Sammy Guevara Was Suspended From AEW Following Resurfaced Comments About Assault
Updated June 23 2020, 2:53 p.m. ET
Sammy Guevara's past comments have gotten him into new trouble. Guevara was suspended from All Elite Wrestling without pay on June 22 after comments resurfaced that he made on a 2016 episode of Raw's 4th Hour.
During the episode, Sammy said that he wanted to "go rape" wrestler Sasha Banks when she came in for a WWE tryout.
How did Sammy Guevara's comment resurface?
The comment began trending on social media as part of the "#SpeakingOut" movement which has been revealing allegations of physical and sexual abuse in the world of wrestling in recent days. AEW released a statement responding to the comment, and announcing Sammy's suspension.
"AEW insists on doing our part to create a world of understanding and respect for humankind. We therefore strongly condemn the extremely offensive and hurtful words of Sammy Guevara," the statement read.
"Sammy has agreed to undergo extensive sensitivity training and, upon completion, his future status within the company will be evaluated," the statement continued. While he's suspended, Sammy's salary will be donated to the Women's Center in Jacksonville. In addition to his suspension, Sammy also issued a public apology.
Sammy said he was being 'idiotic' when he made the comment.
"I've made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past. In my idiotic mind, I thought I was being funny in using words and terms that represent nothing but horror and pain. I am truly sorry for my hurtful words and actions, and I will never forgive myself," Sammy wrote in a statement on Twitter.
"I also want to apologize to [Sasha Banks] for my unacceptable comments. She's an amazing person who didn't deserve to be the brunt of my offensive remarks. I spoke with her earlier & she helped me learn a gigantic lesson & I thank her for that. Once again, I'm sincerely sorry," the statement continued. Sasha also referenced their discussion in her statement about Sammy's suspension.
Sasha released a statement acknowledging Sammy's apology.
"Words like the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society!" Sasha said. "We have to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and the words we say, and I hope this situation shows [Sammy] that. I hope from this point on, in order for growth and change within our community to take place, we all can continue to have these conversations."
Sammy's suspension is just one of the changes that has come to wrestling in recent days.
Although Sammy's case has gotten a lot of attention, the wrestling world has been going through a reckoning because of a series of sexual abuse allegations. The WWE recently announced that they would be releasing Jack Gallagher after he was accused of sexual abuse. David Lagana resigned as vice president of NWA the same day because of allegations that surfaced regarding his behavior as well.
Sammy's suspension is not as severe as those other punishments. His apology also suggests that he may understand that those kind of comments have no place in wrestling, or any other workplace.
If you need support, The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673. You will be connected with a trained staff member in your area. Or visit RAINN.org to chat online with a support specialist at any time.