that’s going to occur to Chris, however the narrative may in no time flip in the event you’re hiding a large number of skeletons to your closet.”
Nick Hausman says that there are a large number of tales about Chris Jericho that can in finding their method out over the years when persons are in a position to inform the ones tales after which makes a Harvey Weinstein comparability. %.twitter.com/bQiB9qDu2r
— BR@INBUST3R (@emeraldfllows) December 30, 2023
Hausman’s feedback have been most effective amplified when a former AEW feminine wrestler who had swiftly left the corporate following a brief stint in 2019 replied with a middle emoji to a social media put up naming her as considered one of Jericho’s possible accusers.
Including to the strangeness of Saturday’s post-show press convention used to be that Hausman live-tweeted the scrum, encouraging journalists to press Khan additional referring to Jericho. Hausman has been essential of AEW’s media practices in contemporary days and replied to a put up from Jericho on Christmas Day via asking him, “what in regards to the NDAs you are making people signal?”
Any individual must practice up at the Jericho query and get a Sure or No from Tony.
— Nick Hausman (@Nick_Hausman) December 31, 2023
It is 2:15 am EST. Ask Tony about Jericho once more.
— Nick Hausman (@Nick_Hausman) December 31, 2023
Khan controlled to reply to 3 questions in regards to the matter on Saturday with out in truth discussing Jericho, however this doesn’t appear to be a tale that’s going away. Whilst Hausman’s preliminary feedback referring to Weinstein have been obscure — and arguably unfair with out additional elaboration or reporting — the social media answer from the previous wrestler legitimized this as a subject matter that Khan will most likely need to (or a minimum of must) deal with in a extra direct means within the close to long run.