As we noted earlier today, 24 former WWE wrestlers, including Jimmy Snuka, Road Warrior Animal, Chavo Guerrero Jr and more have filed a lawsuit against WWE over brain injuries.
The lawsuit alleges WWE failed to care for wrestlers’ repetitive head injuries “in any medically competent or meaningful manner.
Additionally, the lawsuit argues the following:
Despite WWE’s ironclad control over the Plaintiffs, WWE refused and continues to refuse to classify its wrestlers as employees. WWE maintains the untenable position its wrestlers are independent contractors, requiring its wrestlers to sign unconscionable “Booking Contracts,” employment contracts of adhesion intended solely for the benefit of WWE and VKM. These contracts were drafted by WWE and its army of attorneys to restrict and abolish all of Plaintiffs’ rights and to fraudulently misrepresent and deceive both Plaintiffs and the federal government. The misclassification of wrestler-employees as “independent contractors” effectively eliminated WWE’s wrestlers’ knowledge of any employment rights they had under federal and state law, including OSHA, FMLA, and the NLR Act. The Booking Contracts are nothing more than an unconscionable scheme to save money in violation of public policy and the legal rights.
WWE has issued the following statement to WZ regarding the lawsuit:
“This is another ridiculous attempt by the same attorney who has previously filed class action lawsuits against WWE, both of which have been dismissed. A federal judge has already found that this lawyer made patently false allegations about WWE, and this is more of the same. We’re confident this lawsuit will suffer the same fate as his prior attempts and be dismissed.”
Additional former wrestlers have also been named as plaintiffs in the case, and below is now the full list of names who have joined the suit:
JOSEPH M. LAURINAITIS, a.k.a. | Road Warrior Animal
JIMMY “SUPERFLY” SNUKA, by and through |his guardian, Carole Snuka
PAUL ORDNDORFF, a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful
SALAVADOR GUERRERO IV, a.k.a. Chavo | Guerrero, Jr.
CHAVO GUERRERO, SR., a.k.a. Chavo Classic
BRYAN EMMETT CLARK, JR., a.k.a. Adam Bomb
ANTHONY NORRIS, a.k.a. Ahmed Johnson
JAMES HARRIS, a.k.a. Kamala
DAVE HEBNER
EARL HEBNER
CHRIS PALLIES, a.k.a. King Kong Bundy
KEN PATERA
TERRY MICHAEL BRUNK, a.k.a. Sabu
BARRY DARSOW, a.k.a. Smash
BILL EADIE a.k.a. Ax
JOHN NORD, a.k.a. The Bezerker
JONATHAN HUGGER a.k.a. Johnny The Bull
JAMES BRUNZELL, a.k.a. Jumpin’ Jim
SUSAN GREEN, a.k.a. Sue Green
ANGELO MOSCA, a.k.a. King Kong Mosca
JAMES MANLEY, a.k.a. Jim Powers
MICHAEL “MIKE” ENOS”
BRUCE “BUTCH” REED, a.k.a. The Natural
CARLENE B. MOORE-BEGNAUD, a.k.a. Jazz
SYLVAIN GRENIER
OMAR MIJARES a.k.a. Omar Atlas
DON LEO HEATON, a.k.a. Don Leo Jonathan
TROY MARTIN, a.k.a. Shane Douglas
MARC COPANI, a.k.a. Muhammad Hassan
MARK CANTERBURY, a.k.a. Henry Godwin
VICTORIA OTIS, a.k.a. Princess Victoria
JUDY HARDEE a.k.a. Judy Martin
MARK JINDRAK
BERNARD KNIGHTON as Personal Representative of the Brian Knighton, a.k.a. Axl Rotten, Estate,
MARTY JANNETTY
JON HEIDENREICH
TERRY SZOPINSKI, a.k.a. The Warlord
SIONE HAVEA VAILAHI, a.k.a. The Barbarian
LARRY OLIVER, a.k.a. The Crippler
BOBBI BILLIARD
TIMOTHY SMITH, a.k.a. Rex King
TRACY SMOTHERS, a.k.a. Freddie Joe Floyd
MICHAEL R HALAC, a.k.a. Mantaur
RICK JONES, a.k.a. Black Bart
KEN JOHNSON, a.k.a. Slick
GEORGE GRAY, a.k.a. One Man Gang
FERRIN JESSE BARR, a.k.a. JJ Funk
LOU MARCONI
ROD PRICE
DONALD DRIGGERS
RODNEY BEGNAUD, a.k.a. Rodney Mack
RONALD SCOTT HEARD, a.k.a. Outlaw Ron Bass
BORIS ZHUKOV
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
