Covering Independent Wrestling, Classics and other stuff the widest variety of pro wrestling anywhere is what WP&P does best
Friday, December 8, 2017
Your Friday Feature Indy Group is, CWF Mid-Atlantic Worldwide Ep. #134: Chet Sterling vs. Nick Iggy (12/6/17)
Published on Dec 6, 2017
CWF Mid-Atlantic Pop-Up Worldwide Episode #134 (12/6/17):
-Jesse Adler vs. Mace Li
-Trevor Lee interview
-Chet Sterling vs. Nick Iggy
Like what you see? CWF Mid-Atlantic runs between 30-40 live events each year; many of which emanate from the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium in the heart of the legendary NWA territory along Tabacco Road (1001 Springwood Ave; Gibsonville, NC). Aside from hosting live events, CWF also fully trains all prospective wrestlers and have had no less than two dozen compete for the WWE. For more information on training or to book the stars of CWF in your town, please visit us at www.cwf247.com, facebook.com/cwfmidatlantic, or follow us on twitter @CWFMidAtlantic!
-Jesse Adler vs. Mace Li
-Trevor Lee interview
-Chet Sterling vs. Nick Iggy
Like what you see? CWF Mid-Atlantic runs between 30-40 live events each year; many of which emanate from the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium in the heart of the legendary NWA territory along Tabacco Road (1001 Springwood Ave; Gibsonville, NC). Aside from hosting live events, CWF also fully trains all prospective wrestlers and have had no less than two dozen compete for the WWE. For more information on training or to book the stars of CWF in your town, please visit us at www.cwf247.com, facebook.com/cwfmidatlantic, or follow us on twitter @CWFMidAtlantic!
DO YOU KNOW WHEN? NWA Ten Pounds of Gold - Episode Nine
Published on Dec 8, 2017
Before Tim Storm walks into CZW’s Cage of Death event, he had to return to Championship Wrestling From Hollywood to face Jocephus. Inside this NWA Ten Pounds Of Gold, we follow the travels of Tim Storm and Jocephus.
The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion was accused by Jocephus that he used a foreign substance in an attempt to blind him. As new challengers come forward for a shot at the Ten Pounds Of Fold. Wrestlers like Tommy Dreamer, Joey Janela, Joe Hendry, Ethan Page, David Star and more stars of Combat Zone Wrestling.
But before Tim can face any other challenges, he has to deal with Jocephus at Championship Wrestling From Hollywood.
You’ll meet Tim Storm’s daughter Jessica who shares what its like to have a pro wrestling father and what it means for her child having a pro wrestling grandfather.
Jocephus trip to Hollywood will see him accuse Billy Corgan of sending his shapeshifters after him and a moment of zen reflection in front of a particular star on the Hollwood Walk Of Fame.
The question at the end of this episode is the condition of Tim Storm as he walks into Combat Zone Wrestling this weekend. And who will step forward to make history with the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.
The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion was accused by Jocephus that he used a foreign substance in an attempt to blind him. As new challengers come forward for a shot at the Ten Pounds Of Fold. Wrestlers like Tommy Dreamer, Joey Janela, Joe Hendry, Ethan Page, David Star and more stars of Combat Zone Wrestling.
But before Tim can face any other challenges, he has to deal with Jocephus at Championship Wrestling From Hollywood.
You’ll meet Tim Storm’s daughter Jessica who shares what its like to have a pro wrestling father and what it means for her child having a pro wrestling grandfather.
Jocephus trip to Hollywood will see him accuse Billy Corgan of sending his shapeshifters after him and a moment of zen reflection in front of a particular star on the Hollwood Walk Of Fame.
The question at the end of this episode is the condition of Tim Storm as he walks into Combat Zone Wrestling this weekend. And who will step forward to make history with the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.
MCMAHON’S IMPACT WRESTLING REPORT 12/7: ECIII vs. Sydal for the Grand Championship, Lashley/Lambert vs. Moose/Storm, Sienna vs. Rosemary vs. Allie
Why are they using an Impact Wrestling symbol that has "GFW" as the top? DUH! GFW isn't a part of Impact anymore, dipshits.
https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/12/07/mcmahons-impact-wrestling-report-12-7-eciii-vs-sydal-grand-championship-lashley-lambert-vs-moose-storm-sienna-vs-rosemary-vs-allie/
https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/12/07/mcmahons-impact-wrestling-report-12-7-eciii-vs-sydal-grand-championship-lashley-lambert-vs-moose-storm-sienna-vs-rosemary-vs-allie/
Who is NOT going to WWE.
