Case 3:15-cv-01074-VLB Document 363 Filed 11/03/17 Page 1 of 225 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT ___________________________________________ | RUSS MCCULLOUGH, RYAN SAKODA, and | MATTHEW ROBERT WIESE, Individually and on | behalf of all others similarly situated, | | Plaintiffs, | | v. | Civil Action No. | 3:15-cv-001074 (VLB) WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT, INC., | Lead Case | Defendant. | | ___________________________________________ | | JOSEPH M. LAURINAITIS, a/k/a | Road Warrior Animal, | CAROLE M. SNUKA on behalf of Estate of | JAMES W. SNUKA , | PAUL ORNDORFF, a/k/a Mr. Wonderful, | SALAVADOR GUERRERO IV, a/k/a Chavo | Guerrero, Jr., | KELLI FUJIWARA SLOAN on behalf of estate of | HARRY MASAYOSHI FUJIWARA, | BRYAN EMMETT CLARK, JR., a/k/a Adam | Bomb, | ANTHONY NORRIS, a/k/a Ahmed Johnson, | JAMES HARRIS, a/k/a Kamala, | DAVE HEBNER, | EARL HEBNER, | CHRIS PALLIES, a/k/a King Kong Bundy, | KEN PATERA, | TERRY MICHAEL BRUNK, a/k/a Sabu, | BARRY DARSOW, a/k/a Smash, | BILL EADIE a/k/a Ax, | JOHN NORD, a/k/a The Bezerker, | JONATHAN HUGGER a/k/a Johnny The Bull, | JAMES BRUNZELL, a/k/a Jumpin’ Jim, | SUSAN GREEN, a/k/a Sue Green, | ANGELO MOSCA, a/k/a King Kong Mosca, | JAMES MANLEY, a/k/a Jim Powers, | MICHAEL “MIKE” ENOS, a/k/a Blake Beverly, | BRUCE “BUTCH” REED, a/k/a The Natural, | Case 3:15-cv-01074-VLB Document 363 Filed 11/03/17 Page 2 of 225 CARLENE B. MOORE-BEGNAUD, a/k/a Jazz, | SYLVAIN GRENIER, | OMAR MIJARES a/k/a Omar Atlas, | DON LEO HEATON, a/k/a Don Leo Jonathan, | TROY MARTIN, a/k/a Shane Douglas, | MARC COPANI, a/k/a Muhammad Hassan, | MARK CANTERBURY, a/k/a Henry Godwin, | VICTORIA OTIS, a/k/a Princess Victoria, | JUDY HARDEE a/k/a Judy Martin, | MARK JINDRAK, | GAYLE SCHECTER on Behalf of Estate of | JON RECHNER a.k.a Balls Mahoney, | BARBARA MARIE LEYDIG & BERNARD | KNIGHTON as co-representatives of Estate of | Brian Knighton, a/k/a Axl Rotten, | MARTY JANNETTY, | JON HEIDENREICH, | TERRY SZOPINSKI, a/k/a The Warlord, | SIONE HAVEA VAILAHI, a/k/a The Barbarian, | LARRY OLIVER, a/k/a The Crippler, | BOBBI BILLARD, | ASHLEY MASSARO, a/k/a Ashley, | PERRY SATULLO a/k/a Perry Saturn, | DAVID SILVA a/k/a Sylvano Sousa | JOHN JETER a/k/a Johnny Jeter, | CHARLES BERNARD SCAGGS a.k.a Flash Funk, | CHARLES WICKS a.k.a Chad Wicks, | SHIRLEY FELLOWS on Behalf of Estate of | TIMOTHY ALAN SMITH, a/k/a Rex King, | TRACY SMOTHERS, a/k/a Freddie Joe Floyd, | MICHAEL R HALAC, a/k/a Mantaur, | RICK JONES, a/k/a Black Bart, | KEN JOHNSON, a/k/a Slick, | GEORGE GRAY, a/k/a One Man Gang, | FERRIN JESSE BARR, a/k/a JJ Funk, | LOU MARCONI, | ROD PRICE, | DONALD DRIGGERS, | RODNEY BEGNAUD, a/k/a Rodney Mack, | RONALD SCOTT HEARD on Behalf of Estate of | RONALD HEARD, a/k/a Outlaw Ron Bass, and | BORIS ZHUKOV, | Civil Action No. | 3:16-cv-01209 (VLB) Plaintiffs, | Consolidated Case v. | | Case 3:15-cv-01074-VLB Document 363 Filed 11/03/17 Page 3 of 225 WORLD WRESTLING | ENTERTAINMENT, INC., and | VINCENT K. MCMAHON, Individually and as | Trustee of the Vincent K. McMahon Irrevocable | Trust U/T/A dtd. June 24, 2004, as Trustee of the | Vincent K. McMahon 2008 Irrevocable Trust U/T/A | dtd. December 23, 2008, and as Special Trustee of | the Vincent K. McMahon 2013 Irrev. Trust U/A dtd. | December 5, 2013, and as Trustee of Certain Other| Unnamed McMahon Family Trusts, and as | Controlling Shareholder of WWE, | | Defendants. | ___________________________________________ | PLAINTIFF WRESTLERS’ SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT AGAINST DEFENDANT WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT, INC. AND DEFENDANT VINCENT K. MCMAHON The Plaintiffs bring this Second Amended Complaint against the Defendant World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (“WWE”) and Vincent K. McMahon (“VKM”), Individually, and as Trustee of the Vincent K. McMahon Irrevocable Trust U/T/A dtd. June 24, 2004, as Trustee of the Vincent K. McMahon 2008 Irrevocable Trust U/T/A dtd. December 23, 2008, and as Special Trustee of the Vincent K. McMahon 2013 Irrev. Trust U/A dtd. December 5, 2013, and as Trustee of Certain Other Unnamed McMahon Family Trusts, and as Controlling Shareholder of WWE, and allege, upon facts and information and belief, except for the allegations concerning Plaintiffs’ own actions, as follows. Please note that although the Complaint is divided into Counts as suggested by the Federal Rules, each and every paragraph alleged in each and every Count is intended to be taken as alleged in, and incorporated by reference, in every Count as if restated. Case 3:15-cv-01074-VLB Document 363 Filed 11/03/17 Page 4 of 225 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. SUMMARY OF PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIMS………………. ......................................... 1 II. JURISDICTION AND VENUE .............................................................................. 