On August 11, Circle 6 announced that Drake Younger (Drake Wuertz) would be the special guest referee for the finals of the “(sic)est of the six” Deathmatch tournament.
The announcement received immediate backlash from fans given Drake's support of Donald Trump, rumored ties to AQanon (which he denied), pushing of conspiracy theories, and more.
Speaking on Knockouts and 3 Counts, Circle 6 promoter Mikey G provided insight as to why they booked Drake as the referee.
"My main reaction is that everyone's reaction about the announcement is people who don't know him personally. I was there, so I understand where everyone is coming from. I'm not looking at it and going 'this is insane.' I get it. Prior to me meeting him the first time, from everything that I read and seen, I would have never thought that I could sit in a room with him and find common ground and think that person was going to be somebody that I would be like, 'I can look past what's being said and there is actually a good person in there,'" he said.
Mikey G continued, "As far as bringing him in, if we're going to see him actually wrestle in any other capacity other than this, it really depends on his health and where he's at making sure that's all sorted. All that remains to be seen, at least to the point where we would feel comfortable. I had conversations with him a few times last year, I had conversations with him this year, it just wasn't there yet. The last few conversations we had were him wanting to be in a place where he can be remembered for something different. He doesn't want to be remembered as this MAGA Trump supporter that is fully right wing crazy QAnon shit. I feel when he tells me those things, it's genuine after getting to know him. It took a while for me to get to know him, understand him, understand the person he is, and believe that he's thinking differently. In conversations I've had with him, I'm talking to a guy that is remorseful for having anybody feel like he made them feel uncomfortable, unwanted or unwelcome, and that's why this happened. There was a level of comfort and understanding of who this person is and believing he's committed to changing his thought process, perception, and who he wants to be remembered as. To a degree, this company was built on the opportunity for change, second chances, and showing a better version of people. I'd like to stick by that."
Younger retired from in-ring competition in May 2023, citing a broken back. Younger spent years as a referee in WWE before being fired in May 2021.
When asked what Younger bring to Circle 6, Mikey G replied, "Years of experience and knowledge. The man did spend seven years working for WWE. He was involved in a lot of high level situations, there is a lot of knowledge he can bring to the table. If his body is ready to go, there are some big matches he could bring to the table. I think there is a place for him to end his career on a good note. Are we able to do that? Hopefully. It's going to take both sides and understanding from people and the ability to look past what they've heard to move forward and a lot on him to send a new message out as to who he is and how he wants to be remembered. That remains to be seen. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I feel confident, based on the conversations we had, that he does want to change and that's why we're here.
"Him and I are two completely different people. Going into meeting him, my guess is that I would not have wanted to be around him, I would not have liked him, but I'm also open enough to sit down and have a conversation with anybody. We've had conversations where I've said, 'I don't agree with this, I don't agree with that,' I can look past the things that were said and look at the guy and say the intention is correct, the delivery is wrong. The intent is what matters. As long as the intent is good, people can learn and change. You have to put him in an environment around people with a different mentality for them to get the opportunity to learn new things and change and grow. That's what we're trying to do differently."
Finally, Mikey G was asked about the backlash to the announcement, which did record engagement numbers for Circle 6 on social media.
"I was not expecting it...I don't think anybody expected it to be this negative. Of course, there was going to be negativity attached to it, but I don't think anybody here had the intention of going back on it. If we went back on it, it's like saying we were wrong. I don't think anybody can say we're wrong. Drake is the one that can prove us wrong. Drake is the one, if there's no change in his thought process or delivery that comes from him," he said.
Circle 6 (Sic)est of the Six takes place on September 1.
Fans can learn more about the event by clicking here.
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