WWE Accused of Bullying Their Way Into Negotiations With Contracted Talent

WWE is truly the global juggernaut of the world of professional wrestling, but many view the company as unethical and truly the ‘heel’ organization in the business. In fact, WWE has been accused of bullying their way into negotiations with contracted talent.

In case you didn’t know, the legal dispute between MLW and WWE began in January 2022 when MLW initiated legal proceedings against WWE. MLW alleged coercive practices by WWE to discourage third parties from forming or maintaining partnerships with MLW. The lawsuit pointed to specific instances where WWE purportedly interfered with potential agreements involving media outlets like Vice TV and the streaming platform Tubi.

After almost two years of legal proceedings, WWE and MLW reached a settlement agreement in December 2023, effectively concluding the contentious litigation. The disclosure of the financial terms, particularly WWE’s commitment to pay $20 million, represented a significant development in the legal saga. This provides clarity on the financial implications for WWE stemming from the antitrust lawsuit filed by MLW.

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, an unnamed wrestler noted that WWE deserved to lose to MLW and accused the company of bullying their way into negotiations with contracted talent.

“I’m glad they settled out of court and good for Court (Bauer). WWE deserved it, and did tamper with guys’ deals and bully their way into negotiations, me as an example years ago.”

We will have to wait and see whether WWE will end up facing similar lawsuits from other promotions in the future, as it seems evident the company has done such contract tampering in the past.

Are you surprised by this accusation made against WWE? Let us know in the comments section below!