4 III. PARTIES………. .................................................................................................. 6 A. Counts Applicable to Plaintiffs .................................................................... 6 a. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (“CTE”) Exists in Professional Wrestlers and is Diagnosed in at Least Five Named Plaintiffs ....................................................................................... 9 b. Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease Exist in Professional Wrestlers and Has Been Diagnosed in at Least Four Named Plaintiffs .............................................................................. 9 c. Documented Injuries to Many Plaintiffs Suggest That They are at Risk of Developing Neurological Diseases and CTE ...................... 10 B. Individual Plaintiffs’ Allegations ................................................................ 11 a. Description of the Facts Presented by Each Plaintiff ......................... 11 b. Individual Plaintiffs’ Factual Allegations ............................................. 16 IV. FACTUAL BACKGROUND……….. ................................................................... 71 A. WWE’s Business Was Uniquely Structured to Profit from the Plaintiffs’ Injuries ........................................................................................ 71 a. How WWE Became The World’s Largest Wrestling Organization: Selling Violence ............................................................. 71 b. WWE’s Ironclad Control ........................................................................ 75 B. Defendants’ Scheme to Deprive Plaintiffs of Fundamental Statutory Protections .................................................................................. 79 C. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a New Name for an Old Disease……. ................................................................................................ 80 a. The Long-Present and Evolving Understanding of Concussion Science ................................................................................................... 80 b. Concussions and Post-Concussion Syndrome are Long- Recognized Injuries ............................................................................... 82 c. Sub-Concussive and Repetitive Head Trauma Cause Latent Neurological Injuries ............................................................................. 83 i Case 3:15-cv-01074-VLB Document 363 Filed 11/03/17 Page 5 of 225 d. Head Trauma’s Consistent Symptoms ................................................ 84 e. The Necessary Preventative Steps Developed By Sports Medicine ................................................................................................... 5 D. WWE’s Knowledge of the Effects of Concussions .................................. 86 a. WWE’s Long Association with the Cauliflower Alley Club ................ 87 b. WWE Promoted a “Wrestler Versus Boxer” Event ............................. 87 c. WWE Promotes Boxing Matches .......................................................... 88 d. The WWE Promotes the XFL Football League .................................... 89 e. WWE Highlights Head Injuries .............................................................. 90 f. WWE Knew What Post-Concussion Syndrome was in 1995 .............. 92 g. The Named Plaintiffs Sustained Concussions with Actual WWE Awareness .............................................................................................. 93 h. Medical Literature at WWE’s Disposal Established the Dangers of Concussions and Sub-Concussive Injuries and the Need for Proactive Preventative Steps. ............................................................... 95 i. These Plaintiffs’ In-Ring Injuries Necessitated Action By WWE ....... 98 j. WWE Former Performers’ Lingering and Latent Symptoms Required (And Still Requires) WWE Take Action .............................. 101 k. Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Letters Implicate WWE’s Knowledge ............................................................................................ 102 E. WWE’s Responsibility to the Plaintiffs’ Health and Safety .................... 103 a. Plaintiffs’ Forced Reliance on WWE................................................... 103 b. WWE Covers 100% of All In-Ring Injuries ......................................... 104 c. WWE’s Continuing Special Relationship with the Plaintiffs ............ 105 F. WWE’s Refusal to Accept the Existence of CTE in Professional Wrestling…. ............................................................................................... 106 a. WWE’s Ties to the Concussion Legacy Foundation......................... 106 b. WWE’s Refusal to Provide Necessary Health Information ............... 110 V. CAUSES OF