Court Bauer On MLW Suing WWE: 'It Was Time To Hold Them Accountable'
On Monday, MLW did as asked by the judge in its antitrust lawsuit against WWE and filed an amended complaint that got more specific about what kind of wrongdoing and harm it was alleging. Like clockwork, on Wednesday a new episode of Chris Jericho's "Talk Is Jericho" podcast dropped with MLW CEO and founder Court Bauer as the guest, and naturally, the lawsuit was one of the first topics discussed.
"Look at Ring of Honor and New Japan when they ran [Madison Square] Garden," Bauer said. "I know AEW's had issues. Whether it's contract tampering, whether it's arena issues. This sh*t's been going on for 40 years. Ask the promoters through the decades: How were they wounded? How were they damaged? And for us, we were almost mortally wounded, and it was time to hold them accountable, so that's what I did." He characterized WWE as wanting "maximum market share."
Regarding the arena issue, Bauer is referring to not just WWE attempting to block 2019's G1 Supercard show, which briefly succeeded until ROH's lawyers intervened, but also the likes of a similar antitrust lawsuit filed in December 1985 by Jim Crockett Promotions, the predecessor to WCW. JCP sued WWE, the city of Richmond, Virginia, and arena management firm Spectacor for pushing it out of its longtime home at the Richmond Coliseum. The suit was settled after a few months.
With wrestler contracts, there are many such stories in the past, such as Jim Ross, then WWE's head of talent relations, negotiating with Jericho while he was still in WCW.
"I would've liked to have gotten past that and gotten the [Tubi/MLW] deal done and announced, but it's a hard business," Bauer added. "I remember [Paul] Heyman saying that to me years ago when we were both in WWE and it was a rough day at the office. He just looked at me and was like, 'It's a tough business. It's a really tough business.'" He added that it's sometimes "beautiful," but if it was "easy," more people would get involved.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Talk Is Jericho" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.