Ex WWE Referee Asserts You Cannot Gimmick Steel Chairs After Blood & Guts Controversy

AEW presented Blood & Guts to fans during the July 24 episode of Dynamite. The match concluded with a victory for Team Elite in dramatic fashion. Matt Jackson had to offer Darby Allin a TNT Title match against Jack Perry at All In to prevent setting the former Jungle Boy on fire. During the match, Perry was handcuffed to the cage, and in this vulnerable position, Mark Briscoe struck him on the head with a chair, reminiscent of the Tommy Dreamer and Sandman incident in ECW years ago. However, in 2024, this spot did not go over well with audiences.

There is a narrative suggesting that AEW attempted to ensure a safe chair shot to Jack Perry’s head by modifying the metal chair. Tony Khan has also defended that dangerous spot.

Long-time referee Jimmy Korderas, with his extensive experience, refuted this claim, asserting that it is impossible to gimmick a steel chair for a safe headshot. He made his stance clear in a video uploaded to Twitter. In the video, Korderas stood in a ring holding a chair, explaining that such chairs cannot be altered for safety.

“Here we are with a folding steel chair. Guess what? It’s not gimmicked, you know why? Because you can’t gimmick these things. So get it out of your head. It isn’t possible. Maybe if it’s made of wood, maybe you can shave it down a little bit, but guess what? Steel chairs, that’s what you get.”

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During his speech, Jimmy Korderas knocked on the chair with his knuckles to demonstrate its solid steel construction, emphasizing that there is no way to safely execute an unprotected chair shot to the head. His point was very clear, but it’s uncertain how many people will listen to him. He said you can shave down a wood chair, but not a steel one. It is possible to replace the seat with a lighter material, but that’s still not safe, just look at Shawn Spears’ chair shot to Cody Rhodes several years ago in AEW that left the American Nightmare with a gash in his head for reference.

Blood & Guts was an eventful match, but the risks undertaken by the wrestlers might not have been worth it in the long term. According to Jimmy Korderas, such dangerous shots to the head are unnecessary because they cannot be done safely.

What are your thoughts on unprotected chair shots to the head? Do you dislike seeing such spots in wrestling? Share your opinions in the comments section!