Tessa Blanchard noted on Twitter that she's taking independent bookings in 2018, so it appears that she is not WWE bound as was expected. Tessa wrestled several matches in NXT last year, and was a part of the Mae Young Classic tournament this past summer, where she was eliminated in the first round by Kairi Sane.
As was reported yesterday by a few people, James Storm is also taking independent bookings, so it appears as if he will not be signing with WWE soon either. Storm is taking bookings through Bull Behrens at SBIBookings.com.
As was reported yesterday by a few people, James Storm is also taking independent bookings, so it appears as if he will not be signing with WWE soon either. Storm is taking bookings through Bull Behrens at SBIBookings.com.
Dolph Ziggler Hints At Leaving WWE Soon.
Recently on E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness, WWE legends Edge and Christian were joined by fellow former world champion Dolph Ziggler. Among other things, Ziggler talked about being passed over and how constantly losing has made his job more difficult. Additionally, Ziggler expressed his frustration over his current role with WWE and he indicated that he will have to make a decision about returning to WWE shortly.
According to Ziggler, he understands why fans believe 'The Show Off' has been overlooked by WWE brass; however, he also recognizes how easily he could have been kicked to the curb at Titan Tower along with his box of failed gimmicks.
"I see it both ways. Like, I don't know. I'm not a giant guy, so maybe in some other world I would have worked here [in WWE] for a year-and-a-half as a caddie and a cheerleader then went away. But, so, I see the positives, like, 'hey, man, I've been here for 12 years and almost always regularly on TV, but I think, at a point, that becomes a burden of not going away, of always being passed over. You're passed over a handful of times over a couple of years then you start to have more of a cult following and it gets hot. But after a couple of years of not having the trigger pulled, and the eight year-old kids know you're in that role, I've noticed in the last couple of years, even my live event matches, it's harder for me to do my job because when I come out the 10 year-old kid goes, 'I know you're losing' and I go, 'oh crap' because it's one thing to have 40 year-old guys going, 'I know what's going to happen - that's fine. I'm here - they put on a show and we still have fun,' but when you get in that role and you miss, like, years of not going with it, it becomes a burden."
In Ziggler's estimation, losing has made his job of building up NXT call-ups more difficult because he has lost credibility with the audience.
"Now, my job of making somebody that should be ready for a world title picture becomes harder and it's not as much of a shove and if you see the last six months, a year of TV, basically, I'm a gatekeeper to the guys from NXT coming up that they have high expectations for, but if I lose for eight consecutive months before they show up, they are no longer getting that pat on the back to go up a notch, so I almost feel like it's taking back from my role. So I don't know what the change would be, either be to switch things up, disappear here and there, or, I've said this to the boss on several occasions, I go, 'I've made a career out of almost never winning, which is awesome,' but I go, 'at some point, I have to be seen as someone who can win, not just by pulling a needle out of a haystack or a lottery ball saying tonight is finally going to be the night because then it loses all of that lustre.'"
Similarly, Ziggler says wins and losses are irrelevant unless you are the one losing every night.
"Wins and losses don't matter unless you're the guy who loses every single night. And, if you're that guy, then maybe you should be in the dark match, not fighting to see who becomes world champion each night. And even if you do pull that rabbit out of the hat, people know it's not long term."
Ziggler went on to say that he wants to be a bigger part of the show, but everyone thinks they should be.
"I hate it, but also I'm someone who hates that I'm not champion. I hate that the show's not about me because that's the mentality you should have if you're in the business [of pro wrestling]. If you're there to be, like, 'hey, I'm that opening guy that works for 10 years and can save a bunch of money,' that's great, but there [are] 1,000 other guys that are sitting in the back that are saying, 'I want to be the best. I want to main event WrestleMania. I want the show to be about me.' And so, you have to have that mentality, but I've also been around long enough to know the score, to know what's going on, so I hate being in that position. I think I should be a bigger part of the show, but so does everybody else, but not everybody else has proven that, so I feel like after a while, proving it so much, even that becomes a thing like, 'sorry, you have the curse of the worker' or 'hey, you're kind of like our Shawn Michaels guy who can work with anybody and it could seem like a main event somewhere.' And I go, 'well, that shouldn't be a bad thing, but sometimes it is."
