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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
Former ROH creative team member Joey Mercury (Adam Birch, who left ROH last weekend, took to Twitter today to critique ROH GM Greg Gilleland’s job performance. Mercury took Gilleland to task about ROH’s concussion protocol after Kelly Klein suffered a concussion last weekend in the U.K.
The following are Mercury’s tweets on the situation where he claims he had to diagnose Klein with a concussion and prevent her from getting on a flight to take another booking:
pic.twitter.com/f2OIHvQ5Gf
— mercury in retrograde (@JOEYnRetrograde) November 1, 2019
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— mercury in retrograde (@JOEYnRetrograde) November 1, 2019
pic.twitter.com/cMhj1cj64z
— mercury in retrograde (@JOEYnRetrograde) November 1, 2019
pic.twitter.com/d26JZvf0ER
— mercury in retrograde (@JOEYnRetrograde) November 1, 2019
PWTorch talked to multiple sources that claimed that ROH does not have a concussion protocol and confirmed Mercury’s account of the incident that took place with Klein last weekend. Multiple sources also claimed that ROH doesn’t have an EMT or doctor on site at every show. PWTorch reached out to ROH for comment regarding whether or not they have a concussion protocal and ROH offered the following statement:
Yes we do have a concussion protocol. Ring of Honor takes all injuries very seriously and the health and welfare of our wrestlers and staff are always our primary concern.
Kelly Klein tweeted out support for Mercury, but expressed that she felt it may cause her to get in trouble with ROH presumably. She also mentioned that she loved working with Mercury and part of the reason she stayed with ROH when her contract was up early in 2019 was so that she could continue to train with him.
I’m scared I will get in trouble for saying something in public about it.
But the reports I’ve seen are wrong.
He is the best coach I ever had. I partly stayed there so I could keep learning from him. He looked out for us and he tried to make it better.— Kelly Klein (@RealKellyKlein) November 1, 2019
PWTorch also reached out to ROH about whether or not they have medical personnel at every event and were told that the company hires EMT and doctors for all events including the ones in the U.K. last weekend where Klein suffered a concussion. ROH was asked to comment declined to comment about Mercury’s tweets, but declined.
Mercury went on to also post a private message from Gilleland about him getting high at shows and at hotels. Mercury took issue with Gilleland making the accusation, but not taking any steps to get him help if he needed it. You can see Gilleland’s message and mercury’s response on Twitter below:
pic.twitter.com/B3AiiV9Bgi
— mercury in retrograde (@JOEYnRetrograde) November 1, 2019
Mercury isn’t the first person to complain about ROH management. Several people have left the company unhappy with COO Joe Koff and GM Greg Gilleland’s management style. One common thread among complaints from sources is they are unwilling to listen to suggestions from employees that have experience in wrestling. According to multiple sources, Mercury was trying to bridge a gap between the talent and the office, as there’s no talent relations representative in ROH at the current time.
B.J. Whitmer, who left an office job in ROH last year and is currently working for AEW, issued a tweet supporting Mercury’s claims about Gilleland:
From someone that actually worked in that office with Greg Gilleland, everything Joey is saying is 100% true. https://t.co/hw97IQKph9
— BJ Whitmer (@BJ_Whitmer) November 1, 2019
Mercury also tried to instill change in the presentation of the product and was meant with resistance. He was said to have been trying to bring change from other companies he had worked with to improve relationship between talent and office. The problem is according to sources that have worked in ROH in the past is that from their perspective, Gilleland and Koff look at problems like everyone else is at fault, but not them. One source noted that they have business experience, but not wrestling experience and act like they know better than people with decades of experience in the business.
Mercury also addressed several other issues he has with Gilleland, which can be read on his twitter account Twitter.com/JOEYnRetrograde.
Radican’s Analysis: It certainly hasn’t been a great week for ROH. The company could use some good publicity moving forward after cancelling two shows in Texas this month and having poor attendance in the U.K. last weekend. Mercury’s comments echo a lot of the sentiments I’ve heard from other people that have dealt with Koff and Gillenand’s management style in the past.
Several sources that worked behind the scenes in the past have pointed out that they believe ROH badly needs a change in creative and that ultimately the buck always stops with ROH booker Delirious (Hunter Johnston), who does what he wants. I believe ROH creative has needed a change for a long time, but as sources have told me consistently for years, Koff isn’t going to remove Delirious from his position and that hasn’t changed.
Even with all of the talent ROH has right now, the company doesn’t have any buzz and the names that should be stars that draw fans to ROH’s live events aren’t being put in a position to do so.
ROH isn’t going to comment on Mercury’s tweets, but there is a stalemate between ROH’s statement about their concussion protocal and use of EMT’s/Doctors at all events and what Mercury is claiming.