HARTFORD, Connecticut: More than 50 former professional wrestlers sued World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., saying the company is responsible for repeated head trauma including concussions they suffered in the ring that led to long-term neurological damage.
Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Joseph “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis and Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff are among the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit recently in federal court in Connecticut. The lawsuit also names WWE chairman Vince McMahon as a defendant. Stamford-based WWE denies the allegations.
“WWE placed corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety, and financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies,” according to the lawsuit, which does not say how much money the former wrestlers are seeking.
The plaintiffs say they suffered concussions and other head trauma that resulted in long-term brain damage.
Last month, the 73-year-old Snuka was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in the 1983 death of his girlfriend near Allentown, Pennsylvania. His defense partly blames head trauma he suffered in the ring.
Unlike other sports including football and hockey where players have suffered similar injuries, WWE wrestling matches involve specific moves scripted and choreographed by the WWE — thus making the company directly responsible for wrestlers’ injuries, according to the lawsuit.
The National Football League and National Hockey League were also sued by former players who suffered concussions and other head injuries. The NFL settled for $1 billion, while the suit against the NHL is pending.
The WWE said in a statement that an attorney for the ex-wrestlers, Konstantine Kyros, has made similar claims against the company without success.
Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Joseph “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis and Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff are among the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit recently in federal court in Connecticut. The lawsuit also names WWE chairman Vince McMahon as a defendant. Stamford-based WWE denies the allegations.
“WWE placed corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety, and financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies,” according to the lawsuit, which does not say how much money the former wrestlers are seeking.
The plaintiffs say they suffered concussions and other head trauma that resulted in long-term brain damage.
Last month, the 73-year-old Snuka was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in the 1983 death of his girlfriend near Allentown, Pennsylvania. His defense partly blames head trauma he suffered in the ring.
Unlike other sports including football and hockey where players have suffered similar injuries, WWE wrestling matches involve specific moves scripted and choreographed by the WWE — thus making the company directly responsible for wrestlers’ injuries, according to the lawsuit.
The National Football League and National Hockey League were also sued by former players who suffered concussions and other head injuries. The NFL settled for $1 billion, while the suit against the NHL is pending.
The WWE said in a statement that an attorney for the ex-wrestlers, Konstantine Kyros, has made similar claims against the company without success.
