WWE Responds To Class Action Lawsuit

This lawsuit is virtually identical to one filed by the same lawyers in Oregon, neither of which have any merit. WWE has never concealed any medical information related to concussions, or otherwise, from our Talent. WWE was well ahead of sports organizations in implementing concussion management procedures and policies as a precautionary measure as the science and research on this issue emerged. We will vigorously contest this lawsuit.

The reference to the Oregon case is interesting. In that case, which has yet to be resolved, former WWF wrestler Billy Jack Haynes, who was with the company for a couple of years in the mid to late 80s, claimed the promotion did not warn wrestlers about the dangers of concussions to workers, and that he contracted Hepatitis C while wrestling with the company. At the time, the WWE responded by saying that it was impossible to know when Haynes contracted Hep C, and that they blood test and complete physicals for wrestlers twice yearly.

It should be noted that it is not uncommon for multiple lawsuits to be filed when dealing with class actions. The UFC is currently facing a class action regarding fighter pay in which there are no less than five separate suits filed with eleven fighters represented between them.

In regards to the latest WWE lawsuit, McDevitt also spoke to TMZ, and gave a less official response, saying that lesser known wrestlers long done with the company are "being targeted by attorneys who tell them there's hundreds of thousands of dollars they can make by joining a class action suit like this." He went on to state that "We know these claims are fraudulent, and will fight them."

Other complaints from McDevitt include the belief that wrestlers never complained about brain damage or dementia before lawyers started contacting them, and that the suit spends more time talking about Chris Benoit than the three men behind it.

What was done specifically to them? There are almost no details as to what they actually suffered as a result of working with WWE.

The fact is, however, that the Chris Benoit incident will play a factor in this, should it go to trial. Post-mortem, Benoit was found to have damage to all four lobes of the brain and the brain stem. He was described by a leading neurosurgeon as having the brain of a 80 year old Alzheimer's patient. Of course, there was no complaint about brain damage or dementia from Benoit because it wasn't discovered until after his death. There's also the fact that as contract workers, most of the wrestlers in the WWE aren't about to speak out too loudly, for fear of losing their jobs and/or being blackballed in the industry.

Concussion concern has hit almost every major contact sport of the years. The NHL has brought in rules to deal with hits to the head, hits from behind, and technology behind protective equipment like helmets has improved over the years. The NFL is probably the biggest example of concussion and brain damage effects in pro sports. They were sued in a class action representing over 4,500 former players over what they knew about the effects to players and when they knew it. They chose to settle in 2013 for $765 million dollars rather than risk even more by losing at trial.

Despite the WWE being a billion dollar company, the NFL makes them look like a small outfit - when combined its franchises are worth roughly 45 billion dollars. Don't think for a second that there isn't a legit threat brewing here. Besides the Benoit factor, there will be a serious look at WWE medical practices (remember CM Punk's claims?). Is checking out a fighter twice a year sufficient? MMA fighters do medicals every single fight. The impact of chair shots, blows to the head, bumps off the ropes and through tables, while not as visually gory as a UFC bout, are just as concerning. Consider how many bouts a pro wrestler is involved in over just a six month span. They generally work more than athletes in almost any over comparable league, and while the results are fixed, the damage taken in pro wrestling is all too real.

There's a good chance that a few more ex-WWE employees will join in on this suit before all is said and done, and while they're downplaying it publicly, there's a very real chance this suit could drag on for some time.