WWE and Big Show being sued

[Tapout]

PHOENIX (CN) - A producer sued World Wrestling Entertainment and its star "Big Show" (Paul Wight Jr.), claiming the wrestler choked him and hit him in the face during an interview for the WWE website.
Andrew Green sued Paul D. Wight Jr. pka Big Show and World Wrestling Entertainment, in Maricopa County Court.
Green claims that another WWE producer told him to get an interview with Wight after his Jan. 27 match at the (nonparty) US Airways Center in Phoenix.
Green said his job was to do post-match interviews with wrestlers, which were posted to the WWE website or to YouTube.
He claims Wight initially refused to do the interview, until Green told him that WWE senior vice president Eric Pankowski wanted the wrestler to do it.
"In response, Big Show stated with the use of profanely indecent language that if Green wanted an interview then he would give him one, and to turn on the camera," the complaint states.
It continues: "Big Show toward Green enraged, shouting obscenities, and waving his fist in Green's face. Big Show then grabbed Green by the collar and throat, striking Green in the face and backing him up against a trunk while declaring 'You son of a bitch ... Are you having fun right now ... Don't even come up to me again ... I don't give a shit who you are'." (Ellipses in complaint.)
The attack was videotaped, Green says, and "Upon information and belief, Big Show was not feigning his emotional outburst at the time of the attack."
Green claims the wrestler asked him to redo the interview, and "said that he would respond by just walking away."
So, Green says, he reshot it like that.
But then, Green claims, "Triple H," a wrestler and WWE official, was asked to watch the interviews, and told Green to shoot it a third time.
"Triple H asked Big Show to muster the same emotional level for the third interview as he had with the original shoot, that being the attack. In response, Big Show said that he did not think he would be able to do that because his emotions in the original shoot had been real," the complaint states.
Green claims they shot the third interview, but VP Pankowski found "it lacked the emotional impact of the original shoot" and decided to post the original shoot to the WWE website.
The video remained on the website until Jan. 29, and got more than 100,000 page views, according to the complaint.
Green claims he was unable to continue working after Jan. 29 because "he was uncomfortable working around Big Show and the other wrestlers, nervous, and had 'a ton of anxiety' as a result of the attack."
Green claims that WWE "encouraged its wrestlers, including Big Show, to act in a violent and threatening manner both inside and outside of the wrestling ring relative to their appearances and participation in staged wrestling events as a means of entertainment."
Green says in the complaint that WWE had previously "suspended or terminated Big Show's employment because of his behavior, including his engagement in violent and/or unlawful and/or improper activities outside of the wrestling venue."
Green and his wife seek damages for assault and negligence.
They are represented by Hartley Bernstein with Bernstein Cherney in New York City, and George Mueller in Phoenix.

Its a pretty long read, but seems like the guy has some legit footing in this case, and could very well get a substantial settlement in this.

 

[Dale]

Sounds like hearsay unless they can get hold of the video and it shows an actual assault.

 

[John McHenry]

Sounds like BS as is all apparently rests on how Big Show was "feeling" the guy seemed to have no problems until show stated that they were real emotions at the time. Whose to say he didn't know the cameras were still rolling. What were the steps this guy took. Doesn't mention anywhere in the article of him doing anything to try and correct the situation no most of the article in fact states he was completely ok with it until after the fact.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

Big Show is one of the nicest guys outside the company. He does so many media appearances and comes off very humble. This seems like bullshit to me.

 

[Troy]

When was Big Show previously suspended by WWE for behavioural issues?

Going to be a tough case to prove even if the "assault" actually happened on camera. Big Show can just say he was acting, he may have been anyway, so it is one guys word against the other. Just sounds like this guy wants an easy payday though since he was fine with it to begin with. Wonder why it says that his wife is seeking damages as well?

 

[punk13]

This don't sound Anything like Show's Attitude. I'd expect This from captain insano.

 

[AF.]

I think this guy blew a good job with working in the WWE to sue them. He will most likely recieve a payout for this, I don't think anything too big.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Reading through that it really sounds like the guy just cut an interview with Big Show and Big Show got in character for it. What the hell was the guy expecting? It's like he wanted a heel to be nice to him on camera. The guy shouldn't even be working with WWE if he doesn't understand this shit.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

Green claims that WWE "encouraged its wrestlers, including Big Show, to act in a violent and threatening manner both inside and outside of the wrestling ring relative to their appearances and participation in staged wrestling events as a means of entertainment."

Is this news to anyone on this forum? I bet this is the same guy that would interrupt a wrestlers dinner and go on a rampage when he gets denied an autograph.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

I literally don't understand why he's suing them. And why the fuck is the wife seeking damages? What, because of this shit her husband became a huge chicken shit and isn't performing in bed? This whole thing just screams scam.

 

[Gimmick]

Big Show is one of the nicest guys outside the company. He does so many media appearances and comes off very humble. This seems like bullshit to me.

Agreed. This seems like complete bullshit to me, or at least a situation that was blown way out of proportion.

 

[We Are Legion]

This is a pretty wild allegation to be ruled as "bullshit", honestly.

The only thing that I think is bullshit is the fact this pussy is actually suing the WWE and Big Show over it. You're in the WWE, assclown. Man up or find another profession.

 

[Heisenberg]

I don't get how some say this is bullshit or a wild accusation when I believe there's footage of it? And with this report it sounds like Show was pretty pissed at the guy out of character for coming up to him with a camera (doing his job), hence why he denied it before the guy told him that WWE's SVP wanted him to do it. Then it seems like Big Show didn't like his actions in the first video and wanted to re-do it.

 

[Troy]

I don't get how some say this is bullshit or a wild accusation when I believe there's footage of it? And with this report it sounds like Show was pretty pissed at the guy out of character for coming up to him with a camera (doing his job), hence why he denied it before the guy told him that WWE's SVP wanted him to do it. Then it seems like Big Show didn't like his actions in the first video and wanted to re-do it.

The footage can be explained away that Show was acting in character for the camera. It would be easy to discredit the footage especially with the lawyers that WWE have. They would need to have footage of Show actually saying that in the first it wasn't acting it was his true feelings for it to be credible.

 

[Keith]

When was Big Show previously suspended by WWE for behavioural issues?

Going to be a tough case to prove even if the "assault" actually happened on camera. Big Show can just say he was acting, he may have been anyway, so it is one guys word against the other. Just sounds like this guy wants an easy payday though since he was fine with it to begin with. Wonder why it says that his wife is seeking damages as well?

But when you are working someone surely the other guy is supposed to know its a work, is that not the way it normally works in wrestling?

Find some of the language here such as calling the guy a "pussy" odd, how is someone who is not a trained wrestler being shaken up by the Big Show being "pussy". If this guy is bullshitting fair enough, he deserves all he gets, but that is yet to be proven.