Sammy Guevara has been suspended by All Elite Wrestling for his explicit comment about WWE‘s Sasha Banks, which he made in 2016. The comment was made on an episode of Raw’s 4th Hour podcast, and it resurfaced online this week. Guevara joked that he wanted to “go rape” Banks when he was at a WWE tryout. This comes on the heels of the “#SpeakingOut” hashtag trending online, which has revealed allegations of sexual and physical abuse in pro wrestling.
“AEW insists on doing our part to create a world of understanding and respect for humankind,” the company said in a statement. “We therefore strongly condemn the extremely offensive and hurtful words of Sammy Guevara. Sammy has agreed to undergo extensive sensitivity training and, upon completion, his future status within the company will be evaluated.” Guevera, 26, went to social media and apologized for the comments.
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“I’ve made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past,” he wrote. “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.” When Banks, learned about the comment, she reached out to Guevara and said he apologized to her while having an “open discussion.”
“Words like the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society!” Banks wrote on Twitter. “We have to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and the words we say, and I hope this situation shows [Guevara] 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.”
AEW’s suspension of Guevara comes after WWE released Jack Gallagher for his sexual abuse allegations. Also, Matt Riddle, who made his SmackDown debut on Friday is being accused of sexual assault, but the company has not punished him as it has been reported WWE knew about the allegations for two years.
Guevara joined AEW last year after spending years on the independent circuit. He is known for his time in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, winning the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. Banks is one of the top stars in WWE as she and Bayley are the Women’s Tag Team Champions. Banks is also a four-time winner of the Raw Women’s Championship, tied for the most in WWE history.
