Pro-Wrestling: EVE Owner Dann Read Issues Statement On Paul Robinson Working For The Promotion

Pro-Wrestling: EVE owner Dann Read has issued a statement on Paul Robinson working for the women's wrestling promotion following a backlash on social media to the reveal that Robinson was a producer at Wrestle Queendom VIII.

Read wrote on the Pro-Wrestling EVE Discord channel:

"Okay, so... I'm not going to discuss this in places like Twitter or do 'official statements' or anything like that - all I can do is talk on here as me like I always do. Whilst I'm sure there are genuine concerns from some people there like there are here, the way things escalate there quickly makes real conversation impossible. What we've built here is different.

"I've now gone through everything above, and just want to say first off thank you to those who didn't jump straight into attacking or trying to turn things into gotchas, and instead voiced concerns and asked for clarity. That genuinely makes a big difference.

"Clearly some naivety on my part played a role here and I'm sorry if anyone had questions or concerns and didn't feel comfortable asking me. That's the exact opposite of the environment I want.

"Paul has been back around the scene for a long time and at EVE he has been sat with the other producers in full view of anyone attending shows, on a raised staging area no less, so it isn't a case of trying to hide him as I think someone above suggested. Quite the opposite, he's been there in full view for almost a year.

"The reason I've quoted Dev's post is because both posts he put reflect the situation as I understand it, and as others in the scene including people within EVE understand it as well. I've seen some people say it was something he admitted to, but that has always been denied and there seems to be a lot of confusion around that point online.

"I'd like to think, and I think a lot of you do judging by how kind people have been above, that I do my best to be as open as I can. What I can say is that I would never knowingly bring anyone into EVE if there was evidence they were a danger, or if they were someone not wanted there. And while I obviously can't claim to speak for every single person, I think it's pretty clear from how cast and crew interact with him that he has their support.

"And honestly, I know some people will say that makes me naïve, but I don't think the kind of support and relationships you see around EVE are something you can fake like this. You saw it yourselves this weekend. I don't think Wrestle Queendom happens the way it did if there was some other feeling hanging over the place. If anything, the candid backstage photos people have been sharing, the interactions at the after-party etc probably show that better than anything that this is real.

"I don't think there's a unicorn solution here that will appease everyone and I won't claim this will suddenly fix things for everyone. At the end of the day this comes down to trust and people's word, and if some people feel they have to tap out here - I get it, I do. But the statements shared above reflect the character that many people know, and I can't in good conscience hold things against someone that do not seem to be accurately represented. So I have to believe we are doing the right thing in standing by that."

It emerged that Paul Robinson had worked EVE Wrestle Queendom VIII as a producer after All Elite Wrestling's Will Ospreay, a friend of Paul Robinson, shouted him out and the other producers at the show, Nina Samuels and Michael Oku, on X/Twitter in a thread praising everyone who worked what was the biggest all-women's independent wrestling event in European history.

During the Speaking Out movement in 2020, Paul Robinson was accused of kissing a 16-year-old female in 2014 and remaining in contact with her for a short time after the incident. The original post containing the allegations was deleted several years ago, but the allegations against Robinson are as follows:

"On 6th December 2014, a group of us from IPWUK were flown over to Oberhausen, Germany, all paid for by Daniel Edler (or.... at least he paid for all of it for me). At this time I was 16. We spent the day being shown around the area by Jimmy Havoc. Whilst wandering the streets, Paul Robinson and myself started talking more and more and it was really fun, we felt comfortable around eachother. During the WXW show later that night (a show at which Daniel Edler purchased me lots of drinks, I think that should go without saying at this point.), we both went outside for a cigarette together, and one thing led to another and we ended up kissing. We were inseparable that whole weekend. In the following weeks, we would share phonecalls together just to chat and hear each other's voices. Somehow his children's mother ended up finding out we were talking and sent me nasty messages. I was 16 why would I want to be in a situation like that? We drifted apart and he eventually blocked me on social media, and that was that really."

In a statement on the allegations in February 2021, Robinson admitted that he "got close" to the accuser, but denied grooming or taking advantage of her. Robinson issued the statement following an online backlash to him working a set of PROGRESS tapings, which resulted in him parting ways with the company.

Robinson returned to PROGRESS in 2023 along with Will Ospreay, with the promotion by this point under the new ownership of Lee McAteer and Martyn Best. Robinson continued to wrestle for PROGRESS until he dropped the Proteus Championship to Simon Miller in October 2024.

Robinson returned to the United Kingdom independent wrestling scene in December 2021 for the Essex-based Rainham Championship Wrestling Alliance in a match against Callum Newman. It was claimed by a member of the RCWA management team ahead of Robinson's return that an investigation "found that Paul had done no wrongdoing" and that his accuser's parents had stated in writing that "Paul should be able to continue performing and that the whole situation got out of hand." Robinson then wrestled Will Ospreay in RCWA in January 2022.