What’s the Story?
According to PWInsider, the attorney who is the prosecutor in the lawsuit filed by several wrestlers from the past was approved for an extension to respond to WWE and Vince McMahon's motion to dismiss. Attorney Konstantine Kyros is in charge of a lawsuit along with other sanctions against the WWE.
In case you didn’t know...
There are 53 former professional wrestlers who allege that there was a possible link between head injuries and CTE, a symptom commonly caused by head trauma. There have been a number of ex-athletes who were diagnosed with CTE, and a number of them are deceased such as professional wrestler Andrew “Test” Martin and Chris Benoit.
Other wrestlers such as Sabu, Shane Douglas and Chavo Guerrero Sr, who are also part of the lawsuit, worked most of their careers in different federations although they are under the WWE banner in this lawsuit.
The heart of the matter
WWE has made a statement regarding this lawsuit:
This is another ridiculous attempt by the same attorney [Kyros] who has previously filed class-action lawsuits against WWE, both of which have been dismissed.
Kyros Responded:
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.
In this matter, WWE Superstars are not “WWE superstars.” They are under the banner of ‘Independent Contractors’, which is what the argument is when it comes to this lawsuit. This is much different than when athletes are signed to a specific league, such as the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB.
What’s Next?
United States District of Connecticut Judge Vanessa L Bryan approved the motion and they will now have until 3/15/17 to respond to WWE’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and other sanctions against WWE.
Sportskeeda’s take
While we understand the frustration of many that are involved in this case, when you sign up for a sport, you know what you are getting yourself into. There is a risk in allowing yourself to sign up for a competitive and brutal league.
If WWE was going to want to take care of their stars, the best thing to do is give wrestlers an off-season so that they can rest and heal and have longer careers. To be on the road close to 250 days a year is not good for your body. Hopefully, this lawsuit will bring about change for those affected by CTE.
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