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Wrestlers Claim Racist Gimmicks in New WWE Lawsuit

Posted: Jul 20th 2016 By: Nick Paglino

As noted, a new lawsuit has been filed against WWE by numerous pro wrestlers, and the suit alleges WWE failed to care for wrestlers’ repetitive head injuries “in any medically competent or meaningful manner.

You can check out the full lawsuit at this link http://ia601506.us.archive.org/4/items/gov.uscourts.ctd.113085/gov.uscourts.ctd.113085.1.0.pdf, and it’s interesting to note that in addition to the brain injuries cited in the suit, there are other claims listed in the suit ranging from wrestler pay to how wrestlers lives were affected after their time in WWE.

Additionally, the suit names several plaintiffs who allege racist gimmicks were given to them during their time in WWE, and below is the description of plaintiff Rodney Mack, which can be found on page 55 of the lawsuit:

110. Plaintiff Rodney Begnaud, a.k.a. Rodney Mack (“Begnaud”) is 45 and resides in Lafayette, Louisiana. Begnaud wrestled for WWE from 2002 to 2005. His WWE assigned gimmick was to portray himself as an “anti-white” black militant. Begnaud explains it “was a ‘no no’ to discuss injuries or your job would be in jeopardy.” His dialogue consisted of lines such as “Damn Right!” and “Yeah!” with his manager uttering lines such as “Kill Whitey” and “Free James Brown.” He says he was not treated for injuries or tested for signs of head injuries after sustaining blows to his head them in the ring. Begnaud has suffered numerous concussions as a result of the repeated and chronic head trauma sustained while wrestling for WWE. His injuries have resulted in long-term neurological injuries and cognitive difficulties, including, but not limited to, headaches, dizziness, loss of memory, and fatigue.