Warning: The following article details accounts of sexual abuse.
The National Wrestling Alliance announced today that Vice President Dave Lagana has resigned his position effective immediately following allegations that he sexually assaulted pro wrestler Liz Savage.
NWA posted the followed statement on their Twitter account:
Pursuant to allegations made by pro wrestler Liz Savage on her Twitter account, 6/18/2020, NWA VP David Lagana has resigned his position, effective immediately. As well all production of NWA content is temporarily halted, pending a restructuring of executive management positions.
Yesterday Savage shared her story on her Twitter account as part of the #SpeakingOut movement on social media, which has rocked the pro wrestling world to its core with horrifying accounts of sexual assault, abuse, and violence towards women within the pro wrestling community.
Savage claims that Dave Lagana assaulted her in 2010 after inviting her to live with him in California.
Read her full statement below:
After being friends with David Lagana for four years he sexually assaulted me.
I moved to LA after two years of him asking me to come out. He told me I was a real friend to him as I had been there for him when he was at his lowest, he wanted to bring me out to LA for work.
He was back and forth between (ROH/TNA) companies at the time (2010) but told me if I came to LA he would put me on NWA Hollywood & he needed someone to help him make the wrestling promotion agency he wanted to run a reality. I could even stay with him until I got my place & he’d show me around.
None of this happened except the moving part…
I moved my whole life across the country to find out his roommate who he said was cool with it… had no idea I was coming. Luckily that wasn’t the bad situation. We got along fine. Dave either completely ignored me or was on the road. No problem… I am self-reliant. But LA is always tougher than you would imagine.
I shared a bed with Dave, though nothing was romantic or sexual. In fact, he never made a move on me ever during waking hours. I trusted him completely even though things weren’t going as planned. I figured work was rough and as a writer myself, I know focusing can be tough, and he had work transitions going on.
About two months into my stay, I had gotten a job and was working very little, my savings was running dry from adventures all over job hunting, one night he was home, and we went to bed. Everything was normal. We had clothes on, I fell asleep.
I woke up in the middle night of the night and he had his hand down the front of my pants underneath my underwear. He was also touching himself. I was scared. I froze for a moment and pretended I was asleep. Then I tossed hard and pulled away from him, hoping he would leave me alone. He did. Then he kicked me out that week with less than a week’s notice.
I have spoken to very few people about this…mainly because I was mad at myself for letting this happen.
I didn’t go to the police because fuck the police… they don’t help sexual assault victims.
I didn’t go to wrestling Twitter because I knew it would get ugly and they would blame me and say I was just trying to get famous. I wasn’t.
And now I have nothing left to prove. If you don’t want to book me… oh the fuck well. Am I a whole mess of controversy in other ways? You bet. Am I malicious? Nope.
Just pissed I didn’t break his fucking arm.
Dave Lagana has yet to comment on the allegations Savage has leveled against him.
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