Indie wrestling is once again facing difficult questions about who gets to stay in the businessthis time involving promoter Javan Miller, whos been accused of predatory behavior by indie star Edward Draven.
Draven took to Twitter and laid out a disturbing account of his experiences working for Millers promotion, CIW, and revealed why he wont stay silent anymoredespite the emotional difficulty of addressing this topic due to his own history with trauma.
Draven says Miller originally booked him for two shows after seeing a public challenge on Twittersomething Draven was genuinely excited about, since it involved wrestling a longtime friend. But what started as a professional opportunity spiraled quickly into something else.
According to Draven, the promoters behavior became increasingly inappropriate and disrespectful, including behind-the-scenes gossip, slander about other wrestlers, and unprofessional booking decisions.
Draven described how matches were manipulated to favor wrestlers Miller was allegedly pursuing romantically.
After the events, Draven chose to cut ties with Miller and CIW entirelyonly to hear that Miller was misrepresenting the situation to others in the locker room. He called out Miller for being a creep.
The most disturbing part? Draven says Miller is a registered sex offender and known for stealing from the industryallegations that take this from uncomfortable to potentially dangerous territory.
Wrestling is no stranger to stories like this, but every voice that speaks out helps push the business toward real accountability and protection for performers.
Do you think indie wrestling promotions are doing enough to protect talent? Should there be a stronger vetting process for promoters? Drop your thoughts in the commentsyour voice matters.
