Backstage Update on Joey Ryan Firing, Industry Friends Were Allegedly Shocked and Unaware of His Activities

– As previously reported, Impact Wrestling has released Joey Ryan in light of the recent sexual assault and misconduct allegation that have been brought up against him. Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez addressed the topic on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

In light of The Elite members not releasing a new episode of Being the Elite this week, Meltzer claimed The Elite were “devastated” to hear the news about Ryan. As noted, the heavy Joey Ryan episodes of Being the Elite have been deleted.

Alvarez spoke about a number of people not being comfortable speaking about Joey Ryan right now. Meltzer commented, “I know people who are really good friends with Joey Ryan, and to say they were stunned is an understatement.”

According to Bryan Alvarez, he heard “from one person after another” who knew or was friends Ryan, and they were said to have be in “absolute shock” over the allegations. He stated, “They all said the same thing about Joey, which was, ‘Seemed like just kind of a socially awkward, kind of weird guy,’ but nobody suspected anything. I mean he went to people’s weddings. He knew them. They had known them forever. They were shocked and devastated by all of this. The idea that this was some kind of open secret in wrestling, no it wasn’t.”

Meltzer added the people he knows who were friends with Ryan were also “stunned” by the allegations. He said, “I guess it was among some women who spoke to each other, but never told anyone else. Because I know — I know people who were really good friends with Joey Ryan; like really good friends. And what you can you say? They’re stunned. So yeah, as much as anyone, that may be the one that shocks people the most as far as those guys we’re talking about.”

Ryan has been hit with at least 15 allegations of sexual misconduct. His Bar Wrestling promotion has also apparently shut down.