Wrestling’s Quiet Blind Spot: Cases Involving Minors Go Unreported by Top Insiders
In 2025, several individuals tied to professional wrestling faced serious arrests or charges related to offenses involving minors. Yet, these stories have seen almost zero coverage from prominent wrestling journalists, especially the top two in Dave Meltzer and Sean Ross Sapp, who usually dive deep into industry controversies, scandals, and arrests.
Key examples include:
• Michael Droese (known in WWE as Duke “The Dumpster” Droese in the ’90s) was indicted in May 2025 by a Warren County, Tennessee grand jury on one count of attempted aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (a Class D felony). Authorities alleged he used a Coinbase account in April 2024 to attempt purchasing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web via cryptocurrency.
The transaction was flagged and stopped before completion. He was arrested, released on $10,000 bond, and lost his job as a DUI coordinator. Mainstream outlets (Gray News affiliates, NewsNation, local Tennessee reports) covered it, but it barely registered in dedicated wrestling media.
Neither Sean nor Dave tweeted about this.
David Joseph Mabry, a Georgia independent wrestler (who appeared for promotions like NAWA/KLT), was arrested twice in 2025 for similar incidents:
April 2025: Charged with misdemeanor obscene internet contact with a child after allegedly sending an explicit photo (including erect penis) via Facebook Messenger to an underage girl who attended one of his shows. He reportedly told her not to tell anyone.
August 2025 (arrest around August 19): Charged with distribution of material depicting nudity or sexual conduct after allegedly sending another explicit photo (exposed penis) via text to a different underage female.
He was jailed briefly both times. Local Georgia news (Coosa Valley News) and wrestling sites (Fightful, PWInsider, Ringside News) reported the second arrest, but broader insider coverage remained minimal.
Neither Sean nor Dave tweeted about this.
For context, Chasyn Rance (independent trainer with past ties to wrestlers) was arrested in April 2025 by FDLE in Florida on multiple felony counts.
He failed to comply with sex offender registration requirements (false info, unreported changes to vehicles/internet IDs).
He’s been a registered sex offender since a 2011 conviction for lewd and lascivious battery (victim 12-15). This got some pickup in wrestling news (Wrestling Inc., WrestleZone), but again, nothing personally from the two biggest voices.
Sean with Chasyn’s training partner, Ricochet aka Trevor Mann.
Once again, Dave Meltzer (Wrestling Observer) and Sean Ross Sapp (Fightful) — who routinely report on wrestling arrests, releases, allegations, and drama — appear to have gone silent on these 2025 cases.
The last notable similar coverage from them was around Velveteen Dream’s 2020-2022 allegations and arrests (inappropriate communications with minors, later non-sexual charges). Searches for their commentary on Droese, Mabry, or Rance’s recent issues turn up nothing substantial.
This isn’t about demanding coverage of every local indie story, but the inconsistency stands out when these involve credible, documented charges tied to exploitation of minors.
Mainstream and niche wrestling outlets picked up pieces, yet the top-tier insiders who shape much of the conversation have a noticeable gap here.
It’s a reminder that blind spots exist even in an industry built on scrutiny. When serious allegations surface involving minors, consistent reporting matters for accountability — no matter the wrestler’s level or promotion ties.
Do you know what can happen due to a lack of journalistic integrity? An 18-year-old girl who is presented as WWE’s “Role Model” Bayley can be miscast and, through careless reporting, end up portrayed as the face of pedophiles.
