Powerhouse Hobbs Issues Statement On AEW's Diversity Efforts
AEW star Powerhouse Hobbs has issued another statement in defense of AEW management following recent comments by Big Swole on the lack of diversity in the company.
As noted last week at this link, Swole called out AEW for their lack of diversity and talked about how that led to her departure back in November. AEW President Tony Khan then made a controversial tweet in response to Swole, which you can see at this link. Lio Rush later called on Khan to apologize, as noted at this link, while Hobbs and others later made posts that were related to the matter, which you can see here. Swole and Rush later made additional comments at this link.
In an update, Hobbs took to Twitter on Monday night and issued another statement in defense of Khan and Megha Parekh, who is AEW's Chief Legal Counsel and the Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Hobbs commented on how he sees firsthand how hard they're working to make pro wrestling more diverse, and how he plans to use his voice to make sure AEW is diverse.
You can read Hobbs' full statement below:
"There is so much that goes into AEW that those online don't see.
It often flies under the radar that Tony and Megha are people of color, and having them in charge of AEW represents progress for pro wrestling. I see firsthand how hard they're working to make wrestling more diverse.
I want you all to know that I consider Tony and Megha family, and I'm disappointed to see their efforts dismissed. People have no idea the time and effort it takes to put shows on and to make AEW an open environment where people like me are seen and heard.
Tony works hand in hand with people of color on the roster all the time about their story ideas, input, matches, etc. Not every idea will work, but every idea is listened to and valued. My personal voice has been heard and I've had input for many of my opportunities. As a Black male, I plan on using my voice to do what I can to make sure that this company is diverse. I'm also very aware that diversity comes in many forms – Women, Black, Latinx, East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, LGBTQ+ and more. The more diversity, equity and inclusion we can build in wrestling, the more fans we can engage with, and the more fun we can all have together.
AEW is a young company led by people of color heading in the right direction. I'm proud to be a part of that momentum, and I know my colleagues stand beside me when I say that.
- Will Hobbs -"
Khan still has not made a public response to the recent statements.
Stay tuned for more. Below is the full tweet from Hobbs:
— "The MONSTAR" PowerHouse Hobbs (@TrueWillieHobbs) January 4, 2022