Jim Ross has weighed in on the WWE shareholder lawsuit and the recent evidence-destruction ruling, telling Grilling JR listeners that “where there’s smoke there’s fire” and that Vince McMahon appears to have “a noose around his neck” heading into the trial.
This came up after Conrad Thompson walked Ross through the recent Delaware Court of Chancery ruling, in which Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster found that McMahon and Nick Khan allegedly destroyed evidence by using Signal’s auto-delete feature. The court will treat five damaging facts as presumptively true at the trial that begins June 8.
“Well, as the old cliche goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and there’s fire here. I think that’s a very unique case. It’s going to expose a lot of conversations and things of that nature, I think, but it’ll be very wordy, it will be very hostile, I think, because you’re talking about, if I’m thinking the right way, a ton of money, a ton of money.”
He talked about McMahon’s specific legal exposure.
“I feel bad for, you know, I don’t know Nick, I’ve never met Nick Khan, I don’t know what kind of guy he is, he’s done well for them, but Vince, he’s got a noose around his neck, it would seem to be so, and it won’t be a case that’s over quickly, I don’t think, too much verbiage, too much what you mean by this, and whatever.”
Ross mentioned the broader operational impact on WWE.
“It’s taking people that have major responsibilities in WWE away from their designated task, and right now it’s not the time to have your eye off the ball, and that’s what it looks like, it’s traveling in that way.”
Multiple WWE executives, including Nick Khan, Paul Levesque, and others, are named as defendants or witnesses in the case, with the trial requiring them to dedicate significant time and attention to the legal proceedings.
The lawsuit alleges that McMahon orchestrated the 2023 TKO deal to save his own personal standing within the company after a wave of sexual misconduct allegations became public in 2022. The plaintiffs claim McMahon trusted only that Endeavor would allow him to stay on after a deal, and that other potential bidders were allegedly not given a fair shot. The defendants deny the central allegations.
Shareholders could be awarded millions, potentially hundreds of millions, if they prevail. The Delaware Court of Chancery is a non-jury court, with Vice Chancellor Laster ultimately deciding the case after the trial. A judgment is not expected immediately at the trial’s conclusion.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit Grilling JR and include a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
