Ring Boy Attorney Discusses Why FBI Didn't Bring Charges Against Mel Phillips In 1992

The 'ring boy scandal' that rocked WWE in the '90s is haunting the company again 30 years later after a new civil lawsuit was filed against Vince and Linda McMahon, WWE, and parent company TKO. Related to underage ring crew workers being groomed and assaulted in the '80s and '90s by former WWE announcer Mel Phillips, five unnamed plaintiffs have stepped up to get the truth out about their experiences. Attorney Greg Gutzler who is defending one of the anonymous "John Does" revisited the original investigation on "Pollock & Thurston."

"My understanding is that (the FBI) decided to forego the sexual abuse charges against Mel and try to flip him to go after Vince and the WWE on the steroid charges," Gutzler commented. "I think they made a decision. I don't have definitive evidence of that, but I have heard that and it does make a bit of sense. There's also the possibility that some of the victims were too afraid to come forward and that harkens back to the point about the statute of limitations and the Maryland Child Victims Act."

A point that Gutzler brought up is applicable to Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon, in that it is not an easy task to step forward and speak-up about having suffered wrongdoing and in these cases, illegal acts. 

"It's really hard to disclose sexual abuse," Gutzler would remark, "Especially as a young boy against a very, very powerful corporation, powerful people who you know have a ruthless grip on power, and you could see how they ran the company: very sharp elbows."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Pollock & Thurston" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.