MLW's lawsuit against WWE moving forward, court date TBD

[Chris]

MLW's lawsuit against WWE is moving forward.

According to a report from PWInsider, a San Jose judge ruled yesterday that a conference will be held on September 7, 2023 to determine a trial date. Both sides are required to submit their amended pleadings by February 29, 2023. They will then go into a discovery period where material related to the case will be disclosed.

MLW filed suit against WWE in January alleging the company pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with them. MLW cited a potential streaming deal that “would have been transformative for the company” as an example. The suit also alleges that WWE interfered in talks MLW was having with VICE TV in early 2021. MLW did produce one special on VICE TV that aired after Dark Side of the Ring on October 7, 2021.

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

MLW lawsuit against WWE moving forward, trial date to be determined

A conference to determine a trial date has been set for September 2023.

www.f4wonline.com

 

[Kross Rhodes]

This doesn’t make much sense to me, but if MLW can produce the proof, I’m all for it. That’s tampering.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

Actually surprised this has legs still

 

[Chris]

This doesn’t make much sense to me, but if MLW can produce the proof, I’m all for it. That’s tampering.

Same, that's kinda what I said from the start. If WWE really did work to block them getting a deal (unlikely IMO), then there's def a case, but arguing that WWE is a monopoly now of all points in thr last 20 years is not gonna be enough lmao WWE's own lawyers even used the rating data of AEW beating Raw in the demo one week to show they weren't

 

[Chris]

That said, from what I've seen WWE has been trying their hardest to kill this by getting it moved to other jurisdictions and such

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Same, that's kinda what I said from the start. If WWE really did work to block them getting a deal (unlikely IMO), then there's def a case, but arguing that WWE is a monopoly now of all points in thr last 20 years is not gonna be enough lmao WWE's own lawyers even used the rating data of AEW beating Raw in the demo one week to show they weren't

They’d have had a case like 5 years ago, but yeah AEW smashed that to death. TNA even had a successful run on Spike and did ok PPV numbers.

AEW though does gangbuster PPV buys, sells out 10K arenas, and does better tv numbers than anyone not named WWE in 20 years.

There’s also more legit indies running on PPV and have television shows than even during the war.

 

[Chris]

I just can't wrap my head around why WWE would give two shits about MLW trying to get on Tubi. If so that's just some petty shit even for them

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I just can't wrap my head around why WWE would give two shits about MLW trying to get on Tubi. If so that's just some petty shit even for them

Yeah. It makes no sense to me. I doubt anyone at WWE ever brings up MLW in any meaningful way.

 

[Cwalker]

I forgot all about this tbh. The fact that this happened this year just reiterates how wild 2022 has been for wrestling.

 

[Chris]

I forgot all about this tbh. The fact that this happened this year just reiterates how wild 2022 has been for wrestling.

Yeah, lawsuits shit tends to be pretty boring with how long it takes in the courts too

 

[Cwalker]

Yeah, lawsuits shit tends to be pretty boring with how long it takes in the courts too

Like Bruh, they said September of next year? Gonna forget about this again

 

[Chris]

WWE filed a motion in court last Thursday seeking a protective order in MLW's lawsuit against them.

Via the January 5th filing in the Northern District of California's U.S. District Court, the order would suspend WWE's obligation to produce materials in the discovery process requested by MLW's legal representatives.

MLW filed an antitrust lawsuit with WWE in January 2022 that claims they pressured third parties like Tubi (Fox) and Vice to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with them. WWE has been unsuccessful in getting the suit thrown out of court.

In the filing, WWE claims the 47 Requests for Production (RFPs) are "broad" and "costly" and "improper," alleging MLW is asking for information that is out of scope with the case.

From the filing:

"It is clear from MLW’s actions that it hopes to force its competitor to spend millions of dollars in responding to discovery (in a case that may be dismissed), all while accessing WWE’s most sensitive, competitive information. For these reasons, a protective order should issue."

"The RFPs total 47 and almost all of them are overbroad, burdensome, and improper requests for information. Indeed, it appears that MLW is utilizing the RFPs to improperly obtain highly sensitive, competitive information far outside the scope of the Complaint’s allegations and with no clear connection to MLW at all."

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for this May, but a ruling in favor of WWE could change that.

From the filing, WWE claimed MLW requested the following in the RFPs:

• All documents related to WWE's efforts to "source, locate or hire" wrestlers, contracts with exclusivity provisions, all performance evaluations, and disciplinary records for all wrestlers, contractors and employees.
• All documents concerning terminations or resignations for wrestlers from January 1, 2020, through the present.
• All documents related to the outreach, soliciting or hiring of wrestlers.
• All documents related to WWE's efforts to "prevent competitors from booking arenas or venues."
• All actual or threatened lawsuits, claims or complaints made by any third party related to "tortious interference" from January 1, 2012, through the present.
• All actual or threatened lawsuits, claims or complaints made by any third party as related to any employees in connection with either employment or contractor agreements.

WWE requests protective order in MLW lawsuit

WWE claims MLW is asking for unnecessary documents that would cost millions of dollars to produce.

www.f4wonline.com

 

[Canadian Dragon]

can't say I'll shed a single tear for MLW forcing expensive discovery and dragging costly proceeding. Sucks when the shoe is on the other foot huh ?

 

[The Gipper]

How will WWE ever recoup those millions of dollars? Devastating.

When’s the next Saudi show again?

 

[Chris]

MLW has requested a court deny WWE's motion for a protective order that would prevent confidential information about their talent contracts, disciplinary action and more come out in discovery.

In early-January, WWE filed a motion in the Northern District of California's U.S. District Court to suspend their obligation to produce documents related, among other things, to WWE's efforts to recruit wrestlers, all performance evaluations, all documents concerning terminations/resignations of wrestlers, documents related to their efforts to "prevent competitors from booking arenas or venues."

MLW defended their claim, saying in a January 23rd filing that it's WWE's "latest desperate attempt to delay discovery that will expose its anticompetitive scheme" to destroy MLW "and monopolize the U.S. market for the sale of broadcasting rights for professional wrestling programs."

MLW filed an antitrust lawsuit with WWE in January 2022 that claims they pressured third parties like Tubi (Fox) and Vice to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with them.

From the MLW legal response:

And WWE’s false concern for third parties is nothing more than an attempt to prevent discovery into its predatory scheme which involved, inter alia, preventing its competitors from booking the arenas that were essential to the creation of professional wrestling content.

Later in the filing, MLW pointed to an interview then-Ring of Honor head Joe Koff did with PWInsider where he said WWE blocked ROH from running shows at Madison Square Garden in 2018.

WWE claims that MLW would have “no possible cause of action” relating to its efforts to block its competitors, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, from booking Madison Square Garden for events.
WWE’s statement again underscores its fundamental misunderstanding of the antitrust laws of the United States. MLW’s narrowly tailored third-party subpoenas seek records that are relevant to MLW’s allegations that WWE “leveraged” its decades-long relationships with virtually every major arena in the United States to make it harder for WWE’s competitors to book arenas, which are critical for creating professional wrestling content to be licensed or sold in the relevant market. By impeding or delaying its competitors from creating content, WWE unlawfully maintained its monopoly power in violation of the Sherman Act.

It's unknown when the court will rule on the WWE motion.

MLW asks court to deny WWE protective order request in antitrust lawsuit

MLW's attorneys cited WWE's previous block of Ring of Honor running MSG in 2018.

www.f4wonline.com