WrestleCon has issued a statement on the incident between Gisele Shaw and Rick Steiner that took place at their convention.
"WrestleCon regrets the events that took place at yesterday’s convention and apologizes to Gisele Shaw," WrestleCon wrote on Saturday. "We aim to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all LGBTQAI+ members of the wrestling community. The issue has been addressed and we hope the remainder of the convention can be a positive experience for all."
PWInsider reports that Steiner was informed that he was not allowed to enter or take part in the remainder of WrestleCon's events.
In a social media post on Friday, Shaw alleged that she was verbally accosted by Steiner at WrestleCon. Shaw, who came out as transgender in 2022, stated that Steiner called her "a dude," "filth," "a piece of trash," and told her to "get the f*ck away from here."
Shaw also stated that one of her Impact Wrestling peers was called a homophobic slur by Steiner.
"I want to thank all of my Impact peers who were present during the incident and tried to diffuse the situation," Shaw wrote. "Unfortunately a member of that same peer group was also verbally accosted by Rick Steiner being called a 'f****t' earlier in the day."
Impact Wrestling referee Daniel Spencer backed up Shaw's account of the incident. "My heart breaks for Gisele and our [other] peer," Spencer tweeted. "To witness it happen was shocking and disturbing. Respect and love is something we have at IMPACT because we are FAMILY. I’m so grateful for the support we have for one another."
Steiner is currently a member of the Cherokee County School District's Board of Education in Cherokee County, Georgia.
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