SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Addendum (12-29-20)
Bruce Mitchell is no longer a staff member of Pro Wrestling Torch. I spoke with him earlier today and let him know my decision, as well as the reasons behind it.
I thank him for over 30 years of contributions that helped shape and grow Pro Wrestling Torch. Bruce informed and entertained readers and listeners with sharp, hard-hitting, informed columns and podcasts.
In addition, he has been a dear friend outside of the professional realm. I wish him well.
I also apologize to the Huber family for any pain the column caused.
Editor’s Note (12-28-20)
Yesterday on PWTorch.com, senior columnist Bruce Mitchell published an editorial concerning the death of Jon Huber (a/k/a Brodie Lee, Luke Harper) that did not go through the normal vetting and editing process for Mitchell’s columns in general, and especially for such a sensitive topic.
I was not given the opportunity to see the column before it was published.
Out of deference to Bruce’s 30 years as a staff writer, I chose not to immediately remove or edit the column as I assessed the situation, which included a discussion with him.
Based on that conversation and additional reporting, I decided that the column does not meet our standards for publication. The piece has been removed from the site.
As a sports editor myself, I understand that every publication has to have not just deadlines, but checks and balances. It didn’t cross my mind when I read it that it didn’t get edited or proofed, as we say, and I hope you guys get no blowback from it, Wade. This site is well-respected in the business (I say that based on the people whom I know within the industry and their opinions they’ve voiced to me), and by fans alike.
I read the article before it was taken down. If you don’t approve of it take it down, but firing the guy over it seems way beyond excessive.
This is Wade Keller’s site. Not ours. Not Bruce Mitchell’s. No one is the God of all knowledge. Just because Bruce Mitchell had “a thought,” and had never seen “anyone as big as Brodie Lee develop a lung condition that quickly” doesn’t mean a single thing. Mitchell’s medical opinion and mine are both worth about negative two cents. Neither Bruce nor myself is a doctor.
Bruce insinuating some of the things he did, and flat out saying others, was not only tacky, rude and tasteless, he didn’t let Wade proofread it, apparently, before it was published, which makes me wonder if he knew Wade would say “no way” and thought it would be better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
At any rate, Wade had to do what was right for the site, whether he agreed with Bruce or not, and no one is putting that in his mouth, least of all myself. Editors are in tough positions sometimes.
It goes back to what MOST of us have in our brains: tact. If you just have a random thought and decide to type it and hit “send,” once you do that, it’s out there for the world to see. Maybe Mitchell should have written his thoughts somewhere and held off for a while, at least. I mean, 24 hours or less after the guy passed? Really?