Jake Leonard 
SAN JOSE, Calif. — An independent wrestling promotion’s lawsuit against the largest sports entertainment company is continuing. MLW (Major League Wrestling) is suing WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) over a potential streaming deal that was torpedoed via meddling by key WWE figures.
A report from PWInsider reveals that a judge ruled that the case will continue to trial. A conference will be held in September 2023 to determine a trial date. WWE and MLW will need to submit amended pleadings by February 28. It will then proceed to the discovery of materials with a relative relationship to this case.
MLW owner Court Bauer filed suit against WWE in January. The suit alleges that WWE pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with the smaller promotion.
In specific detail, a potential streaming deal with Vice Media’s flagship channel VICE TV was discussed with MLW management. Bauer maintains that securing the VICE deal “would have been transformative” for the company.
The suit also alleges that WWE interfered with those talks between MLW and VICE TV in early 2021. MLW was the producer of one broadcast special on VICE after an October 7, 2021 broadcast of Dark Side of the Ring.
“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” Bauer said in a press release on the suit. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”
Bauer would not elaborate further in a request for further comment at this time. Further comments will be published in a future post.
Neither WWE management nor WWE legal counsel Jerry McDevitt would respond to a request for comment.
