Monday, September 30, 2019

New York State Athletic Commission Sure Screwed With New Japan Pro Wrestling

Somebody on that commission sure had a hair up their ass for some reason..

The company that usually provides ambulances for the building was called the morning of the show to say it was canceled.  Those backstage found out at about 5:30 p.m. and ended up getting an FDNY ambulance to the building in time for the show to start.  The Athletic Commission rep said that if there was a shooting nearby the ambulance would have to leave and wouldn't accept it or allow the show to go on.  A second FDNY ambulance came but it was the same story.  

Two other ambulances ended up being brought in so at one point there were four ambulances there.  At this point the two FDNY ones left since the commission wouldn't accept them.  Then somebody tried to tell one of the ambulances (a commission person) that two weren't needed and one of the others could go, but those associated with the show asked, what if somebody needed an ambulance and thus, with only one, there wouldn't be one there, and the commission said they would have to stop the show at that point until the ambulance got back.  So they kept two.  

They also had four doctors, three more than necessary, on their own including one that spoke Japanese.  At the time the video played, the two ambulances were there but the commission would not allow the show to start until they were in the back of the building and a stretcher was in the building, as they were in the front of the building when they wanted to start the show and were told they couldn't.  NJPW was also told the barricade couldn't be used to throw wrestlers in, no fighting outside the ring, no tables and no blading.  For union reasons, the show was supposed to end by 11 p.m. but we're told even with rushing the show, NJPW decided to run overtime even with the added cost

When New Japan’s local promoter asked what would happen if a wrestler got injured and needed to be transported, they were told the show would be halted until the ambulance returned.  At that point, a rep for the show put his foot down and demanded both ambulances stay.  The FDNY ambulance left about an hour after the show started, so for the first hour of the show, there were four ambulances sitting there after the show was delayed nearly 90 minutes because there were zero ambulances
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The local promoter in NYC, as an extra measure, made sure there was a Japanese speaking doctor in attendance so there would be no language barriers if there was an injury.

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