Last night we reported, via The Wrestling Observer, that Ring of Honor referee and ring crew worker Kevin Keenan was released from ROH after after allegedly making advances at a female member of the roster.
WZ was also sent an eyewitness report of the incident from an ROH employee who chose to remain anonymous.
Keenan has since reached out to WZ with the following statement, providing his side of the story:
Kevin Keenan statement regarding being fired from Ring of Honor:
I’d like to address the recent story making the rounds regarding my release from Ring of Honor Wrestling. The story that you read on the internet is always better then the actual truth so let’s give everyone just that.
For the record in my 15 years in sports entertainment/professional wrestling I have never been involved in an incident and in my 30 years of life I have never been in trouble. Yes, I was fired from ROH. Most of you more then likely didn’t even know I was there. Apparently, the story making the rounds is that I was reprimanded in front of the locker room, ring crew and told to leave. Over the course of the television show airing from Nashville, TN I can be seen in run-ins and pull a parts. So that’s just not true. Let’s start at the beginning.
After doing a night before load in with the ring crew and setting up the ring a bunch of us headed down to Broadway. Myself and one of the other crew guys stopped in Tootsie’s. Having a few beers and taking in the live music. We decided to move on to another place. While walking down Broadway we run into a bunch of the guys and girls. One of the girls gave me a hug and I exchanged hello’s with a few others. I spot Mandy Leon and smack her on the butt (Yes, that’s true. It did happen). She turns around and gives me a joking around shove to the chest and I laugh and we even have a very brief conversation right after. Mandy is someone I have known for a while and has always been a very sweet girl to me. We would send some texts. Send some Snap Chats. Chat when were on the same shows etc. I spot Delirious (Hunter) standing right there. I shake his hand and say hello and we all go our separate ways. About 30 minutes later I get a text message from an ROH official stating “please tell me you didn’t mess up. Just tell me that”. My text back said “I know it was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it. How do I fix it?”. The response I got was “idk dude. fix it”. It’s starting to get to me after this that Hunter is extremely upset. I realize there is nothing else good coming from this night and I cab it back to the hotel for bed.
Next morning 11am is call time for the crew at the building. I go about my normal duties and I wait for Hunter to arrive. I spot him. I get him by himself for a second and say “Hey, before you get super busy. Can I just have two minutes of your time?” his response was “Yeah. I actually wanted two minutes with you.” I proceed to explain to him that I apologize for last night. That’s not how I act or carry myself as a professional and even though he doesn’t know me all that well he has my word nothing like that will happen again. After a few back and forth things between the two of us he says to me “Alright, go and do your thing tonight and we can talk later”. To me that means go do your ring duties and work your matches and we’ll continue this later. I go and seek out The female talent and we speak for about 10 minutes. I apologize and we talk. She lets me know that she’s never known me to be that way and I’ve always been really cool. I explain to her I’m really not and it will never happen again. Said ROH official walks by me and says “Mandy said you guys talked and all is cool”. There was a point in time where we didn’t know what time Todd Sinclair would get there as Boston had a foot of snow dumped on them and he was delayed. So he sent assignments over the phone. At this point I had matches on the show. Todd gets there about 90 minutes before showtime. Says hello to me but lets me know at the same time “Hey, Hunter said there are no matches for you tonight but there are run-ins and pull a parts”. I said “OK not a problem”. I knew right there it was a wrap. So throughout the night on each of the television episodes I do the pull a parts and run-ins as stated above. Show ends I go out and do my ring duties and we’re almost loaded up in the truck and I get word that Hunter wants to see me. Its about 1:30am at the point. He says “I’m not using you anymore. No one feels comfortable. I don’t stop using people they stop using themselves.” I kept it professional and said “OK, thank you for the opportunity”. I extended my hand. He shakes it and I booked a flight home and went to the airport.
While in the airport I run into some people who are killing time before their flight. I tell them the story and their faces just about hit the floor. It was then I was informed that they had just found out at the show that Hunter is sleeping with The female talent in question. I get the same news from a few other people in speaking with some others after I had got home. In 2016 politically correct sports entertainment/professional wrestling what is more of a Human Resources issue to a parent company that is traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange? Me joking around with a girl outside a bar who I’ve known for a few years with zero intention of harming or disrespecting? Or the 37 year old Booker/Dojo Trainer/”Boss” sleeping with the 23 year old female talent? The answer is quite simple.
In a nutshell my services to Ring of Honor Wrestling are no longer needed because the guy who writes the show is sleeping with the female talent got jealous and wanted to flex some power. If this was the decision made on me who knows what other decisions are being made now or in the future based off the same subject. If I was the office of SBG, INC I would most certainly take a look into this. I am speaking as someone who does not want to come back to Ring of Honor. I was fine before them I’ll be fine after them. I am speaking as someone with a great reputation for 15 years in this business and making sure that the truth is there and my name isn’t tarnished. I’ve admitted wrong doing. I spoke to the parties involved and ultimately was released because I didn’t know the personal life of Hunter. This is what happens when you to keep things under wraps.
In my opinion, he very much over reacted and I’m pretty sure most would agree. Over reaction and making business decisions based on a young female talent that you ar e sleeping with are not qualities of a leader.
All My Best & Kind Regards,
Kevin Keenan
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
