Court Bauer comments on MLW’s lawsuit against WWE.
In January 2022, Major League Wrestling filed a lawsuit against WWE and alleged that the company tampered with contracted talent and tried to “undermine competition and monopolize the professional wrestling market by interfering with MLW’s contracts and business prospects.” The lawsuit has moved forward, though WWE has responded by saying that “WWE believes these claims have no merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against them.”
Speaking with Lynette Rice for Deadline, Bauer commented on his journey up to this point.
“I keep reminding myself the key to success is perseverance,” Bauer said. “It sounds idealistic, but it’s really about the grit and having to keep going out there. We had a pretty good idea what transpired [with Tubi]. Sometimes, it’s a ruthless business. It as the most gutting experience of my professional career.”
Bauer was then asked to describe why he filed the suit. He stated that some things have come up that have “disrupted” MLW’s business, and he emphasized the suppression of MLW’s growth as a key factor. Bauer noted that they were dealing with a “totality’ of issues that, in his eyes, stemmed from WWE doing what they felt necessary in order to protect their market share.
“There are several things that have come up that have disrupted our business in terms of talent and tampering with contracts. Overall it’s just the suppression of the growth of our business that we looked at. So, this wasn’t just tampering with one deal, one piece of talent. It’s the totality. If you look at the 40-year history and the practices of WWE going back to the eighties … the problems start to emerge. They have an immense market share. They will do what they do to make sure that that’s not softened.
When asked about the notion that a rising tide lifts all boats, Bauer responded by saying, “Vince McMahon wants to own all the boats. That’s how you build an empire.”
MLW has landed a TV deal, despite the aforementioned difficulties; MLW Underground will premiere on REELZ on February 7. WrestleZone will have coverage of the show as it airs.
