Vince McMahon and WWE File to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Ring Boy Scandal

According to PWInsider, Vince McMahons lawyers say the court in Maryland has no right to judge the case because McMahon never lived in Maryland. His legal filing says: As a nonresident who is not domiciled in Maryland, there is no general personal jurisdiction over McMahon. They argue that the plaintiffs didnt show any proof that McMahon did anything wrong in Maryland. He also says the lawsuit doesnt clearly show he did anything that would make him personally responsible.

The filing also says only one of the former ring boys even claims to have met McMahon, and that meeting didnt happen in Maryland. McMahon also argues that he had no way of knowing Phillips was a danger. Plaintiffs do not sufficiently allege that McMahon had knowledge, constructive or otherwise, that Mel Phillips posed a danger.

The lawsuit refers to negative press, unfounded opinions, speculation, and multi-level hearsay from a hodgepodge of characters (many of whom are deceased) but, McMahon says, thats not enough to prove anything.

McMahon also says the plaintiffs are relying too much on old stories and rumors, rather than solid facts, stating, To the extent that a limited number of the allegations arguably imply such knowledge they lack the factual support, plausibility, consistency, and definiteness required to state a claim.

WWE and TKO also made it clear they want the case dismissed. Their filing says: Neither WWE nor TKO is subject to personal jurisdiction in Maryland and Plaintiffs have failed to adequately plead a negligence claim. They state the plaintiffs are claiming Phillips abused them after asking them to help out at wrestling events, including some in Maryland. However, WWE and TKO argue theres no proof they knew Phillips was a threat, or that they had a legal duty to protect the boys, saying, Plaintiffs do not properly allege the existence of any legally cognizable duty.

They say the abuse happened when WWF still existed, but WWF doesnt exist anymore. The current companies are different, and the plaintiffs didnt give any good reason why todays companies should be responsible for what happened back then. It was added that neither WWE nor TKO is based in Maryland, and the plaintiffs didnt prove that the companies did business there in a way that would allow the court to take the case.

WWE and TKO argue the plaintiffs didnt show enough facts to prove they were negligent, especially since most of the claims are about things that happened after the abuse allegedly took place.

The lawsuit claims that someone told McMahon that Phillips was seen in a car performing a sexual act on a young boy, but McMahons lawyers say the plaintiffs dont have firsthand knowledge of that. The claim is based on what two wrestlers (now deceased) allegedly said in 1992, and even they didnt witness it directly.

The lawsuit also claims McMahon admitted knowing about Phillipss behavior for years. They cite a 1992 article by New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick, where McMahon supposedly said he and Linda knew about Phillipss peculiar and unnatural interest in boys. However, McMahons lawyers state thats twisting what Mushnick actually wrote. They argue: Plaintiffs cannot brandish Mushnicks tabloid soundbite ad nauseam to gin up a plausible claim.

Linda McMahon also filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. She says the court has no authority over her because she hasnt lived in Maryland for over 50 years. Her motion says that just because she once rented an apartment there in the early 1970s doesnt give Maryland courts power over her today. She may have had a wrestling license to be at ringside in 2004, but that expired long ago.

Linda McMahon says the plaintiffs havent proven she did anything wrong in Maryland or that she had any responsibility for what happened. The filing says making her defend the case in Maryland would be burdensome and not constitutionally reasonable. It also points out that some of the plaintiffs live far away, including in Florida, so Maryland isnt even convenient for them either.

The motion adds that the lawsuit doesnt prove she had a legal duty to protect the plaintiffs or that she ever employed Phillips directly. It says: If Plaintiffs are unable to establish a duty owed to them by WWE they certainly cannot establish such a duty owed to them by Ms. McMahon.

As the court decides whether it has the right to hear the case and if theres enough evidence, the results could have a big impact on WWE, its leaders, and the wrestling world as a whole. Therefore, well have to see how the case will proceed in the coming months.