MLW Suing WWE Over Alleged Attempts To Monopolize Wrestling Market and Undermine Competition

[Rosie]

As a Law Student who LEGIT JUST STARTED TO TAKE BUSINESS LAW TODAY, and a wrestling fan this is interesting.

We all know WWE's attempts to gain power and to squash competition in the market from signing everyone, creating what was known as "The Wednesday Night Wars," and etc. But that behaviour isn't necessarily at issue.

According to Fightful, Major League Wrestling (MLW) is taking legal action against WWE by interfering with MLW's contracts and business prospects.

The link to the article is right here, but I will copy and paste the legal statement below from MLW.


Full Fightful Article

"
Professional wrestling company Major League Wrestling (MLW) (MLW Media LLC), filed a lawsuit today against World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). The federal court antitrust lawsuit is based on WWE’s ongoing attempts to undermine competition in and monopolize the professional wrestling market by interfering with MLW’s contracts and business prospects.

As described in the complaint, WWE pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW. WWE’s misconduct included disrupting every level of MLW’s business, including a major streaming deal for MLW which would have been transformative for the company.

MLW also allege in the complaint that in early 2021, after MLW announced that it was in talks with VICE TV to air MLW programs on VICE TV, a then-WWE executive warned VICE TV that WWE owner Vince McMahon was “pissed” that VICE TV was airing MLW programs, and that VICE TV should stop working with MLW, the VICE TV executive responded that WWE’s conduct was illegal and an antitrust violation, with the WWE executive responding that she could not control McMahon.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

WWE’s ongoing misconduct has hurt fans of professional wrestling and competition in the professional wrestling industry. Through this lawsuit, MLW seeks to recover its losses due to WWE’s interference and to enjoin WWE from future interference.

The case is captioned MLW Media LLC v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. MLW is represented by Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP."

There was also previous claims of contract tampering, as discussed in the article.

So WWE, when they got word of Vice TV being in talks with MLW for TV, they interfered. Now for me, I'm literally just starting Business Law class and the farthest we have gotten into is "Hey, Corporations kinda suck." But this case, if pursued, can be interesting to how things will be seen in the Wrestling landscape with the continued competition between companies.

 

[Deezy]

Vice TV has an even more damaging show called Darkside of The Ring that would've been squashed if WWE could tell a channel that isn't under their parent companies umbrella what to air.

The only thing they got is maybe Tubi....but that's Tubi.

 

[Chris]

WWE better watch out, I hear Richard Holliday has an amazing lawyer/father

 

[Rosie]

WWE better watch out, I hear Richard Holliday has an amazing lawyer/father

He just needs some coffee and air pods as payment to call his amazing lawyer/father. But if they really piss them off, Alexander Hammerstone can just Nightmare Pendulum everyone. I'd be too scared to do shit.

 

[Alexa]

I find this kind of laughable honestly speaking, but nothing will come out of it and there are a couple of businesses that are a monopoly or monopoly-esque in America so. Now, the question will be is AEW going to join in MLW's side or stay out of it.

 

[Samoa Looch]

I feel like AEW is pretty much profiting from anything WWE has done over these last 2-3 years, so... I don't think they have anything on their side.

 

[Alexa]

I feel like AEW is pretty much profiting from anything WWE has done over these last 2-3 years, so... I don't think they have anything on their side.

Fair point, but you know AEW loves taking their jabs at WWE so why not tag up, lol.

 

[Samoa Looch]

Fair enough

 

[Comrade Khan]

I dont think characters taking the piss out wwe or Twitter khan are really the same thing as a lawsuit.

Few things though. I'm not sure contract tampering is even possible when there's no official wrestling league with members. It's more just uncool but like, I dont think there's much legal grounds there (not a lawyer).

Monopoly thing is interesting, I dont think they have a leg to stand on when it comes to hiring everyone under the sun since they fired 100s now anyways. If they can prove contract tampering with tv deals mb they have something but corporate laws in America are so corrupt I'm not even sure they have much of a shot there either. Also didn't mlw do some shade deals they pulled out of b4 themselves?

 

[Chris]

I dont think characters taking the piss out wwe or Twitter khan are really the same thing as a lawsuit.

Few things though. I'm not sure contract tampering is even possible when there's no official wrestling league with members. It's more just uncool but like, I dont think there's much legal grounds there (not a lawyer).

Monopoly thing is interesting, I dont think they have a leg to stand on when it comes to hiring everyone under the sun since they fired 100s now anyways. If they can prove contract tampering with tv deals mb they have something but corporate laws in America are so corrupt I'm not even sure they have much of a shot there either. Also didn't mlw do some shade deals they pulled out of b4 themselves?

You might be thinking of GCW pulling out of IWTV. MLW's issue is getting the deals in the first place to even have a chance to pull out lol

I imagine this is pure publicity tbh they'll have Alicia Atout cover it on air like she broke the scoop lmao

 

[Rosie]

I dont think characters taking the piss out wwe or Twitter khan are really the same thing as a lawsuit.

Few things though. I'm not sure contract tampering is even possible when there's no official wrestling league with members. It's more just uncool but like, I dont think there's much legal grounds there (not a lawyer).

Monopoly thing is interesting, I dont think they have a leg to stand on when it comes to hiring everyone under the sun since they fired 100s now anyways. If they can prove contract tampering with tv deals mb they have something but corporate laws in America are so corrupt I'm not even sure they have much of a shot there either. Also didn't mlw do some shade deals they pulled out of b4 themselves?

I think with my limited knowledge, the closest example I can think of is Contract Tampering in sports. Even though they are not part of the same league so to speak, they are still contracted to another company

 

[Comrade Khan]

I think with my limited knowledge, the closest example I can think of is Contract Tampering in sports. Even though they are not part of the same league so to speak, they are still contracted to another company

On that same note though im convinced anyone fired could forgo the $ in a release or just show up somewhere during their 90 days n no court would side w wwe. Just 99% of folks don't want the legal.hassle n let's themselves be bullied (or just want the time off lol)

 

[Comrade Khan]

You might be thinking of GCW pulling out of IWTV. MLW's issue is getting the deals in the first place to even have a chance to pull out lol

I imagine this is pure publicity tbh they'll have Alicia Atout cover it on air like she broke the scoop lmao

If they filed it legally that's an expensive fucking pr stint

 

[Comrade Khan]

Corporate law is batshit though, DNDA for example are basically a carte Blanche for criminal activity and a legal loophole to blackmail and gag whistle-blowers. Not very cool

 

[Chris]

If they filed it legally that's an expensive fucking pr stint

If it's not a PR stunt then it's just an expensive fucking losing lawsuit them I'd respect em more if they know it's a losing one than if they think they have a chance