Also during the podcast, Ziggler claimed that he has to make a decision on his future with WWE very soon.
"I have a very short amount of time left to figure out if I want to do that again or if there's something to reach for. All I could reach for is fun-ass matches and tearing it down on the weekends because it doesn't seem to be a specific great prize to be reaching for here that I can attain, so I can be patted on the back and told, 'you're our guy - you're our Shawn Michaels. You're so good at this - we can't do this without you!' and then kind of see a bunch of guys not in that position coast right by. So there [are] no feelings hurt. It's a show business thing where I love it and in a very short time, I will have to decide if I need to go away and do my own thing or if I need to find a different role here."
Ziggler suggested that his current role of "gatekeeper" is a great role, but maybe not for him. Moreover, the former Money In The Bank briefcase holder averred that he needs to attain a higher level of success within WWE to make putting others over more meaningful.
"Gatekeeper is a great spot for someone who hasn't been world champion, who doesn't excel at the seven out of the possible eight things you can do here as a sports entertainer and it's really weird that I can't get more, but trust me when I say I'm knocking on the door every other day and almost demanding it, so we will see what happens in a very short while, but I would love to keep doing this, just at a different level and I need to know that the company is on my side with taking it to another level, so I can give back and help at another level."
"I see it both ways. Like, I don't know. I'm not a giant guy, so maybe in some other world I would have worked here [in WWE] for a year-and-a-half as a caddie and a cheerleader then went away. But, so, I see the positives, like, 'hey, man, I've been here for 12 years and almost always regularly on TV, but I think, at a point, that becomes a burden of not going away, of always being passed over. You're passed over a handful of times over a couple of years then you start to have more of a cult following and it gets hot. But after a couple of years of not having the trigger pulled, and the eight year-old kids know you're in that role, I've noticed in the last couple of years, even my live event matches, it's harder for me to do my job because when I come out the 10 year-old kid goes, 'I know you're losing' and I go, 'oh crap' because it's one thing to have 40 year-old guys going, 'I know what's going to happen - that's fine. I'm here - they put on a show and we still have fun,' but when you get in that role and you miss, like, years of not going with it, it becomes a burden."
In Ziggler's estimation, losing has made his job of building up NXT call-ups more difficult because he has lost credibility with the audience.
"Now, my job of making somebody that should be ready for a world title picture becomes harder and it's not as much of a shove and if you see the last six months, a year of TV, basically, I'm a gatekeeper to the guys from NXT coming up that they have high expectations for, but if I lose for eight consecutive months before they show up, they are no longer getting that pat on the back to go up a notch, so I almost feel like it's taking back from my role. So I don't know what the change would be, either be to switch things up, disappear here and there, or, I've said this to the boss on several occasions, I go, 'I've made a career out of almost never winning, which is awesome,' but I go, 'at some point, I have to be seen as someone who can win, not just by pulling a needle out of a haystack or a lottery ball saying tonight is finally going to be the night because then it loses all of that lustre.'"
Similarly, Ziggler says wins and losses are irrelevant unless you are the one losing every night.
"Wins and losses don't matter unless you're the guy who loses every single night. And, if you're that guy, then maybe you should be in the dark match, not fighting to see who becomes world champion each night. And even if you do pull that rabbit out of the hat, people know it's not long term."
Ziggler went on to say that he wants to be a bigger part of the show, but everyone thinks they should be.
"I hate it, but also I'm someone who hates that I'm not champion. I hate that the show's not about me because that's the mentality you should have if you're in the business [of pro wrestling]. If you're there to be, like, 'hey, I'm that opening guy that works for 10 years and can save a bunch of money,' that's great, but there [are] 1,000 other guys that are sitting in the back that are saying, 'I want to be the best. I want to main event WrestleMania. I want the show to be about me.' And so, you have to have that mentality, but I've also been around long enough to know the score, to know what's going on, so I hate being in that position. I think I should be a bigger part of the show, but so does everybody else, but not everybody else has proven that, so I feel like after a while, proving it so much, even that becomes a thing like, 'sorry, you have the curse of the worker' or 'hey, you're kind of like our Shawn Michaels guy who can work with anybody and it could seem like a main event somewhere.' And I go, 'well, that shouldn't be a bad thing, but sometimes it is."
