In a recent development, Judge Edward J. Davila of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed the antitrust lawsuit Major League Wrestling (MLW) had filed against WWE.
The lawsuit accused WWE of maliciously interfering with MLW’s contracts and business opportunities, including pressuring third parties to end agreements and halting MLW’s negotiations with VICE TV in 2021.
Judge Davila determined that MLW had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support claims of a relevant antitrust market.
Additionally, he noted that the harms described by MLW were specific to them rather than affecting the competition broadly. These findings were crucial in granting WWE’s motion to dismiss the case.
Nevertheless, Judge Davila allowed MLW a three-week period to submit an amended complaint, suggesting that further allegations might address the deficiencies noted in WWE’s motion.
Should MLW file the revised complaint within this timeframe, the discovery phase will resume, a step WWE has been keen to avoid. If MLW does not amend the complaint, the case will be dismissed permanently.
In response to the ruling, MLW CEO Court Bauer announced that their legal team is already working on revising the complaint, emphasizing their commitment to continuing the legal battle against WWE.
He stated, “Our legal team is already at work on amending the complaint. We have every intention to continue pursuing our case against WWE.”