WWE Issues Statement Responding to Lawsuit Filed By Former WWE Wrestlers, 53 Total Wrestlers Named as Plaintiffs, Additional Suit Details

As we noted earlier today, 24 former WWE wrestlers, including Jimmy Snuka, Road Warrior Animal, Chavo Guerrero Jr and more have filed a lawsuit against WWE over brain injuries.

The lawsuit alleges WWE failed to care for wrestlers’ repetitive head injuries “in any medically competent or meaningful manner.

Additionally, the lawsuit argues the following:

Despite WWE’s ironclad control over the Plaintiffs, WWE refused and continues to refuse to classify its wrestlers as employees. WWE maintains the untenable position its wrestlers are independent contractors, requiring its wrestlers to sign unconscionable “Booking Contracts,” employment contracts of adhesion intended solely for the benefit of WWE and VKM.  These contracts were drafted by WWE and its army of attorneys to restrict and abolish all of Plaintiffs’ rights and to fraudulently misrepresent and deceive both Plaintiffs and the federal government. The misclassification of wrestler-employees as “independent contractors” effectively eliminated WWE’s wrestlers’ knowledge of any employment rights they had under federal and state law, including OSHA, FMLA, and the NLR Act. The Booking Contracts are nothing more than an unconscionable scheme to save money in violation of public policy and the legal rights.

WWE has issued the following statement to WZ regarding the lawsuit:

“This is another ridiculous attempt by the same attorney who has previously filed class action lawsuits against WWE, both of which have been dismissed.  A federal judge has already found that this lawyer made patently false allegations about WWE, and this is more of the same.  We’re confident this lawsuit will suffer the same fate as his prior attempts and be dismissed.”

Additional former wrestlers have also been named as plaintiffs in the case, and below is now the full list of names who have joined the suit:

JOSEPH M. LAURINAITIS, a.k.a. | Road Warrior Animal

JIMMY “SUPERFLY” SNUKA, by and through |his guardian, Carole Snuka

PAUL ORDNDORFF, a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful

SALAVADOR GUERRERO IV, a.k.a. Chavo | Guerrero, Jr.

CHAVO GUERRERO, SR., a.k.a. Chavo Classic

BRYAN EMMETT CLARK, JR., a.k.a. Adam Bomb

ANTHONY NORRIS, a.k.a. Ahmed Johnson

JAMES HARRIS, a.k.a. Kamala

DAVE HEBNER

EARL HEBNER

CHRIS PALLIES, a.k.a. King Kong Bundy

KEN PATERA

TERRY MICHAEL BRUNK, a.k.a. Sabu

BARRY DARSOW, a.k.a. Smash

BILL EADIE a.k.a. Ax

JOHN NORD, a.k.a. The Bezerker

JONATHAN HUGGER a.k.a. Johnny The Bull

JAMES BRUNZELL, a.k.a. Jumpin’ Jim

SUSAN GREEN, a.k.a. Sue Green

ANGELO MOSCA, a.k.a. King Kong Mosca

JAMES MANLEY, a.k.a. Jim Powers

MICHAEL “MIKE” ENOS”

BRUCE “BUTCH” REED, a.k.a. The Natural

CARLENE B. MOORE-BEGNAUD, a.k.a. Jazz

SYLVAIN GRENIER

OMAR MIJARES a.k.a. Omar Atlas

DON LEO HEATON, a.k.a. Don Leo Jonathan

TROY MARTIN, a.k.a. Shane Douglas

MARC COPANI, a.k.a. Muhammad Hassan

MARK CANTERBURY, a.k.a. Henry Godwin

VICTORIA OTIS, a.k.a. Princess Victoria

JUDY HARDEE a.k.a. Judy Martin

MARK JINDRAK

BERNARD KNIGHTON as Personal Representative of the Brian Knighton, a.k.a. Axl Rotten, Estate, 

MARTY JANNETTY

JON HEIDENREICH

TERRY SZOPINSKI, a.k.a. The Warlord

SIONE HAVEA VAILAHI, a.k.a. The Barbarian

LARRY OLIVER, a.k.a. The Crippler

BOBBI BILLIARD

TIMOTHY SMITH, a.k.a. Rex King

TRACY SMOTHERS, a.k.a. Freddie Joe Floyd

MICHAEL R HALAC, a.k.a. Mantaur

RICK JONES, a.k.a. Black Bart

KEN JOHNSON, a.k.a. Slick

GEORGE GRAY, a.k.a. One Man Gang

FERRIN JESSE BARR, a.k.a. JJ Funk

LOU MARCONI

ROD PRICE

DONALD DRIGGERS

RODNEY BEGNAUD, a.k.a. Rodney Mack

RONALD SCOTT HEARD, a.k.a. Outlaw Ron Bass

BORIS ZHUKOV

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