Also during the podcast, Ziggler claimed that he has to make a decision on his future with WWE very soon.
"I have a very short amount of time left to figure out if I want to do that again or if there's something to reach for. All I could reach for is fun-ass matches and tearing it down on the weekends because it doesn't seem to be a specific great prize to be reaching for here that I can attain, so I can be patted on the back and told, 'you're our guy - you're our Shawn Michaels. You're so good at this - we can't do this without you!' and then kind of see a bunch of guys not in that position coast right by. So there [are] no feelings hurt. It's a show business thing where I love it and in a very short time, I will have to decide if I need to go away and do my own thing or if I need to find a different role here."
Ziggler suggested that his current role of "gatekeeper" is a great role, but maybe not for him. Moreover, the former Money In The Bank briefcase holder averred that he needs to attain a higher level of success within WWE to make putting others over more meaningful.
"Gatekeeper is a great spot for someone who hasn't been world champion, who doesn't excel at the seven out of the possible eight things you can do here as a sports entertainer and it's really weird that I can't get more, but trust me when I say I'm knocking on the door every other day and almost demanding it, so we will see what happens in a very short while, but I would love to keep doing this, just at a different level and I need to know that the company is on my side with taking it to another level, so I can give back and help at another level."
Boy is this contract deal a bunch of bullshit. WWE Reportedly Interested In Signing Top Impact Star Facing Possible Departure, Note On Contracts
It's been reported before how Bobby Lashley and Ethan Carter III could be leaving Impact Wrestling when their contracts expire soon. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that former World Heavyweight Champion Eddie Edwards may be joining EC3 and Lashley as his contract expires in February 2018.
Regarding contracts moving forward, word is that the company will only be offering the new per-day contracts instead of significant guaranteed money deals, which Lashley, EC3 and Edwards are currently signed to. There's a good chance these three veterans may be leaving because of this, just like James Storm. Storm recently left the company as he was signed to a high-paying contract that the company did not want to renew as they are looking to stop losing money
No word yet on Eddie's future plans but the belief right now is that WWE and ROH do have interest in signing him. WWE's interest is for the WWE NXT brand, according to The Observer.
No word yet on Eddie's future plans but the belief right now is that WWE and ROH do have interest in signing him. WWE's interest is for the WWE NXT brand, according to The Observer.
SCOTT D'AMORE & DON CALLIS TALK THEIR NEW ROLES IN IMPACT WRESTLING, CHANGING THE CULTURE, HOW THEY ARE APPROACHING MOVING THE COMPANY FORWARD & MORE
Chris Jericho interviewed the new Impact executive team Don Callis and Scott
D'Amore on his podcast this week.
The pair discussed their history together, the business experience outside of wrestling that will help them see It from a different perspective and how Chris Jericho helped grease the wheels for the new regime to take hold of the company. Scott discusses the different vibe with the Len Asper and Anthem in charge. Don Callis says that he hopes he can help young talent like Paul Heyman and Terry Taylor helped him.
In regards to the big picture plans for the company, they want a roster that believes in the future creating a symbiotic relationship building the brand of Impact while also helping the talent with their brand as performers. This will bring back goodwill to Impact because the independent scene is so strong. There will still be contracts with Impact but it will be structured in a way that when they're not working dates for the company they can market the brand in other places.
Scott D'Amore realizes they can't run 250 dates a year so they want talent to work as much as possible. He says they want a roster of homegrown stars and established talent. They hope to do this by giving talent a creatively free platform that cultivates new stars.
Scott D'Amore says international is very big for the future of the company. He brings up their worldwide distribution deals. He states that the product has to be thought of globally not just a single wrestling booking style.
Don talks about the true economics of international business in China and India is very much different than in the US. But it is a possibile for professional wrestling to have believability in the business however it takes time. Callis talks about cultural differences in regards to content and live events.
