ESPN Seeks Arbitration in WWE Class-Action Lawsuit

ESPN Seeks Arbitration in WWE Class-Action Lawsuit

ESPN is now attempting to formally enter a class-action lawsuit that was originally filed against WWE earlier this year.

The update was first reported by Brandon Thurston, who revealed that the sports network submitted a memorandum to the court on Friday. The filing requests permission for ESPN to intervene in the lawsuit, which was initially filed in January by two consumers.

The lawsuit centers on claims of deceptive marketing. According to the complaint, WWE allegedly promoted that ESPN subscribers would have access to premium live events without needing to pay extra. While WWE was named as a defendant when the case was filed, ESPN was not originally included.

Thurston explained the reasoning behind that decision, writing, “Plaintiffs did not name ESPN as a defendant, apparently to get around the arbitration clause in the subscriber agreement.”

With this new filing, ESPN is seeking to shift the case out of the court system and into arbitration. This request is based on the subscriber agreement tied to its parent company, The Walt Disney Company, which includes arbitration provisions for disputes.

The legal issue stems from the rollout of ESPN’s premium service tier. At the time the deal involving WWE content was announced, ESPN indicated that it planned to reach agreements with cable and streaming providers that would allow customers to access ESPN Unlimited without additional cost. However, that rollout has not been fully implemented.

As it stands, customers whose providers do not include the Unlimited tier must pay a monthly fee of $30 to access that content.

The plaintiffs in the case are seeking to represent a group of United States-based consumers. This group includes existing ESPN subscribers between August 6 and the WWE Wrestlepalooza premium live event on September 20, along with those who paid for the service during that time.

However, not all subscribers are included. Customers who used platforms such as Hulu + Live, Spectrum, Verizon FIOS, DIRECTV, and FuboTV are excluded, as those services reportedly provided access to the content at no additional charge during the timeframe in question.

The situation remains ongoing as the court decides whether to allow ESPN to intervene and whether the case will proceed in court or move to arbitration.

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Steve Maclin Injury Update After TNA Sacrifice Scare

Steve Maclin Injury Update After TNA Sacrifice Scare

There is encouraging news regarding Steve Maclin following the injury scare during the TNA Sacrifice main event on Friday night.

The match, which saw Maclin challenge Mike Santana, was stopped early after Maclin absorbed a superkick and appeared unable to continue. Medical personnel quickly entered the ring, and the bout was halted as concern grew over his condition. Initial reports later that night suggested the situation could be serious.

Bryan Alvarez previously noted that Maclin was at least able to walk backstage after the show, though there was concern he may have suffered a concussion.

A more positive update has now been confirmed. According to John Alba of The Takedown on SI.com, TNA President Carlos Silva provided an official update on Maclin’s condition. “TNA president Carlos Silva told The Takedown that Maclin was not ultimately diagnosed with a concussion, as he cleared all of his tests and was released to go back to his hotel for the night,” Alba reported.

Maclin was taken to a hospital following the event as a precaution. After undergoing medical evaluations, he passed all required tests and was not diagnosed with a concussion. He was then cleared to leave and return to his hotel later that night.

This update removes much of the immediate concern that followed the abrupt ending to the main event. The stoppage had raised alarms due to how quickly officials intervened and escorted Maclin from the ring.

Despite the positive news, there is still some uncertainty regarding his immediate in-ring future. Maclin is currently scheduled to compete in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday night as part of the MLP Uprising pay-per-view event. However, it has not been confirmed whether he will still appear on the card following the incident.

Maclin’s status will likely be monitored closely in the coming days, but the fact that he avoided a concussion and passed all medical tests is a strong sign that the situation is not as serious as initially feared.

Steve Maclin Injury Update After TNA Sacrifice Scare

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AEW Star Adam Copeland Addresses The Possibility Of Wrestling Another TLC Match

While Adam Copeland and Christian Cage have firmly set their sites on FTR and the AEW World Tag Team Championships for AEW Dynasty, their interactions with the Young Bucks since returning at AEW Revolution have left many to conclude a match between them will happen as well. Some have even taken it one step further, however, suggesting that the Bucks, FTR, and Cope/Cage face off in a three-way TLC match, in an echo to Copeland and Christian’s classic TLC matches against the Hardys and Dudleys back in the early 2000s.

