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Pro Wrestlers Sue WWE Over Brain Injuries

Say scripted stunts left many with cognitive impairments.

More than 50 retired pro wrestlers have filed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment over brain and neurological injuries they say were incurred during matches. The plaintiffs, among them Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Joseph “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis, and other big names, say WWE intentionally avoided liability for injuries by classifying wrestlers as independent contractors. The “WWE placed corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety, and financial security, choosing to leave the plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies,” the complaint states. The court documents, filed in New Haven, Connecticut, seek compensatory and punitive damages. The plaintiffs say they now suffer from a range of cognitive issues and that the WWE concealed the many risks of brain damage inherent in the wrestling stunts it scripted for wrestlers.