As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to halt live wrestling events throughout the industry, there’s no doubt it is a stressful time for performers and industry executives alike. Nobody knows when wrestling will return in front of a crowd, but it would seem due to social distancing guidelines that we are several months away from that becoming a reality. In fact, it could be well over a year before we get back to a situation of live wrestling in front of packed arenas as we knew before.
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One performer who is getting frustrated with this situation is All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes. Rhodes took to his Facebook page and vented about the situation, going so far as to call the current situation “socialism” and pleading for things to get back to normal.
Rhodes’ post has since been deleted, but here is the original text that he posted:
“The world needs to open back up and end this mass hysteria,” Rhodes wrote. “We are not a socialist nation. We are not a democracy! We are a republic. If we go on any longer with this bulls–t, our economy will be shot and that much harder to kick start. #EndTheShutdown”
Rhodes continued on, writing “I mean, no doubt we have an epidemic on our hands, and have sustained losses which is sad, but we have to move on with our lives. Take precautions is fine, but end the shutdown please. I CARE ABOUT HUMAN LIFE, GUYS. Jeeze, take precautions, don’t go out if you have a comprised immune system. Wear your masks and social distance. Still open up”
Fans were quick to criticize the post on his page and it was deleted within hours. He was harshly rebuked for invoking the term socialism, with many questioning how that relates to a government shutdown. He was also criticized by fans who contended that he was valuing the economy over human life.
Lastly, Rhodes was also criticized for using the term “epidemic” rather than the correct term for the present situation, “pandemic.” An epidemic is when a disease has affected one region or locale, while a pandemic is a disease affecting multiple continents. The coronavius COVID-19 situation is a pandemic.
