50 former wrestlers suing WWE over concussions

[d_henderson1810]

Mainstream sites are reporting that 50 former WWE wrestlers are suing WWE for concussions that they incurred during the past.

Wrestlers bringing the lawsuit include "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, and Road Warrior Animal.

Firstly, why are wrestlezone and other wrestling sites not reporting this? It isn't on the wrestlezone newspage.

Is Vince threatening or paying wrestling sites to not report this story?

Secondly, surely wrestlers know that when they wrestle, they may get concussion. What did they think happened when you get hit in the head with a chair?

How can sportspeople and others who do activities which could affect the head sue? There is an "assumption of risk" when you do a physical sport, whether NFL or WWE. It is an occupational hazard and what they sign on to.

This concussion thing is overblown. Concussion has been around since the first caveman hit the second caveman on the head with a bat. Yet, it is only now that people suddenly bleat about brain injury, because overpaid scientists do some study which showed some analysis.

Vince McMahon used the concussion thing to his advantage when it came to the Benoit incident, to deflect steroids being the thing that set Benoit off, and making WWE partly culpable for turning a blind eye to steroid use in the past.

I'm interested in your thoughts, if wrestlezone don't remove this thread first, since they see this story of such little importance that it isn't reported on their news page, let alone in the main headlines.

 

[Azane]

This lawsuit has been all over the wrestlezone news on and off.

Also, all of the wrestlers wrestled in dozens of other companies, and are only suing the biggest dog for money, telling me it's only about money.

I feel like it's a normal hazard to the job you're working already, I can't sue where I work if my feet are sore 30 years after I quit, especially not if I worked 5 different jobs in between.

I think it's pretty standard that WWE is always fighting off a concussion lawsuit now.

 

[AzLunchbox]

It's just a bunch of people looking for a paycheck. Some of them had very little involvement in Wwe over the years and some of them rarely or even never bumped that I know of. And yeah it has been reported and there's already a thread about it but I forget if it was the spam zone or general wrestling discussion or a different section.

As for the OP acting like concussions are no big deal....I disagree with that fully. I've had multiple concussions in my life and they have greatly altered who I am. From how I think to how I act to how I perceive the world. I'm "numb" to the world in many ways thanks to it. My girlfriend also had a major concussion a year ago and still hasn't really returned to her old self. Some people also never get over the initial headaches ,confusion, sensitivity to light etc.

Concussions can ruin someones life and they can change you forever. They are not to be taken lightly.

With that said.....I still feel this lawsuit is BS and is just a quick payday for some has-beens that didn't save their money.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As has been mentioned, this is old news that's been reported on the main page and other wrestling sites for...what, the last 10 days or so?

The lawsuit has been met with ridicule in the eyes of fans and wrestling insiders because it's a blatant attempt of simply going after a payday. Jonathan Coachman ripped into the lawsuit last week and called it nothing more than an attempt to extort money from WWE. As has been mentioned, these guys are all guys who worked for various other companies and are only going after WWE because of WWE's deep pockets. That's not to say that there aren't some who don't have legit claims to some degree. Concussions are a big deal, anyone who says otherwise simply doesn't know what they're talking about. However, someone like Slick, for instance, is saying he suffered head trauma? Someone who hasn't worked for WWE in decades and hardly ever took a bump?

Another thing going against the lawsuit is that the lawyer responsible for the suit has attempted to sue WWE in the past, it's become almost like a crusade really; a federal judge raked this guy over the coals in the past for knowingly using false information against WWE in other litigations.

 

[Navi]

The concussion lawsuit was covered in a thread here on the forum and also on the main page. Here is a few of the stories that are there.

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/730...d-by-former-wwe-wrestlers-over-brain-injuries

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/729955-wrestlers-suing-wwe-brain-injuries

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/731...anges-superstars-react-to-the-wwe-draft-video

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/731589-coachman-speaks-out-against-wwe-lawsuit

This story broke almost two weeks ago, so you have to go pretty far back to find them. Needless to say a lot has happened in the WWE since then with the Draft and all.

As for the lawsuit itself, I really don't have much of an opinion. Most of these guys I've barely heard of way before my time as a fan. Didn't most of them come from the territories and barely worked for the WWE if at all. Also some of them are still working today.

If you are suing the only company around then why are you still doing the same job, Chavo I'm looking at someone like you. Not saying that concussions aren't a serious thing, they are, they can change a person's life. So if you have a history of them and are suing your former employer then why are you still working in the same industry that in itself makes no sense.

And like JH said, the lawyer in this lawsuit is questionable as well. He's brought lawsuits before toward's the WWE and got shot down for it. Maybe he's just not a wrestling fan.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

you look at the list of wrestlers that are suing WWE and outside of chavo and sylvain grenier, nobody else on that list has a case since their either a) legends that didn't work for vince jr., B) wrestlers from the 80's or mid 90's, C) guys that works for a cup of coffee in wwe, d) wrestlers that never wrestled for wwe or e) referees. The common denominator with all these guys is that their was no way to know about CTE, so WWE couldn't have have known about CTE or concussions like they do right know. Their also the ECW guys like the late Axl rotten, sabu and shane douglas which probably had more concussion working for ECW then WWE so they won't be taken seriously. Snuka won't be taken seriously because of his previous trial for murder and The hebners are probably the worst peoples to be on this lawsuit since they are referees and Earl is still taking ref bump in TNA.

So like the WWE lawyers said, this case as no merit and will be dismiss just like the other one before it.

 

[TDFG]

I think just about everyone is in agreement that most if not all these guys mentioned in the lawsuit are looking some easy money to claim from WWE.

Some of them have had problems with drink & drugs over the years while some took minimal bumps.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

The saddest thing about all this is that the same leech lawyer who has already been shot down by the courts TWICE is encouraging wrestlers or in some cases families of wrestlers (Snuka, Rotten) to come out against WWE.

It NEEDS to be shot down and this lawyer needs to be disbarred as clearly he has an anti-WWE agenda.

Also it now looks like I'll never get to see my favourite tag team of all time, Demolition, enter the WWE Hall of Fame now

 

[AnthonyM4]

I'm a fan of most of the wrestlers that are suing them so I hope they get something out of it. It's a long shot though. This lawsuit kind of reminds me of the concussions one filed by the last group of wrestlers and they got nothing out of it. WWE is just too powerful.