Appearing on “Close Up with Renee Paquette,” Copeland and Christian were asked about the possibility of them doing one last TLC match with the Bucks and FTR. And Copeland didn’t dismiss the possibility, even as he joked that it would be a bad idea for his health.

“Yeah, if you want me to retire the next day,” Copeland said. “It’s tough to look at the three teams and not draw some similarities to past rivalries, right? It’s kind of a no brainer to almost go there immediately. Man…I don’t know. I don’t know man. It be interesting.”

“We’d win for sure,” Christian said.

Unsurprisingly, part of Copeland’s hesitation to do another TLC match is his health and his age, both of which have made it harder for him to continue on at this level. Of course, those same problems don’t seem to apply to his tag partner.

“I’ll be honest, physically it gets more difficult,” Copeland said. “There’s no way around it.”

“I feel great,” Christian said.

“He feels great. That just means I work harder. So you know, I’m not going to lie and say that it isn’t a struggle sometimes. It absolutely is, I’m not going to lie. 52 years old, stuff gets harder. But you just got to work harder.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Close Up with Renee Paquette” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

Marc Mero Reflects On Never Reaching The Top Of WWE: ‘I Wasn’t Well-Liked’

In the mid-1990s, Marc Mero made the jump from WCW to WWE (known as the WWF at the time), as many wrestlers had before him. When he made that decision, Mero expected to become a top star in the promotion, but it didn’t take long for him to start having doubts. Speaking on “Insight with Chris Van Vliet,” Mero detailed his initial meeting with Vince McMahon to discuss his new character.Sable in 1999 Diane Freed/Getty Images

On top of that, he was paired up onscreen with his wife, Sable. That made Mero not only unpopular with the audience, but it had an effect on his standing in the locker room, as well.

“My confidence wasn’t there,” Mero continued. “I wasn’t well-liked. … Come to find out later, I got this guaranteed contract, I have my wife flying everywhere I’m flying, so I’m not hanging out with the guys, not going to the bars, not staying up and doing things with those guys.”

At the time, McMahon did not offer guaranteed contracts, with Mero being the first. As a result, he believes that some of the resentment toward him in the locker room came out of jealousy.

Mero wound up staying with WWE until 1999. He wrestled 20 pay-per-view matches, including Royal Rumble and Survivor Series appearances, and had just one title reign, with the Intercontinental Championship, during his WWE tenure.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Giulia Talks Wrestling Asuka And IYO SKY At WWE Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley On SmackDown

Bringing her “Beautiful Madness” from the “Land of the Rising Sun” in Japan to the United States, Giulia proves each and every week why she’s the magnetic workhorse in the women’s division of WWE. Since joining “WWE SmackDown,” the former NXT Women’s Champion has participated in dream-like matchups for fans watching in the crowd and from home. Of those challenges, back in January at the Women’s Royal Rumble showcase, she stood across the ring from both Asuka and IYO SKY, who left World Wonder Ring Stardom one year before Giulia joined it. As three of the greatest Japanese female wrestlers WWE has signed in some time, the champion recalls that brief encounter with “The Empress of Tomorrow” and “The Genius of the Sky,” and how she’s chomping at the bit to face each one of them again.

“Yeah, it was so fun,” the reigning and two-time Women’s United States Champion told Adrian Hernandez on his “Unlikely” podcast. “But it was so hard. But it’s not enough. Not enough. No, no, no, no, no…So, I’m expecting more and more and more and more.”

Speaking of SKY, her former tag team partner and champion, Rhea Ripley, had a go at Giulia on the February 20 edition of “WWE SmackDown.” The match itself showcased the monstrous strength both women possess, including a brutal stomp from Giulia that left Ripley with a bruised eye. The former World of Stardom Champion said that leaving “The Eradicator” bruised was her way of expressing a well-mannered gesture. As she sees it, the harder you hit, the more respect you have towards your opponent.

“I just show my respect for Rhea, and that’s it,” she chuckled. “She’s strong. She’s amazing. She’s exactly [a] superstar.”

Although it hasn’t been officially announced by WWE, as of this report, it’s been discussed backstage that Giulia will officially be on “Tiffy Time,” as she is slated to defend her United States Championship against Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania 42. This will be the first time the “Beautiful Madness” star has appeared on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.” Giulia achieved a victory over the former WWE Women’s Champion this past Friday on “SmackDown.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.