It was on the 2/24 edition of AEW Collision that Sammy Guevara last wrestled for the company. Prior to that, he clashed with Jeff Hardy on the 2/16 AEW Rampage in a No Disqualification match.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp is reporting that Guevara is currently on suspension from AEW in relation to the match with Hardy. There was a spot when Guevara went for a top rope maneuver and his knee connected with Hardy’s head. As a result, Hardy suffered a broken nose but finished the match.
The report notes that concussion protocol was not followed via Guevara hitting his finisher on Hardy and that should not have happened. There are no details about how long Guevara’s suspension is.
Looked around a bit for more details but I’m confused… was he told not to hit his finish and did it anyway? Or was he just supposed to recognize the situation? Because the latter sounds like it should be on the referee.
Is this suspension three? Mercedes Comments, Eddie Kingston stuff (iirc), and now this?
Moreover, this is a second incident where a Hardy brother was hurt in a match with Sammy where the match should have stopped. I’m thinking the Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara career ending match (Double or Nothing?) where Hardy was clearly knocked out, and the match should have been stopped as there was an easy way to end the match and avoid the stip based on the spot that caused the injury. That moment was a tipping point in my wrestling fandom: I couldn’t believe in the modern era how reckless and stupid that was, and the people involved seemed stupid for not being able to see the easy, right exit to take out of the match (i.e. it’s last man standing, Aubrey/Tony should have told Sammy stay the fuck down for the 10 count leading to a no contest and avoiding the stip, while addressing a clear and visible unconscious human laying on concrete…this isn’t hard).
Injuries happen, mistakes happen, but Guevara seems a little reckless with his own body on dives at times (cue the stupid “I’m crazy” hand gesture and tongue sticking out thing he does on big dives).
He’s good enough, been heavily featured, and over to that audience, but there’s nothing special there that makes me think this suspension or no Sammy Guevara in AEW would be a major loss.
Eh, I’d have a hard time believing that. They were stupid comments, but all accounts they cleared the air, he was punished (even though it happened before his time in AEW, I believe).
I’m also seeing some stuff that he no sold Hobbs attack as well
I think the truth is nobody really like Sammy. He seems like a really bad person in a lot of ways and like I would never cheer him or want to see him and I’m sure others feel the same way. Maybe this is their way of just easing him out of there because he doesn’t really work as a talent people care about.
I remember when AEW first formed, the narrative was that the “core four” (MJF, Darby, Sammy, and Jungle Boy) were the future of the company. Of the four, MJF has obviously flurished, Darby has done great, Jungle Boy has been a bit up and down, but Sammy has just nose dived. So much promise at the beginning.
I mean…he’s concussed. By definition, he isn’t necessarily thinking or acting in a level-headed way. I agree that it’s a pretty messy situation, but if Sammy was directly told by the ref to stop and “go to his corner” while they check Jeff, that’s pretty open and shut. If he was told to just go to a finish and cover Jeff, it’s a bit messier (and hey, Sammy probably doesn’t have the mass to do the lateral press Sting did on Jeff at Victory Road), but any sort of potentially high impact move to someone you know may be concussed seems very reckless.
…Also, Sammy’s match with Jeff’s brother seems to be looming in the background here. It was the first major mid-match disaster/injury AEW had to deal with on the fly, and was, IMO, handled poorly. You have to think whatever concussion protocol the company now has was shaped by that.
I don’t want to speculate about wrestlers’ shoot feelings for one another, but man: find someone in your life who believes in you the way Tony Khan believes in a babyface Sammy Guevara. Dude can be a fantastic wrestler but from the indies to the present day he’s always been at his best and most natural as a heel, yet Tony keeps reintroducing and repackaging him as a face.
What the hell is this “concussion protocol” where guys are finishing matches?! Like if an NFL WR goes into concussion protocol he isn’t suddenly only on the field for run-blocking duties — he’s out of the game, immediately. I hope for AEW’s sake this is just fake news bullshit on Twitter, because what the fuck? If you know the guy has a significant head injury just end the match, or at least just go to a quick submission finish where no bumps are taken.
Also I’m sorry but if they’re suspending Sammy for this then how do they not suspend Darby for his stunt the other night? I totally get suspending guys who recklessly endanger themselves and others, but I also feel that would encapsulate 90% of the AEW roster currently. Gotta apply this shit evenly.
I agree! As a heel he would work. No one wants to cheer him and this him going away is barely noticed. If they let him be a slimy heel he would probably work