MLW suing WWE
Added 2022-01-12 00:34:28 +0000 UTCMLW is suing WWE. Fightful received the following.
Professional wrestling company Major League Wrestling (MLW) (MLW Media LLC), filed a lawsuit today against World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). The federal court antitrust lawsuit is based on WWE’s ongoing attempts to undermine competition in and monopolize the professional wrestling market by interfering with MLW’s contracts and business prospects.
As described in the complaint, WWE pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW. WWE’s misconduct included disrupting every level of MLW’s business, including a major streaming deal for MLW which would have been transformative for the company.
MLW also allege in the complaint that in early 2021, after MLW announced that it was in talks with VICE TV to air MLW programs on VICE TV, a then-WWE executive warned VICE TV that WWE owner Vince McMahon was “pissed” that VICE TV was airing MLW programs, and that VICE TV should stop working with MLW, the VICE TV executive responded that WWE’s conduct was illegal and an antitrust violation, with the WWE executive responding that she could not control McMahon.
“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”
WWE’s ongoing misconduct has hurt fans of professional wrestling and competition in the professional wrestling industry. Through this lawsuit, MLW seeks to recover its losses due to WWE’s interference and to enjoin WWE from future interference.
The case is captioned MLW Media LLC v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. MLW is represented by Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP.
Comments
Good luck
e d
2022-01-12 16:38:20 +0000 UTCMLW is finally fixing one of their criticism with this. Im happy their standing up and making their contracts more legitimate.
Marcos Munoz
2022-01-12 15:57:23 +0000 UTCGo MLW! :)
Colin Mathie
2022-01-12 09:27:52 +0000 UTCNo matter how much MLW is in the right, at the end of the day, they're either gonna be forced to drop the lawsuit due to insufficient funds or the legal system will continue to favor the big and powerful.
CSDX
2022-01-12 06:33:47 +0000 UTCVery happy to see someone standing up to the bully that is WWE, but unfortunately, WWE and Vince have way more money and lawyers. I highly doubt this really goes anywhere. WWE will drag it out for years until MLW can no longer afford to continue, and they agree to some kind of settlement that is pocket change to WWE, while avoiding setting any precedent that could hurt them in the future.
Steveisnotmyname
2022-01-12 05:46:41 +0000 UTCSuper interesting to see how this plays out.
Andrew Stadelberger
2022-01-12 04:47:49 +0000 UTCI mean… I admire the guts to go through with a lawsuit like this but a lawsuit this big and complex will be nearly impossible to prove. Especially with the legal and financial resources WWE has at its disposal
Joel Wood
2022-01-12 02:50:13 +0000 UTCWell there’s one forbidden door bolted shut
Nick O’Shea
2022-01-12 01:46:40 +0000 UTCI'm glad they're standing up, I hope they get their day in court.
Angel Davila
2022-01-12 01:35:07 +0000 UTCGood luck MLW! There's zero reason for WWE to be pulling this nonsense at this point.
2022-01-12 01:04:38 +0000 UTCGood luck to MLW.
Bryan
2022-01-12 00:54:50 +0000 UTCTies to the Tubi deal interference?
Dirty Jose
2022-01-12 00:46:07 +0000 UTCIsn’t MLW much smaller than Impact? If they’d help Impact like they have recently I don’t see why they’d need to bury MLW which is smaller
Daniel Lee
2022-01-12 00:43:48 +0000 UTCThis was my question too. I can't imagine WWE was too happy with the flight from hell dark side, but they went ahead and aired that.
2022-01-12 00:42:30 +0000 UTCGlad this is not getting forgotten.
Dirty Jose
2022-01-12 00:41:01 +0000 UTCGOOD.
BusyBrody
2022-01-12 00:40:14 +0000 UTCWait what ? They are mad business is going slow for them...?
Cody Simmons
2022-01-12 00:39:23 +0000 UTCYeah I'm just not seeing it, especially when there is more competition in wrestling now than any point in the last 20 years. Also, don't report you're in negotiations for a deal until it is done. Does wwe even have a relationship with vice TV? I don't see why vice would care that "Vince will get mad"
Chris Mate
2022-01-12 00:38:49 +0000 UTCThis is gutsy and I like it. Court is absolutely right about crappy tactics like this depriving the wrestling fans and wrestling companies. It's time for less people to stand up for wwe and more people to stand up to wwe
Danny Valentin
2022-01-12 00:38:47 +0000 UTCI wonder if having Mickie James in the rumble is evidence that they are open to working with other brands. Suspish timing if you ask me. Good for MLW!
LinzeeBee
2022-01-12 00:38:00 +0000 UTCIf it goes to trial this could be wild.
Tony Bologna
2022-01-12 00:37:48 +0000 UTCWell this isn't surprising
2022-01-12 00:37:15 +0000 UTCJust when the news was calming down. It’ll be interesting to see how this goes.
Andrew Dillard
2022-01-12 00:36:54 +0000 UTC