Jericho asks about roster overhaul in which D'Amore answers by saying it's going to be a long process which will move people in other roles and see others part ways. When asked whether there will be a core group of talent on the roster, Callis answers bringing up All Japan in the 90s saying the company will have to find a balance in cycling in new talent and established stars of Impact. The pair says the company wants to be competitive but they're not going to be reactionary they want to worry about their own business.
The moving of Impact Wrestling to Canada is discussed. Don and Scott say that there are plans to shoot television and events in multiple different countries and markets in order to give the company an international feel.
When asked if Orlando TV tapings are done they say no. They state the first taping date is January 10 at Universal Studios.
In regards to what creative direction they want to take the company, Don says that they don't want to be "WWE lite". They don't want to overproduce talent. They want talent to be comfortable and find the originality and creativity that comes within. Callis says a good booker cannot tell you your character better than you can. But they want to help direct and push talents to find themselves. They say that they have full creative control, Anthem has a hands-off approach to the company.
Callis states he is a bigger picture thinker with an 18-month plan for the company. When asked about live events, Don states they have to build the brand and the excitement for the brand before really going out there on the road. But plans are in place. They say however that the size of the company allows them to be more nimble and fluid in the marketing for market unlike WWE tailoring promotion to different markets.
Don is asked about his NJPW duties and he says it's a sign of the new openness of Impact be able to work both jobs. D'Amore says the mission statement for the new company is to establish trust between performers. Callis states that is going to a culture shift in the right direction.
The pair discussed their history together, the business experience outside of wrestling that will help them see It from a different perspective and how Chris Jericho helped grease the wheels for the new regime to take hold of the company. Scott discusses the different vibe with the Len Asper and Anthem in charge. Don Callis says that he hopes he can help young talent like Paul Heyman and Terry Taylor helped him.
In regards to the big picture plans for the company, they want a roster that believes in the future creating a symbiotic relationship building the brand of Impact while also helping the talent with their brand as performers. This will bring back goodwill to Impact because the independent scene is so strong. There will still be contracts with Impact but it will be structured in a way that when they're not working dates for the company they can market the brand in other places.
Scott D'Amore realizes they can't run 250 dates a year so they want talent to work as much as possible. He says they want a roster of homegrown stars and established talent. They hope to do this by giving talent a creatively free platform that cultivates new stars.
Scott D'Amore says international is very big for the future of the company. He brings up their worldwide distribution deals. He states that the product has to be thought of globally not just a single wrestling booking style.
Don talks about the true economics of international business in China and India is very much different than in the US. But it is a possibile for professional wrestling to have believability in the business however it takes time. Callis talks about cultural differences in regards to content and live events.
Jericho asks about roster overhaul in which D'Amore answers by saying it's going to be a long process which will move people in other roles and see others part ways. When asked whether there will be a core group of talent on the roster, Callis answers bringing up All Japan in the 90s saying the company will have to find a balance in cycling in new talent and established stars of Impact. The pair says the company wants to be competitive but they're not going to be reactionary they want to worry about their own business.
The moving of Impact Wrestling to Canada is discussed. Don and Scott say that there are plans to shoot television and events in multiple different countries and markets in order to give the company an international feel.
When asked if Orlando TV tapings are done they say no. They state the first taping date is January 10 at Universal Studios.
In regards to what creative direction they want to take the company, Don says that they don't want to be "WWE lite". They don't want to overproduce talent. They want talent to be comfortable and find the originality and creativity that comes within. Callis says a good booker cannot tell you your character better than you can. But they want to help direct and push talents to find themselves. They say that they have full creative control, Anthem has a hands-off approach to the company.
Callis states he is a bigger picture thinker with an 18-month plan for the company. When asked about live events, Don states they have to build the brand and the excitement for the brand before really going out there on the road. But plans are in place. They say however that the size of the company allows them to be more nimble and fluid in the marketing for market unlike WWE tailoring promotion to different markets.
Don is asked about his NJPW duties and he says it's a sign of the new openness of Impact be able to work both jobs. D'Amore says the mission statement for the new company is to establish trust between performers. Callis states that is going to a culture shift in the right direction.
BAGWELL/RAVEN LAWSUIT AGAINST WWE DISMISSED
Yesterday, the United States District Court of Connecticut officially
dismissed the lawsuit brought by Marcus Bagwell and Scott "Raven" Levy against
World Wrestling Entertainment over allegations that WWE owes them royalties from
usage of material featuring their work in matches and segments from WCW and WWE
on the WWE Network.
