A frightening situation unfolded at an Ohio Valley Wrestling event on Thursday night, as referee Dallas Edwards was rushed to the hospital following a medical emergency during a match.
The incident occurred during a multi-man tag bout when Edwards entered the ring as a second referee after the original official had been taken out in a referee bump. The spot was part of a planned sequence that saw Edwards positioned to take a Phenomenal Forearm after being shoved into the path of the move by one of the competitors.
However, the spot did not go as intended.
Edwards took the move hard and remained down on the mat. Moments later, he began convulsing in what appeared to be a seizure. The match continued briefly around him as the situation unfolded, with one wrestler even moving Edwards out of the way and pushing him with his foot to clear space for the next planned move.
The bout was eventually stopped, and the show went off the air while Edwards received medical attention at ringside. He was later transported to a nearby hospital.
Thankfully, there has been some positive news since the incident. Edwards is reportedly awake, coherent, and in good spirits. OVW wrestler Jake Lawless later shared a photo from the hospital showing Edwards giving a thumbs up.
Edwards’ girlfriend issued a statement asking fans to keep him in their thoughts. She noted that Edwards suffered a brain injury and is currently being monitored by doctors.
The situation has also drawn strong reactions from members of the wrestling community.
ROH wrestler Beef, also known as Gnarls Garvin, took to Facebook to express his anger at how the situation was handled, criticizing those who continued the match while Edwards was experiencing the medical emergency.
“This is a very serious post from me. Dallas Edwards is one of my best friends in this world. I spend time with him almost every single day. What happened last night at OVW Wrestling was and is complete total negligence and 100 % avoidable,” he wrote. “I am beyond anger right now and everyone involved with not helping him while having a seizure, needs to burn their boots or go back to training day one.
“Accidents happen, what we do is very dangerous. I am very ashamed in all of the wrestlers who didn’t put safety first of all involved. Say a prayer for Dallas today.”
WWE referee Jason Ayers also responded to Garvin’s post, echoing the frustration over the situation.
“Absolutely infuriating,” Ayers wrote. “I sent him a message but if you talk to him please tell him I’m sending prayers for a speedy recovery.”
A referee suffered a legitimate seizure during an OVW show and was just thrown to the side while the match kept going for a few more minutes before anyone finally checked on him.
SMH.
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) March 13, 2026
