Dave Meltzer Issues A Lengthier Statement After Coming Under Fire For Peyton Royce Comments

“I ended up being in the eye of the storm this week based on comments that I made on Wrestling Observer Radio last week. For those who defended me, thanks. But I was wrong the way I worded things. Yes, things were taken out of context and the meaning espoused to what I said wasn’t what I meant. Even saying that, I was still wrong and apologized, actually immediately for it, to Peyton Royce. It was sincere. I knew the fact I apologized and sincerely felt bad wasn’t going to matter. And I know many felt I made a big mistake in doing so. But this was not a political decision, it was a decision based on my own feeling of right and wrong, and I was wrong.

It’s a very tricky issue because I hate objectifying women or men based on looks while covering a business that is so heavily based on looks and bodies and where judgments are made. It’s really difficult because this is a business where cosmetic look plays a gigantic factor in who gets pushed and who doesn’t. It’s the nature of the entertainment business. To ignore that fact would really be not doing a part of my job. But others do the same job and I’ve been lucky enough to be a major player, and thus under a heavier microscope. But I still shouldn’t have said what I said. It is a difficult balancing act to be honest in analysis, but that’s not an excuse. We all make mistakes and all you can do is learn from them. I’ve learned from this one. It won’t happen again.”