Chair shots to the head have become increasingly rare in wrestling, due to the known risks of brain injuries like CTE. However, during AEW’s fourth annual Blood & Guts Match on AEW Dynamite, an exception occurred.
In this match, Team AEW (Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, Darby Allin, and The Acclaimed) took on The Elite (The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and “Hangman” Adam Page).
During the match, Perry was handcuffed to the cage and received an unprotected chair shot to the head from Briscoe. Team AEW emerged victorious in the end.
According to the Wrestling Observer, the chair used was a “gimmicked” one, designed to be safer:
“It was one of the shaved-down chairs. I don’t know how shaved down that is, I don’t know how soft that is, but it was a gimmicked chair. But still, they waffled that dude with that chair.”
You can watch this spot below:
Mark Briscoe gave Jack Perry Super Saiyan blue levels of CTE with that chair shot 😭😭 #AEWBloodAndGuts #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/WuPPltv9bd
— Public Enemies Podcast (@TheEnemiesPE3) July 25, 2024
AEW EVP Nick Jackson (of The Young Bucks) had the following to say about this incident during an interview with Sports Illustrated:
“All I know is Jack is fine, and that’s all that matters, we know the risk we’re taking in the ring and it wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t prepared for it.”
WWE commentator Corey Graves tweeted the following about this (but deleted it later):
“This is not meant to sound judgmental, or incite ‘us vs. them’ or question anybody’s passion, or talent or intentions.
This is just coming from a guy whose career ended from a few too many ACCIDENTAL headshots.
The ART of this business is protecting ourselves and each other.
Trust me… the gaps in memory are not worth it. I promise.”
After Corey received backlash for his comments, his brother Sam Adonis tweeted the following:
“Crazy to think that people are mad at @WWEGraves for stating the obvious!
Imagine losing everything you’ve ever worked for due to a colleague’s mistake.
Now imagine seeing other colleagues making the same mistake deliberately?
Wouldn’t you chime in too?
Knowledge > Opinion”
WATCH: Brooke Adams Exposes Her Buns:
