On June 13th AEW announced that producer BJ Whitmer was no longer with the company after reports of his arrest on domestic violence charges were made public.
Whitmer was arrested on Sunday, June 4the in Boone County, Kentucky and charged with strangulation in the first degree and burglary in the second degree.
Strangulation is a Class C felony in Kentucky and carries a prison sentence of 5-10 years. The burglary charge also carries the same penalty. He was released on a $25,000 bond on Monday, June 12th.
Following his arrest, the promotion released a statement disclosing that Whitmer had been relieved of his match producing duties. The full statement read:
“B.J. Whitmer has been terminated following his arrest on domestic violence charges. While talent and staff are ultimately responsible for their own personal actions, this behavior is intolerable within AEW. AEW has reached out to offer support to those impacted by his behavior.”
B.J. Whitmer has been terminated following his arrest on domestic violence charges. While talent and staff are ultimately responsible for their own personal actions, this behavior is intolerable within AEW. AEW has reached out to offer support to those impacted by his behavior.
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 13, 2023
Now reports have surfaced revealing that Whitmer’s position in the company wasn’t in a good place prior to his arrest and release.
BJ Whitmer Reportedly Had Heat With Some AEW Talent
According to Fightful Select, the former Ring of Honor performer had drawn heat backstage from some AEW wrestlers after a match recently produced. However, the report doesn’t state who had problems with him or the reason why.
Whitmer is a four time ROH Tag Team Champion. He began his career in 2000 and wrestled for several independent promotions, before becoming a regular in ROH. He was forced into retirement in 2017 due to neck and back injuries.
Following his retirement he began working in several backstage match producer roles as well as a coach at the ROH dojo. After leaving ROH in 2018 he joined All Elite Wrestling in 2019 in a similar role.