WWE Served With Two Lawsuits Today - Details Inside
A while back it was reported that Joe Hamilton, on behalf of his company Deep South Wrestling would be filing suit against WWE for breach of contract for the way WWE severed ties with Deep South Wrestling. Here are the details of the case.
* Both Joe Hamilton and Deep South were paid $80,000 a year to train developmental talent for WWE, and provide a TV outlet, which Deep South did provide.
* There are several claims of bullying by trainers of WWE developmental talents, to the point that DSW were required to begin filming the training sessions by WWE.
* There was low morale due to injures during training, much less than the counterpart at the time, OVW.
* WWE was not happy that Deep South signed a TV deal with Mav TV on their own, because WWE didn't their developmental product seen on a wide scale basis.
* Hamilton claims to have set up several events at Six Flags for The American Cancer Society and M.A.A.D.A. for the summer of 2007, with WWE talent set to appear on those events.
* Days before the events, WWE arrived (4.18.07) at the Deep South facilities to announce that the relationship between WWE and Deep South was finished. The first Six Flags show was set for 4.22.07.
* Hamilton states that the deal between Deep South and WWE required 90-days notice before severing the deal. He also claims that WWE made every effort to make sure that he did not know about the end of the deal or that they were coming. The claim also says that WWE plans were to remove all personal and computer information without Deep South Staff there.
* On 4.18.07 WWE arrived and removed wrestling rings, seating, computer hardware, software, and information belonging to DSW.
* DSW talent were transferred to other developmental systems and told not to have any further dealings with Hamilton or anyone from Deep South.
* Hamilton is claiming losses of nearly $400,000 due to having to cancel all of the summer bookings, as well as emotional distress. He claims that WWE intended to cause damages to Deep South.
* Finally, the lawsuits requests that both Hamilton and Deep South as a company recover the damages from the breach of contract by WWE, as well as any punitive damages that a jury may rule in favor of.
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A lawsuit was filed yesterday by SoBe Entertainment International against Paul "Big Show" Wight, his wife Bess and World Wrestling Entertainment. SoBe Entertainment claims to have signed Wight to an exclusive contract with SoBe to "to act as a performer, entertainer, actor, boxer, wrestler, athlete and celebrity person for a five-year period covering March 1, 2007 through February 27, 2012." They are seeking $15 million in damages. Sobe says that when Wight returned to WWE in 2007 that the company has "tortuously interfered with the contractual relationship". Sobe claims the following
* In 2007, Sobe met with Wight, his wife Bess and Hulk Hogan regarding him becoming a boxer.
* Wight promised to be "managed exclusively" by their organization if they would advance costs for his boxing training.
* SoBe claims that in total they fronted the Wight's $2 million between salary and an advance of $1 million for the purchase of a Miami, Florida home. (They felt that they would recoup the money from his boxing earnings.
* Sobe says that Wight used the Miami property to escape back tax issues, attain a line of credit and then they say that he failed to execute a second mortgage, which was an agreement he had with the company.
* November 2007, Wight states he will go back to WWE and will "no longer honor or otherwise fulfill his obligations under the contract".
* Sobe says that the WWE angle with Floyd Mayweather Jr. was based on the public knowledge that Wight was training for boxing.
* Sobe says a letter to WWE was sent, claiming that WWE was interfering with SoBe's contract with Wight, and requested that WWE cancel the Wrestlemania bout with Mayweather be cancelled.
* Sobe claims that WWE "WWE handsomely profited at the expense of SoBe" at WrestleMania XXIV, XXV and "at least seven other PPV events".
* Sobe says that WWE is aware of the breach of contract, but chose to ignore it.
* Sobe is seeking from Wight: the initial $2 million investment, for a lien to be placed on the Miami home, that it be sold in foreclosure and Sobe given the funds of the sale, and court costs.
* Sobe is seeking from WWE: lost profit damages, compensatory damages, and punitive damages.
* Sobe requests a jury trial.
* WWE nor Paul "Big Show" Wight have responded.