The latest lawsuit on behalf the wrestlers has gotten volumes of media attention here are some of the more interesting reports:
Cozy Ties Between Concussion Foundation and WWE Cause Concerns (Front Page Boston Globe June 12, 2016)
An investigative journalist reveals that the WWE is engaged in “sponsorship” tactics which are at the center of the fraudulent concealment claims in the lawsuits. No WWE wrestlers brains studied for CTE since WWE began giving millions of dollars to former WWE wrestler Chris Nowinski’s foundation and Triple H sits on the board? No outreach to deceased wrestlers families to get their brains for study? Why not? Read the article for clues.
From the WWE to the White House: The Anti-Worker History of Trump’s SBA Pick (In These Times)
Does WWE lawsuit mean Chris Nowinski is caught in the middle? (Boston Globe July 9, 2016)
A slight problem: the Benoit CTE study which launched Nowinski’s careers as a concussion activist is still under attack by WWE.
‘It feels like a vendetta against me.’ BU rescinds award to ‘Concussion’ trailblazer (June 16, 2016)
Boston University School of Public Health has dropped its plans to give an award to a trailblazing researcher of brain injuries in athletes just days after the doctor was quoted in an article questioning the direction of concussion research by an organization with ties to BU.
A Career Designed to Damage their Brains and Lives: WWE Stars File Lawsuit (July 24, 2016)
A Journalist Carefully read the lawsuit and reached some conclusions.
WWE Misclassification Lawsuit Claims Performers’ Status as Independent Contractors Caused Long-Term Brain Injuries
The lawsuit alleges that the wrestlers were misclassified as Independent Contractors.
Sports-Related Brain Injuries Are Emerging Risk for US & UK Insurers: S&P Report (Insurance Journal August 1, 2016)
Maybe these lawsuits are not “frivolous:” Sports-related brain injuries are one of the top emerging insurance claims in the U.S. and the U.K., according to a report published by S&P Global Ratings.
Further articles on the exploitation and employment misclassification of professional wrestlers:
1) Employees vs. Independent Contractors and Professional Wrestling: How the WWE Is Taking a Folding-Chair to the Basic Tenents of Employment Law By David Cowley September 2014 University of Louisville Law Review;Fall2014, Vol. 53 Issue 1, p143
7) WWE, Wrestling, Wellness & Entertainment- An Analysis of Work and Health in Professional Wrestling by Jospeh Fargiorgio A Thesis Presented to University of Guelph (Ontario) 2014