An update has emerged in the ongoing legal battle between MLW and WWE.
According to a report from PWInsider, WWE filed a motion on June 2, 2023, requesting that their impending hearing for the lawsuit be pushed from June 15 to July 20, 2023.
WWE is said to have justified their request by citing the unavailability of their legal team on the originally scheduled date. Though both parties have reportedly reached an agreement on the new date, the court’s approval of this motion is still pending.
Last week, WWE filed a response to MLW's amended lawsuit, which was submitted in March. WWE claimed that since MLW failed to adequately allege a federal cause of action, the Court would have to dismiss the remaining State law claims for lack of subject matter and jurisdiction. WWE is also asking the court to block any attempts by MLW to amend their lawsuit should this version be dismissed.
The original complaint alleged that WWE attempted to undermine the competition by inhibiting MLW in its pursuit of media distribution deals. MLW also accused WWE of trying to hire contracted talent away from the company.
The amended lawsuit alleges that WWE violated Sherman Antitrust act as the U.S. market for pro wrestling media content. MLW presents an analysis in which it argues that WWE currently controls 92% of the revenue from this market, while AEW has 6%, leaving just 2% of the revenue for everyone else.
Fightful will continue to keep you updated on the case as more information becomes available.
