Welcome to another edition of the pro wrestling post. This week we learn a little more on the TNA lawsuit, updated PPV numbers for Wrestlemania 28 and Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign is off to a bad start.
More on TNA-WWE lawsuit
As reported last week, TNA Wrestling filed a lawsuit against its former employee Brian Wittenstein and the WWE claiming Wittenstein gave the WWE info on wrestler contracts for potential use in negotiating with TNA wrestlers. The case was filed in Nashville, Tennessee with the Chancery Court in Davidson County. A temporary restraining order was granted by the court against the WWE and TNA posted a $30,000 surety bond for the TRO. According to the case summary, a status conference is set for Monday, June 4th. We should have more information coming from this case at that point.
According to Cageside Seats, TNA is requesting to depose Triple H, John Laurinaitis and Ric Flair to determine what the WWE may have known of TNA contracts. Flair left TNA but has not signed with the WWE at this point.
Payout Take: It will be interesting to see how the court deals with TNA’s request to depose Flair and the WWE heads. TNA is seeking to exact a huge settlement from this case despite WWE claiming it took no part in obtaining information from Wittenstein.
Revised WM28 PPV Numbers
The Wrestling Observer reports adjusted PPV buy numbers for Wrestlemania 28. Instead of its original report of 1.3M PPV buys it is now 1,214,000 buys breaking down to 711,000 in North America and 503,000 internationally. Its believed that WWE rounded up as it estimated late buys to make it to 1.25M and rounding up to 1.3M.
Payout Take: Obviously, one could round up from the 1,214,000 number as well. The WWE record was 1.25M from 2007 and the WWE likely believed it would exceed the number as well as wanting to announce a record. It still is a solid number and the live gate made up for any deficiencies in PPV estimates.
McMahon threatens lawsuit against journalist
Linda McMahon is running for the U.S. Senate again. As what transpired in her first effort, she is facing the stigma of making her money via pro wrestling. Cageside Seats reports on the results of the WWE threatening a lawsuit against Connecticut Journal Inquirer managing editor Chris Powell. The incident is a result of Powell penning an editorial which mockingly described the Republican candidate’s resume for office:
Her practical qualifications for office did not extend beyond her fantastic wealth, and that wealth derived from the business of violence, pornography, and general raunch.
In response, the WWE threatened to file a libel lawsuit unless a retraction was made. Not concerned about the WWE’s threat, Powell backed up his initial column with another. This time, he outlined some of the WWE’s greatest hits — essentially some of the raunchiest stunts from the WWE. It not only supported his previous column, it reminded readers the type of industry Ms. McMahon worked in and made her living. It definitely was bad press for McMahon and her campaign.
Payout Take: Considering Ms. McMahon left the company, its hard for her to shake the bad perception of the company. The threat of a lawsuit has hurt McMahon as it has rallied the local media around Powell and/or it places Ms. McMahon in a bad spot. As Dave Meltzer points out, if the WWE files suit, it likely loses. If it doesn’t, it’s perceived as backing down. Regardless, McMahon will have to mend some fences with local media if she is trying to win a Senate seat.
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