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Chris Jericho, a legendary pro wrestler who currently works for All Elite Wrestling, came to the defense of a transgender female performer who accused Rick Steiner of making "hateful" comments to her.
Jericho has been in the wrestling industry since the early 1990s and made an impact with World Championship Wrestling, WWE, New Japan Pro Wrestling and now AEW. He commented on Gisele Shaw’s Instagram post explaining the alleged situation at WrestleCon on Friday.
"Hey! Don’t even worry about this," Jericho wrote. "#RickSteiner has always been a bully and has gotten away with so much because he is a ‘Steiner’. Makes me laugh cause I fell for the same s--- when he bullied me, Eddie (Guerrero), Chris (Benoit), Oscar (known as Rey Mysterio) and Juvie (Juventud Guerrera) at World War 3 1997!! I got your back @giseleshaw08… and if Rick has an issue with this, I’d love to discuss with him anytime. It’s 2023 dude… grow the f--- up."
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Shaw, who performs for Impact Wrestling, made the allegations in a social media post.
"I have been bullied all my life and have never stood up for myself because I’m scared that I would get beat up physically, mentally or emotionally. The bullies in my life have always silenced me, but that ends today!" Shaw said in a statement.
Gisele Shaw and Rosemary attend Fandom Party at SDCC on July 21, 2022, in San Diego, California. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Fandom)
"I was at an autograph signing event today at WrestleCon and while I was walking to my table, I hear someone yelling, ‘You’re a man,’ ‘You’re a dude,’ ‘You’re a piece of trash,’ ’You are filth,’ ‘Get the f--- away from here.’ I kept my head down and kept walking as I did not want to acknowledge that hate.
"When I arrived at my table, I spoke to another IMPACT Wrestling talent who was at the signing with me and mentioned the incident. It didn’t sit well with me and I wanted to know who was saying that because it’s unacceptable, so I decided to take a walk in that area and I hear that some person saying the same derogatory comments. I looked at the person and it was Rick Steiner saying those statements. I was shocked and could not believe that this was happening. To have someone saying those comments who a lot of people look up to and consider their hero was quite shocking and disheartening.
"I was in disbelief so I asked him. ‘Excuse me?!’ He kept repeating those hateful phrases and started yelling at me in a public setting. It was inexcusable and unacceptable."
Chris Jericho and Hiroshi Tanahashi compete during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Wrestle Kingdom 14 on Jan. 5, 2020 in Tokyo. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Shaw added there were two other "wrestling legends" sitting there who didn’t get involved in the confrontation
"Judging from that experience, it was more important for them to watch something wrong go down as supposed (sic) to standing up for someone who’s being bullied and doing what’s right.
"I am not writing this because I want sympathy. I am writing this because I am done being bullied to silence. Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility and I am standing up for myself and for other people who go through the exact same situation on a daily basis. I want everyone to know what kind of deplorable person Rick Steiner is and that this cannot be tolerated. This keeps happening because people let it slide and do not take any action. If you do business with these type of people then I will not to (sic) do business with you."
Steiner didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. He was reportedly removed from WrestleCon events on Saturday.
Shaw came out as transgender in 2022. She's been a mainstay on the independent wrestling circuit for several years.
Gisele Shaw has been a mainstay on the independent wrestling circuit for several years. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Fandom)
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Steiner, 62, is mostly known for his career in World Championship Wrestling in the late 1980s and mid-to-late 1990s. He and his brother, Scott Steiner, were tag-team champions seven times. Their tag-team was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last year.
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