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AEW Updates: Double or Nothing Partners with KultureCity for Sensory Inclusion, Bea Priestley Signing and More

AEW and KultureCity; Bea Priestley signing

On this week’s AEW – The Road to Double or Nothing episode, the fifth in the series, Brandi Rhodes took center stage as she announced Bea Priestley will be joining the roster for the newly named Jacksonville show in July, “Fight for the Fallen,” (the show where Cody announced during the first AEW press conference that a portion of the gate will go to victims of gun violence) and revealed more information about Double or Nothing being the world’s first-ever sensory inclusive wrestling event. With signings like Sonny Kiss and Nyla Rose, the first transgender athlete signed to a major wrestling promotion, Rhodes’ announcement of the partnership with KultureCity continues to show that “AEW is for everyone” is well beyond just lip service.

KultureCity was born out of the common goal of parents everywhere who wanted others to not just be aware but be accepting of children with autism. Considered to be a movement, KultureCity credits these families as being the backbone of the organization citing on their website, “KultureCity owes its birthright not to any one person, or any few, but to the many thousands of people who make up the KultureCity family – families who have worked tirelessly for acceptance and better future for their children with autism. Families who have fought school systems for their children to be educated, doctors for their children to be treated, establishments for their children to be attended to.”

One of the initiatives that KultureCity does is provide sensory inclusive equipment and training for people interested in hosting sensory inclusive events, such as Double or Nothing will be.

“Sensory inclusive events are catering towards people who have trouble processing sensory information when they are at large events at this scale – large noises, strong smells, anything that could trigger them to have a negative reaction,” Rhodes said. “That’s going to include people who have autism, PTSD, people with strong anxiety symptoms, people who have suffered recent strokes. One of the things KultureCity does so well is they provide training for all of the staff so our staff at the MGM Grand and Garden Arena will be fully prepared to take care of and field anything that happens to anyone dealing with any of those issues. We want to make sure they are all welcome to come and they have a great time at our event.”

In addition to the partnership with KultureCity, Rhodes also had another announcement to make, that AEW had signed British wrestler, Bea Priestley, and she would be debuting at Fight for the Fallen in Jacksonville.

Just 23 years old, Bea Priestley began wrestling at 16 in the lower level UK circuit. In 2016, she debuted for the short-lived What Culture Pro Wrestling (now Defiant Wrestling), as one of the promotion’s main female stars alongside Nixon Newell (WWE/NXT UK‘s Tegan Nox). Between WCPW/Defiant she is the promotion’s only two-time champion, winning the women’s title in 2017 and again in 2018.

Bea Priestley also wrestled for PROGRESS, International Pro Wrestling: UK, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Over the Top Wrestling that year. In 2017, Priestley made her first tour of Japan’s World Wonder Ring Stardom where she teamed with Kelly Klein in the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, which the two won, and feuded with Io Shirai, Momo Watanabe and their group Queen’s Quest, a stable she joined a year later. Returning to Stardom in 2018, Priestley took part in several high profile title matches and the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League for the second year in a row, where alongside Chardonnay they reached the finals.

Priestley has also wrestled for Pro Wrestling EVE, HOPE Wrestling, Riptide Wrestling, Melbourne City Wrestling, Frontline Wrestling, Fight Club: PRO, ATTACK! Pro Wrestling, World of Sport, where she is a former women’s champion and Fight Forever Wrestling, where she is the current women’s champion.

When announcing Priestley’s signing, Rhodes described her as someone who has made her own path in wrestling and that makes her exactly the kind of person AEW wants as they look to build and make their own stars in the company.

You can watch the full episode of The Road to Double or Nothing below:

 

Marilee Gallagher, Manager

Marilee Gallagher, Manager

Marilee Gallagher is a Philadelphia native and lifelong sports fan with interests beyond just the major five U.S. sporting leagues. At Last Word on Sports, she is the Department Manager for Last Word on Pro Wrestling, helping lead a team that covers WWE, AEW, and indies both in the U.S. and internationally. Past writing experience includes time as a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and Rant Sports.

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