The AEW WrestleDream main event between Jon Moxley and Darby Allin sparked debate after former AEW coach Sarah Stock strongly criticized a spot involving a fish tank, warning about the dangers and potential influence on young fans. WWE Legend Lisa Marie Varon addressed the controversy on “The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val,” largely siding with Stock’s perspective and expressing her own discomfort with excessive violence in wrestling.
Varon admitted she shares Stock’s aversion to gratuitous blood and extreme hardcore elements. “You know what? I’m not a fan of blood and all that kind of stuff, either,” Varon stated, despite having participated in hardcore matches herself. “I think I got it because they knew I was strong enough… I’m gonna go out there and kick butt, whatever they want, I’m gonna do it 110%. But I’m not a fan. A lot of injuries can happen. I don’t like blood”.
She contrasted the hardcore style with her preferred approach, emphasizing technical skill and storytelling. “I’m very old school where, like William Regal, Finlay, the grappling, the storytelling, from just locking up and then gradually getting [more intense],” she explained. Varon expressed concern that extreme spots might send the wrong message to aspiring wrestlers.
“I don’t want little kids that want to be a wrestler when they grow up going, ‘Oh my god, I got to get blood to get hired.’ That’s not the case,” she asserted. “You just have to be entertaining and sucking the fans to care about you or relate, relatable… It’s not like you have to do all that stuff. I would, I’m very squeamish on that kind of stuff. Honestly, I’m not a fan of hardcore thumbtacks and all that stuff. It bothers me”.
Varon also defended Stock against the backlash she received for her comments, arguing that Stock, given her experience as a coach and performer, has every right to voice her opinion, especially regarding safety. “Let her have her opinion,” Varon said. “Why should we shut up of what we feel…? It’s not for her either. I think it’s just the way we were trained… it wasn’t necessary to do that… You care for the person that’s in the ring. You don’t want anything severe to happen… I don’t think she should have been reprimanded”.
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
