Over the last few years, the NFL has been hit with a slew of lawsuits by former players who claim that they suffered permanent brain injuries while playing professional football. And now, it sounds like WWE might be forced to deal with a similar problem, due to a lawsuit that was reportedly just filed against them.
According to TMZ Sports, three wrestlers—Big Russ McCullough, Ryan Sakoda, and Luther Reigns—have sued WWE on behalf of all current and former wrestlers. They claim that they suffered brain injuries during their careers and that those injuries have put them at a higher risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. They say WWE has "for decades subjected its wrestlers to extreme physical brutality" and that moves like Brain Busters, Facebreakers, and Powerslams, not to mention chair shots, have routinely put wrestlers in harm's way. They also say that the WWE "coerces its wrestlers to work while they are injured by, among other methods, threatening to strip them of their position within the organization if they refuse."
WWE hasn't responded to the lawsuit yet, but it'll be interesting to hear what they have to say about it. It'll also be interesting to see whether or not any other wrestlers agree to join McCullough, Sakoda, and Reigns in their fight against the organization.
UPDATE:
The WWE's lawyers have responded to the lawsuit. They say they're going to fight it.
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[via TMZ Sports]
