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PWR vows to 'do better' as wrestlers speak out on sexual harassment

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR), the most high-profile pro wrestling promotion in the country, vowed to “do better” after Filipina wrestlers came forward with allegations of sexual harassment within the industry.</p><p>Nina and Crystal joined many wrestlers who are now #SpeakingOut, breaking their silence about the abuse and harassment they endured within the pro wrestling community, specifically in the local scene.</p><p>On Twitter, Nina shared the harassment she allegedly experienced when interacting with Alex Cuevas, who wrestled for Singapore Pro Wrestling. Nina recalled that Cuevas “always made really inappropriate jokes” and was “too close for comfort” to her in the locker room. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><div dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpeakingOut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpeakingOut</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zmq4reDnQe">pic.twitter.com/Zmq4reDnQe</a></div>— Nina (@Nina_PWR) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nina_PWR/status/1273937567621066752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“I admit I’m not really traumatized because this kind of sh*t happens all the time, even outside the wrestling world,” she said. “But man, does it need to stop.”</p><p>“Women have every right to speak up about their mistreatment. I believe all these harassers should be held accountable somehow, and I hope that this teaches everyone a lesson on how to treat women,” Nina added.</p><p>Since she spoke up, other women have reached out to Nina to share their stories about the alleged harassment they endured in Cuevas’ hands, including allegedly an underage girl. “I don’t even have the words,” Nina said in sharing their experiences. “So disgusted. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>Crystal alleged, too, that she was harassed by Cuevas. She also said that she was harassed by fellow Filipino wrestler Peter Versoza and upon telling the story to her “batch mates,” she was laughed off. The former president of the PWR was allegedly dismissive when informed of the incident, too.</p><p>ABS-CBN News is currently seeking the sides of Cuevas and Versoza on the matter. Cuevas could not be reached in his known social media accounts for comment.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I never really felt safe. All the whispers. All the dms. All the ass grabs. The &quot;accidental&quot; brush against the boobs. The threats of being blackballed. The rumors. Being backstabbed so no one will ever believe you. NO AMOUNT OF APOLOGIES. WILL EVER UNDO THE DAMAGE. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpeakingOut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpeakingOut</a> <a href="https://t.co/xpPFQCqqfP">pic.twitter.com/xpPFQCqqfP</a></p>— Crystal 👑💎 クリスタル (@CrystalMNL) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrystalMNL/status/1274195199984455681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2020</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Crystal alleged that since speaking out, she has been getting “threats from people saying I should take a lie detector test.”</p><p>In a statement, PWR expressed its support for the wrestlers who have been speaking out and coming forward with stories of sexual harassment.</p><p>“Our company has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and abuse, and we strive to make PWR a safe environment for everyone — our performers, crew, and fans alike,” it said. “We have not been perfect in addressing these issues in the past, but we have been taking this as an opportunity to grow, learn, and most importantly, listen more.”</p><p>“We believe that pro wrestling would not be the dynamic industry it is today without all the talented women who have given so much of themselves to our sport. Please continue #SpeakingOut. We’re listening and we promise to do better.”</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><div dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/QRO5jkeCsy">pic.twitter.com/QRO5jkeCsy</a></div>— PWR (@pwrofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/pwrofficial/status/1274306544696348672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2020</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Meanwhile, Singapore Pro Wrestling recently announced it has released Cuevas from its roster in light of the allegations against him.</p><p>“As a pro-wrestling promotion, our vision is to cultivate an environment where individuals of all backgrounds can come and feel safe and respected. This extends to our wrestlers, talents that come from overseas, fans, and especially women,” the promotion said.</p><p>“SPW does not condone matters involving abuse, sexual grooming, and sexual assault. 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transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBpQ-l1pbD9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by SPW (@sgprowrestling)</a> on <time dateTime="2020-06-20T05:14:05+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Jun 19, 2020 at 10:14pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Wrestlers from virtually every promotion have come forward in recent weeks with allegations of how they have dealt with sexual harassment and abuse, and wrestling fans too have broken their silence about their experiences. </p><p>Several high-profile wrestlers — including indie star Joey Ryan and WWE superstars Matt Riddle, Velveteen Dream and Jordan Devlin — have been accused of sexual misconduct and sexual grooming.</p><p>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.</p>

<p>Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR), the most high-profile pro wrestling promotion in the country, vowed to “do better” after Filipina wrestlers came forward with allegations of sexual harassment within the industry.</p>

Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR), the most high-profile pro wrestling promotion in the country, vowed to “do better” after Filipina wrestlers came forward with allegations of sexual harassment within the industry.