The lawsuit, filed in August 2016, was dismissed with prejudice, which means that neither party would be allowed to bring claims against WWE again. There is no word yet what led to the dismissal, but court filings indicated the two sides had been speaking about a potential settlement.
Bagwell and Raven had alleged that WWE had breached their contracts of both Bagwell and Levy by failing to pay direct sales royalties to material that was included on the WWE Network's streaming service. WWE's contracts define material they provide royalties for as content that fall under direct sales, defined as "...including without limitation, at the arena, via mail order sales or directly on television, or via the Internet...." Levy and Raven argued that WWE Network subscriptions would fall under that description, while WWE argued that unlike a DVD, which they do provide royalties for, there is no sale of physical media with a WWE Network subscription, just a license that a subscriber rents, allowing them to view the content offered.
Levy had argued that talent should be paid for the WWE Network under the same royalty rate that they would receive contractually, from PPV and video sales. He also argued that once WWE purchased the WCW and ECW video libraries, those libraries would now fall under the promised royalty rate that he was promised contractually from WWE for direct sale of WWE events and that when he was released by WWE in 2013, the agreement to release him noted WWE had completely bought Levy out of any claims against them or any money owed "other than the obligation to pay Levy the royalties due to him pursuant to, and as determined by, the Contract."
Bagwell made similar claims in the lawsuit, alleging WWE failed to pay royalties on material on WCW and WWE content featuring Bagwell that was available on the WWE Network. Bagwell had also alleged that WWE, by selling WCW content, without paying him his royalties, had breached an agreement the parties signed when Bagwell released by WWE in 2001 after a short, uneventful run. Bagwell had also alleged that WWE had failed to pay him royalties within 90 days, was late in paying royalties and has not paid any royalties since February 2014 when the WWE Network launched. The non-payment of royalties was another alleged breach of Bagwell's contract,
The lawsuit also alleged that WWE breached its fiduciary duty to Levy and Bagwell because WWE was in a superior position when it came to knowledge of finances and money owed to the talents. Bagwell had claimed that his WWE contract allowed him to have his own independent certified accountant audit WWE-WCW's books, citing, "for the purpose of verifying the accuracy thereof, during WCW’s normal business hours and upon reasonable notice. Such audit shall be conducted in a manner that will not unreasonably interfere with WCW’s normal business operations. Wrestler shall not audit WCW’s books and records more than twice during any calendar year and no such audit shall be conducted later than one (1) year after the last statement of royalties is given, delivered or sent to Wrestler. Each audit is limited to seven (7) days in duration. Statements of royalties may be changed from time to time to reflect year-end adjustments, to correct clerical errors and for similar purposes."
Bagwell has alleged that he had attempted to do exactly that in June 2016 and was initially told an audit could be done in late July or early August 2016, only to later be informed by WWE's counsel, K&L Gates, that there would be no audit, as Bagwell's accountant, "asserted a pretextual and invalid audit request to attempt to stealthily obtain that information (WWE network royalty audit)" and that since Bagwell is not paid WWE Network royalties, "there is nothing to audit." Since WWE blocked Bagwell's attempts to audit the records as he was contractually allowed to do, he claimed that the company had forfeited any claim that Bagwell did not satisfy any of WWE's prerequisite actions contractually before he filed his lawsuit.
After the lawsuit was filed and early attempts to have it dismiss failed on WWE's part, WWE sources indicated that plans to add WWE Sunday Night Heat and WCW Thunder were both stalled, even though the complete runs of each series were prepared and ready to be added to the WWE Network's Video on Demand component. Both Levy and Bagwell were featured on those series and adding new material could add to potential damages should the courts not rule in WWE's favor. We are told that WWE also looked into whether it was feasible to remove content featuring the two from the Network. Sources were told that the company took the issue so seriously, they put research into whether it was worth removing all signs of Levy and Bagwell from the Network's VOD component, despite the amount of manpower and money it would require.
