Written by Ray Vann, July 20, 2016, at 5:00 p.m.
Dozens of ex-wrestlers brought charges to the WWE on Monday morning, claiming that the company is responsible for a whole host of neurological issues that many of them have been facing since their time in the ring.
Athletes Bring Lawsuit Against the WWE
Jimmy “Supafly” Snuka, King Kong Bundy, and Paul Orndorff, better known by his stage name “Mr. Wonderful,” are just a few of the more than fifty former athletes who are demanding some kind of compensation for what they claim was brain damage resulting because the “WWE placed corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety, and financial security,” according to the wording of the lawsuit.
Snuka’s presence in the case makes the entire affair more interesting, as he was declared mentally unfit to stand trial just last month for the beating death of an ex-girlfriend back in 1983. The court reported concluded that the ex-showman suffered from dementia caused by repeated head trauma, something which is sure to make its way into the latest lawsuit.
One of the main tenets of the suit, and why the wrestlers believe the WWE itself is directly responsible for their injuries, is the fact that unlike football or baseball, what takes place in the ring is all carefully choreographed and orchestrated by WWE officials in advance.
Furthermore, the case alleges that the WWE purposely hid the risks from athletes, saying they “deliberately ignored and actively concealed … medically important and possibly lifesaving information about specific neurological conditions like CTE.”
The athletes also say the WWE labeled them as “independent contractors,” rather than full-time employees, to further distance themselves from any possible liability.
The WWE Strikes Back
The WWE has attempted to discredit the attorney for the former wrestlers, Konstantine Kyros. The company’s official statement regarding the suit said, “This is another ridiculous attempt by the same attorney who has previously filed class action lawsuits against WWE, both of which have been dismissed… We’re confident this lawsuit will suffer the same fate as his prior attempts and be dismissed.”
Kyros quickly fired back to the jab, stating, “It has been the studied practice of WWE through its counsel to denigrate the motives and integrity of anyone who is courageous enough to protest WWE’s self-serving choice to ignore the human toll and health crisis that its policies, fraud, and mistreatment of its workers have created.”
Kyros also submitted a 214-page long complaint to support his position.
The NFL and NHL have both recent seen similar lawsuits brought against them in recent years as well. The NFL managed to settle their suit for a whopping one billion dollars, while the case against the NHL is still pending.
It is likely, however, that the success of the NFL case was what inspired this newest crop of athletes to seek a compensation for their injuries.
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