Al Snow Issues Official Statement on Medical Emergency Incident Involving Referee Dallas Edwards at 3/12 OVW Rise Show

As noted before, this past Thursday’s Rise show for Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky featured referee Dallas Edwards suffering a serious head-related injury during a match that continued on for some time while he was convulsing in the ring. Edwards provided an update on Friday stating that he had suffered a concussion and subdural hematoma injuries.

OVW promoter Al Snow issued an official statement earlier today on Twitter addressing the incident involving referee Edwards and promising new safety protocols to prevent a repeat incident from ever happening again in the company.

“Hello everyone, this is Al Snow. I want to speak directly to our fans and the wrestling community regarding the incident involving Referee Dallas Edwards at last week’s event.

Professional wrestling has always carried an inherent risk of injury for everyone who steps into the ring. On March 12th, during a live OVW television event, Dallas was involved in a planned moment of physical contact with a wrestler that resulted in him suffering a head injury.

Traditionally, when an in-ring injury occurs, the referee is the central point of communication, assessment, and decision-making. In this unprecedented situation, the person who would normally make that assessment was the one who needed assistance. That unforeseen breakdown in communication contributed to a delay in stopping the match and concluding the show.

We are relieved to hear that Dallas is recovering and receiving the medical care he needs. Our thoughts are with him, and we’re hoping for his continued improvement.

At OVW, the health and safety of our performers and officials has always been our top priority. We are proud of the standards we’ve maintained over the years, but we also recognize that there is always room to strengthen and improve. With that in mind, we are reviewing our existing procedures and updating several of our in-ring and ringside protocols to ensure we continue to meet the highest expectations for performer safety.

These updates include enhanced communication systems, additional referee training, and expanded ringside response measures to help ensure that a situation like this is identified and addressed as quickly as possible.

We appreciate the concern and passion from our fans, and we understand the importance of transparency during moments like this. We will continue to share updates when appropriate, and we ask everyone to keep Dallas in your thoughts as he continues his recovery.

Thank you.”

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— Al Snow (@TheRealAlSnow) March 14, 2026