There’s a new update about the lawsuit from a fan against WWE.
Richard Bryant, a fan who is suing WWE for injuries he allegedly sustained while attending a Friday Night Smackdown taping in Orlando, Florida in July 2022, has taken legal action to prevent WWE from moving the lawsuit into arbitration. On July 24, Bryant filed a motion before The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, seeking to stay the lawsuit until the arbitration process is completed.
WWE has contended that Bryant should be subject to Ticketmaster.com‘s terms and conditions, which mandate arbitration for any issues arising from patrons attending events after purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster. In their motion on July 3, WWE asserted that they have not waived their right to arbitration, thus Bryant must follow that route.
In response, Bryant argued that WWE lacks the standing to enforce Ticketmaster’s arbitration agreement. He claimed that since he received the ticket as a gift from a friend who never physically possessed the ticket, he should not be bound by the arbitration agreement. Bryant also argued that he did not have “reasonable notice” of any agreement to arbitrate.
It is worth noting that WWE successfully made a similar argument in a previous lawsuit involving alleged hearing damages by a fan.
Bryant’s lawsuit alleges that WWE’s negligence and carelessness led to his injuries, which include a traumatic rupture of his right eardrum, bilateral tinnitus, hearing loss in his right ear, psychological harm, and potential future medical expenses. Additionally, Bryant claims to have been non-weightbearing for a period, using crutches and a boot for his left foot, and anticipates needing a surgical fusion of his left foot. Despite a discrepancy in the lawsuit regarding the body part affected, Bryant is seeking $15,000 in damages. In a similar case, Marvin Jackson sued WWE over alleged hearing injuries sustained while attending Wrestlemania 38 in Dallas. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a previous ruling by the District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, that Jackson’s claims should be settled through arbitration based on an agreement related to his ticket purchase. Jackson’s lawsuit sought over $1,000,000 in damages but was ultimately sent to private arbitration without any updates on the resolution of the case.
The court has scheduled a trial date of August 18, 2025, if the dispute remains unresolved by then.
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