Jerry Wiseman Looks at the Proposed OAC Rules

The Ohio State Athletic Commission, which oversees and regulates pugilistic sports in the state of Ohio, is considering new rules regarding the commission of professional wrestling. As the overseer of boxing, MMA and professional wrestling, the commission is proposing to change the current rules that wrestling must follow in order to produce an event.

Among the alleged changes being considered are the enactment of a surety bond consisting of $10,000 to be placed on file with the OSAC prior to an event, a 5% regulatory fee of the gross profits of the ticket sales, payable to the OSAC, mandating a physician at ringside during the course of the event as well as having an ambulance on stand-by with a minimum of two EMTs present at ringside. Adequate security personnel must also be present during the contest.

The most damaging of the new rules being considered cover blading and says that wrestlers may not deliberately cut themselves during the commission of their match. There will be no outside the barricade surrounding the ring which means no fighting in the crowd and well as no wrestler will be allowed to use foreign objects or props with the deliberate intent to lacerate (cut) him or herself or an opponent nor can animal blood or human blood or gel like substance can be used to simulate actual lacerations of a wrestler or their opponent.

If a wrestler or promoter is intent on using foreign objects or props during a wrestling match must be disclosed to the commission prior to the approval of the match and is subject to the approval of the commission. This would also include any vial, capsule or container holding any substance used to simulate blood.

A similar proposal stands before the Georgia State Athletic Commission but is being met with resistance because of the sheer chaos it would cause independent promotions and possibly shut them down. If this proposal or anything similar were to pass in Ohio, there would be fewer if any independent promotions that would be able to continue to operate due not only to the costs associated with the changes but the restrictions on how to construct a match and continue a program.

Many promotions in Ohio run on a very tight budget including Pro Wrestling Ohio, the Cleveland based and hottest indie promotion in Ohio right now but that is not to say groups like WAR Wrestling in Lima, Ohio and HWA in Cincinnati would not suffer unduly as well.

While I can understand the OSAC commission wanting to make sure the workers are well taken care of and there are other avenues that can be considered without jeopardizing the welfare of the promotion and the well-being of the wrestlers who use their weekend warrior status to help provide for their families.

Both Bernie Profato, Executive Director and Judy McCarty, Secretary of the Ohio State Athletic Commission were contacted for comment on this story but declined to comment.

If these new regulations were to pass it would be detrimental to the state of professional wrestling in Ohio. Many, if not all indie promotions would cease to exist just due to the extraordinary costs associated with these moves. A promoter must pay the commission $200 for a promoters license plus an additional $100 event fee now to run a show. The additional fees could run into the thousands of dollars and cost not only the promoter but also the fan who thrive on indie promotions because the WWE comes but once a year and TNA very rarely if at all.

If you are interested in voicing your opinion on the proposed changes to the OSAC rules and regulations regarding professional wrestling in the state of Ohio I encourage you to contact Bernie Profato at bernie.profato@aco.ohio.gov