UK Wrestling Scene Concerned About Its Future Following #SpeakingOut Allegations

The #SpeakingOut movement hit the UK scene the hardest by far, and there is reportedly some real concern about the region’s future in the wake of the fallout. As most of us know by now, the UK wrestling scene has borne the brunt of the allegations, with several NXT UK stars being accused and a few — Ligero, Travis Banks, and Jack Gallagher — all being released by WWE as a result.

In addition, companies like PROGRESS have cut ties with a number of wrestlers, with PROGRESS specifically announcing that they are shutting down while they restructure and implement plans to create a workplace that is safe for everyone.

As the WON reports, the UK scene is currently a cause for major concern, as the popularly of the scene has been on a downward slide as more talent has been picked up by WWE for NXT UK, AEW, and even ROH, MLW, and Impact. Companies like PROGRESS, OTT, and RevPro are hurt badly by the hit that they will take from the amount of talent they will no longer work with due to the allegations, and there’s fear that the region will fall back to what it was a couple of decades ago and be forced to rebuild.

There was already concern that some of the promotions in the UK wouldn’t have come back even if the #SpeakingOut allegations had happened due to the blow that COVID-19 has dealt them.

The site noted that there is a realization in the UK that the situation regarding sexual misconduct had gone on too long and while it was known to some degree and even that it was a very bad situation, few realized just how bad it was.

The site notes that Equity, a trade union in the UK that specializes in entertainment, held meetings with several female wrestlers over the past week and the speculation is that it’s the first of several, with Equity wanting to include wrestling in their existing anti-harassment policies.

There is a police investigation currently ongoing regarding at least some of the allegations that have been made, and the Scottish government is said to be looking at wrestling shows and schools, with the expectation that it will be discussed as a Parliamentary issue. That could lead to proposals for things like resolving complaints, safeguards for both talent and trainer, and the like.