WWE Forced Into $20 Million Lawsuit Settlement

WWE has been facing lawsuits on several fronts and now the company has settled one for a huge amount bringing the saga to an end.

In early 2022 MLW filed an antitrust lawsuit against WWE and alleged that the sports entertainment giant had pressured media partners of MLW to abandon their contracts or prospective relationship with the promotion.

WWE had previously tried to get the lawsuit dismissed but MLW amended their claims as they focussed on US market share for wrestling promotions. The amended lawsuit also included details of Triple H calling Madison Square Garden to get them to pull out of hosting the ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard show in 2018. But now all the legal proceedings are over.

According to a WWE 10-K filing, the lawsuit was settled in December 2023 with a $20 million settlement agreed between the two parties:

On January 11, 2022, a complaint was filed against WWE by MLW Media LLC (“MLW”), captioned MLW Media LLC v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., No. 5:22-cv-00179-EJD (N.D. Cal.), alleging that WWE interfered with MLW’s contractual relationship with certain media platforms and engaged in other anticompetitive and unfair business practices in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and California law.

On December 22, 2023, the parties notified the court that they had entered into a settlement agreement in the amount of $20.0 million and stipulated that the case should be voluntarily dismissed with prejudice. In light of the settlement, the case was dismissed with prejudice on December 26, 2023.

WWE & Vince McMahon Still Facing Legal Woes

The MLW lawsuit has been overshadowed in recent weeks as it emerged a lawsuit alleging sexual assault has been filed against Vince McMahon. As a result, Vince McMahon was forced to resign from TKO but the TKO Group has now revealed the power McMahon still has in the company despite being gone.

WWE and former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis have been named in the suit as well and since it became public more stories of the worrying culture in the company have come to light.