Yesterday's dismissal prevents the company from having to move forward with such moves and opens up the floodgates, so to speak, for that content to be added to the WWE Network in 2018. It also closes the door, for now at least, on the issue of whether talents should be due royalties for material featured on the WWE Network
The lawsuit, filed in August 2016, was dismissed with prejudice, which means that neither party would be allowed to bring claims against WWE again. There is no word yet what led to the dismissal, but court filings indicated the two sides had been speaking about a potential settlement.
Bagwell and Raven had alleged that WWE had breached their contracts of both Bagwell and Levy by failing to pay direct sales royalties to material that was included on the WWE Network's streaming service. WWE's contracts define material they provide royalties for as content that fall under direct sales, defined as "...including without limitation, at the arena, via mail order sales or directly on television, or via the Internet...." Levy and Raven argued that WWE Network subscriptions would fall under that description, while WWE argued that unlike a DVD, which they do provide royalties for, there is no sale of physical media with a WWE Network subscription, just a license that a subscriber rents, allowing them to view the content offered.
Levy had argued that talent should be paid for the WWE Network under the same royalty rate that they would receive contractually, from PPV and video sales. He also argued that once WWE purchased the WCW and ECW video libraries, those libraries would now fall under the promised royalty rate that he was promised contractually from WWE for direct sale of WWE events and that when he was released by WWE in 2013, the agreement to release him noted WWE had completely bought Levy out of any claims against them or any money owed "other than the obligation to pay Levy the royalties due to him pursuant to, and as determined by, the Contract."
Bagwell made similar claims in the lawsuit, alleging WWE failed to pay royalties on material on WCW and WWE content featuring Bagwell that was available on the WWE Network. Bagwell had also alleged that WWE, by selling WCW content, without paying him his royalties, had breached an agreement the parties signed when Bagwell released by WWE in 2001 after a short, uneventful run. Bagwell had also alleged that WWE had failed to pay him royalties within 90 days, was late in paying royalties and has not paid any royalties since February 2014 when the WWE Network launched. The non-payment of royalties was another alleged breach of Bagwell's contract,
The lawsuit also alleged that WWE breached its fiduciary duty to Levy and Bagwell because WWE was in a superior position when it came to knowledge of finances and money owed to the talents. Bagwell had claimed that his WWE contract allowed him to have his own independent certified accountant audit WWE-WCW's books, citing, "for the purpose of verifying the accuracy thereof, during WCW’s normal business hours and upon reasonable notice. Such audit shall be conducted in a manner that will not unreasonably interfere with WCW’s normal business operations. Wrestler shall not audit WCW’s books and records more than twice during any calendar year and no such audit shall be conducted later than one (1) year after the last statement of royalties is given, delivered or sent to Wrestler. Each audit is limited to seven (7) days in duration. Statements of royalties may be changed from time to time to reflect year-end adjustments, to correct clerical errors and for similar purposes."
Bagwell has alleged that he had attempted to do exactly that in June 2016 and was initially told an audit could be done in late July or early August 2016, only to later be informed by WWE's counsel, K&L Gates, that there would be no audit, as Bagwell's accountant, "asserted a pretextual and invalid audit request to attempt to stealthily obtain that information (WWE network royalty audit)" and that since Bagwell is not paid WWE Network royalties, "there is nothing to audit." Since WWE blocked Bagwell's attempts to audit the records as he was contractually allowed to do, he claimed that the company had forfeited any claim that Bagwell did not satisfy any of WWE's prerequisite actions contractually before he filed his lawsuit.
After the lawsuit was filed and early attempts to have it dismiss failed on WWE's part, WWE sources indicated that plans to add WWE Sunday Night Heat and WCW Thunder were both stalled, even though the complete runs of each series were prepared and ready to be added to the WWE Network's Video on Demand component. Both Levy and Bagwell were featured on those series and adding new material could add to potential damages should the courts not rule in WWE's favor. We are told that WWE also looked into whether it was feasible to remove content featuring the two from the Network. Sources were told that the company took the issue so seriously, they put research into whether it was worth removing all signs of Levy and Bagwell from the Network's VOD component, despite the amount of manpower and money it would require.
Yesterday's dismissal prevents the company from having to move forward with such moves and opens up the floodgates, so to speak, for that content to be added to the WWE Network in 2018. It also closes the door, for now at least, on the issue of whether talents should be due royalties for material featured on the WWE Network
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