Ring Boy Scandal Against WWE, McMahon Family To Continue Following Court Ruling (WWE News)

Vince and Linda McMahon are named in suit that will still go forward following new legal ruling

Vince McMahon Linda McMahon
WWE

A major legal ruling in Maryland has opened the door for a lawsuit against WWE, TKO Group, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon to proceed.

The case involves allegations of abuse against underage ring boys in the 1980s and 1990s, and was filed in the U.S. District Court District of Maryland. In a new ruling, The Maryland Supreme Court has upheld the state’s Child Victims Act, which eliminates time limits for civil lawsuits filed by victims of childhood sexual abuse. This means there is no statute of limitations on such cases in Maryland.

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The ruling has significant implications for the lawsuit, which was filed by five former ring boys who worked for the then-World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s and 1990s. The plaintiffs allege that WWE and the McMahons failed to protect them from abuse by Mel Phillips, a former ring announcer and head of the ring crew. Phillips was previously implicated in abuse allegations before leaving WWE in the early 1990s.

Due to the legal uncertainty surrounding the statute of limitations, the lawsuit had been on hold since December 2024, pending today’s ruling. With the Maryland Supreme Court’s decision, the case is now expected to move forward, potentially leading to a trial or settlement discussions.

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WWE have yet to issue a statement on the latest development. This case marks another legal challenge for the market leader, having faced increased scrutiny in recent years regarding its corporate practices and past controversies, thanks mostly to the sex trafficking lawsuit against the company, Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis.

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett