A disturbing moment during the Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin match at AEW WrestleDream continues to spark controversy—and now WWE legend Lisa Marie Varon is weighing in on the backlash.
The main event ended with Allin defeating Moxley, but not before a shocking visual saw Moxley shove Allin’s head underwater in a fish tank. That spot caused outrage on social media, especially from former AEW coach Sarah Stock, who warned the scene could lead to real-life tragedy if copied by kids at home. Stock didn’t target AEW directly, but instead placed responsibility on the parents watching:
“You know who should stop this? Mothers. With their remote control. Kids are going to end up dead trying this stuff at home.”
The situation escalated when Amanda Huber, widow of Brodie Lee, fired back, accusing Stock of hypocrisy and online grandstanding. But Lisa Marie Varon has since offered her support for Stock’s concern—and she didn’t shy away from naming the real issue.
After SoCal Val asked for her thoughts on the viral controversy, Varon explained that while she’s done hardcore matches herself, she’s never been comfortable with excessive violence in the ring.
“I’m not a fan of blood and all that kind of stuff either. And I had hardcore matches, street fights. I think I got it because they knew I was a strong enough person—I’m going to go out there and kick butt. Whatever they want, I’mma do it. I’m going to do it 110% right. But I’m not a fan.”
She made it clear that the evolution of wrestling toward ever more dangerous spots concerns her deeply—especially when younger performers or children watching might think they have to take bigger risks to get noticed.
“A lot of injuries can happen. I’m very old school—like William Regal, Fit Finlay—the grappling, the storytelling from just locking up. Because now, like I said, Mercedes [Moné]—now she’s going to have to step it up. But I don’t want her to step it up where, oh my God, she’s going to have to do a suicide dive in the ocean. That’s dangerous.”
She acknowledged that reading tone on social media can distort the meaning behind a message, but said that Stock’s warning should be taken seriously—not ridiculed.
“I’m with Sarah Stock. I don’t know exactly the words… when you read something on social media, you can’t get the emotion out of it. But I’m not a fan of blood either.”
And when it comes to the bigger conversation around safety, Varon shut down the critics who tried to silence Stock for speaking up.
“I don’t want little kids that want to be a wrestler when they grow up going, ‘Oh my God, I got to get blood to get hired.’ That’s not the case. You just have to be entertaining and suck in the fans to care about you or be relatable.”
“Let her have her opinion. Why should we shut up about how we feel because we might get reprimanded by fans? It’s not for her. She can say it. She’s been there. She’s trained talent. If she thinks it’s dangerous, she can say it. Period.”
With Amanda Huber and Sarah Stock continuing to throw shots online, Varon’s remarks add a veteran’s voice to the growing debate about AEW’s direction—and whether wrestling’s pursuit of shock value is crossing the line into unnecessary risk.
Do you agree with Lisa Marie Varon’s take on hardcore wrestling? Or do you think the drama surrounding Moxley and Darby’s match is overblown? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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