WWE Denied Restraining Order Attempt Against Panini Over Trading Card Dispute

WWE has a lot of things going on within the courtroom. Now, it appears that one recent attempt to get going on their Fanatics trading card deal early, while leaving Panini due to breach of contract, did not work for them.

Both sides in this situation filed lawsuits against each other. Things were getting heated, but WWE has now lost their bid for a restraining order to stop Panini from making their trading cards.

Panini will be allowed to continue producing WWE products amid ongoing legal disputes with WWE, as a New York court recently denied WWE’s request for a restraining order against the trading card company. The exact reason for the denial is currently unknown.

Fightful reports that new documents related to the case reveal that WWE claims Panini failed to fulfill a contractual obligation to create digital or physical trading card games by June 1, 2022. WWE terminated its agreement with Panini on August 25th, 2023, citing this alleged contract violation as the reason for the termination.

Notably, WWE’s decision to terminate the contract came almost 18 months after the alleged violation date, raising questions about the timing. Panini argues that they met the physical trading card game requirement through events like Pack Wars and Box Wars at conventions. WWE, however, contends that these events do not qualify as physical trading card games, and images of physical trading cards do not count as digital trading cards.

In addition to allowing Panini to continue producing WWE-related items, WWE is seeking a court order to compel Panini to cease all production and distribution of WWE intellectual property. Furthermore, WWE is requesting that Panini return or destroy all existing inventory and pay over $5,000,000 in damages due to the contract termination.

We will continue to keep an eye on this situation. There could be a lot to unpack, especially since things could continue playing out in the courtroom. In the meantime, Panini will keep producing WWE trading cards, giving themselves an inadvertent spotlight in the process.

What’s your take on WWE stopping their Panini deal? Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think!