Fan Attacks Wrestler with Chair at Delmarva Wrestling Digest Event
Delmarva Wrestling Digest Faces Continued Failures Amid Past Violations
Delmarva Wrestling Digest presented "They Not Like Us" on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Sussex Central High School in Georgetown, Delaware. One of the wrestlers participating in the show was Jai Kole.
During Kole’s match, the action spilled outside into the entranceway, where a steel chair was introduced and discarded. In a shocking moment, a fan picked up the chair and struck Kole in the head. The fan was removed from the venue and banned from future events.
Kole later addressed the incident on social media, stating:
"Tonight one fan who took pro wrestling too serious hit me in the head with a chair. He was removed and will no longer be able to attend shows. Thanks to everyone who handled the situation correctly—security is a must."
While security may have reacted after the fact, the lack of preventative measures at the event enabled this incident to happen in the first place. Guardrails were present around the ring itself, but none were in place in the entranceway, and no security was with the wrestlers as they brawled around the fans, allowing direct access between the audience and the wrestlers. This lack of separation and oversight ultimately contributed to the situation, as an unauthorized fan was able to physically insert themselves into the match.
Chair shots to the head—like the one the fan delivered to Kole—have been largely eliminated in pro wrestling due to the risk of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and serious brain injuries.
A Continuing Pattern of Negligence at Delmarva Wrestling Digest
This highlights a continuing problem with event safety at Delmarva Wrestling Digest, particularly under the oversight of wrestling promoter Kevin L. Wilcox. The issues at the March 15 event mirror prior violations Wilcox was investigated for following a December 2023 show, which I was the first to report on.
That event was riddled with multiple safety failures, prompting the Delaware Secretary of State to open Case No. C-COM-2024-00001, which led to an official investigation into Wilcox’s handling of wrestling events. In 2024, an investigator from the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) contacted me to discuss my reporting on the December 2023 event.
As I began investigating the events of this past weekend, I uncovered that Wilcox had already entered into a Consent Agreement with the state of Delaware in August 2024—something that I was personally unaware of until now. The agreement, which was reached as a result of the regulatory violations from December 2023, detailed a pattern of negligence and multiple safety failures.
Here’s the PDF of the agreement.
Among the violations outlined in the Consent Agreement:
Wilcox failed to construct a marked barrier separating the audience from the fighting area by at least six feet, a clear violation of safety protocols designed to prevent unauthorized fan interaction—exactly the kind of situation that happened this past weekend.
Referees at the December 2023 event were not provided with protective gloves, a basic health and safety requirement in combat sports settings.
The wrestling ring floor collapsed under a wrestler’s feet during the match, causing the wrestler to fall through the ring. Wilcox was responsible for ensuring that all equipment, including the ring, was in good working order, yet the structural failure put performers at serious risk.
Wilcox allowed an unapproved participant, Lynn Patrick, to compete in the event without being listed on the official contestant form submitted to the state. This was a direct violation of 28 Del. C. § 105(a)(4) and § 106(b), which require all competitors to be officially documented and cleared before performing.
Beyond the issues cited in the Consent Agreement, further concerns were raised about the December 2023 event, including the presence of a convicted rapist and registered sex offender, Jay Cortez (aka Jason Sweeney), who attended the show at a middle school while dressed as the Grinch. Cortez had access to the locker room, where an underage wrestler was changing. That wrestler, who had previously been removed from a Pennsylvania event after officials discovered her age, was allowed to wrestle in Delaware despite not meeting the legal requirements to compete.
Baseless Legal Threats and Intimidation Attempts
Following criticism of the December 2023 event, Wilcox threatened legal action against me in what was clearly an attempt at intimidation rather than a legitimate case. A family member of the underage wrestler also appears to have been involved in pushing this threat.
After receiving the legal threat, I consulted with lawyers at FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), friends who are attorneys, and Steven P. New. Their unanimous assessment confirmed what was already obvious—this was an empty intimidation tactic.
Additionally, the same lawyer who issued this threat on behalf of Wilcox has also sent legal threats to others in the wrestling community over unrelated online comments.
Failure to Improve Conditions at “They Not Like Us”
Despite those prior violations, the incident at "They Not Like Us" raises serious concerns about whether these safety issues have truly been addressed. The lack of guardrails in certain areas, the absence of security preventing unauthorized fan interactions, and the ease with which an attendee was able to physically assault a wrestler all point to a failure to enforce basic event safety standards.
Additionally, a video posted by Jai Kole from this past weekend’s event appears to show that the referee was not wearing gloves—one of the same violations Wilcox was previously cited for in December 2023. This raises further questions about whether any meaningful changes have been made since the initial disciplinary action.
Recap of Issues at This Weekend’s Event:
A fan physically assaulted a wrestler with a chair, something that should have been impossible with proper security and barricades.
The entranceway lacked guardrails, and no security was present with the wrestlers, allowing direct fan access and making interference possible.
The referee in Jai Kole’s match was not wearing gloves, a violation Wilcox had already been cited for in 2023.
What Comes Next?
I already contacted the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) to request comment on this latest incident over the past weekend. Given that Wilcox is already under probation as a promoter, I also asked whether repeated safety failures—like a fan being able to physically assault a wrestler—could put his promoter license in jeopardy or lead to further disciplinary action.
Additionally, if anyone from Delmarva Wrestling Digest or their cut-and-paste attorney would like to provide a statement—or issue another legal threat—they can send it directly to jeff@dmvwrestlingnews.com.