The "Death Clause" in all WWE contracts

[Providence Peep]

Have you guys seen the "death clause" written in all WWE talent contracts? Irv Muchnick, author and Linda McMahon activist, published it Friday so I figured I'd post in here.

“WRESTLER, on behalf of himself and his heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives, hereby releases, waives and discharges PROMOTER from all liability to WRESTLER and covenants not to sue PROMOTER for any and all loss or damage on account of injury to any person or property or resulting in serious or permanent injury to WRESTLER or WRESTLER’s death, whether caused by the negligence of the PROMOTER, other wrestlers or otherwise.”

Any thoughts?

[The Pope]

I'm pretty sure that all wrestling companies have a very similary structured deal.

[tjmidnight420]

...whether caused by the negligence of the PROMOTER...

I bet Vince still remembers.

[Kane Knight]

In no way surprising. Possibly a little disgusting, and potentially damaging. But surprising, it ain't.

[Furious Beardsley]

I would almost bet that was put in there after Owen Hart's accident.

[Xero]

Could something like this hold up in court, though? Especially if there's indisputable proof that it's due to the promoter's negligence?

[DInsaneOne]

Sounds like a standard clause in the event a tragic and unforeseen accident happens.

I would like to think that if something tragic happens to a current wwe wrestler during a wwe event, vince would pay for medical or funeral expenses.

Didn't wwe offer to pay for owen's funeral, but his wife refused their help? I cant remember.

[Xero]

I have no doubt that if something happened during an event that WWE would not only foot the bill but also pay out, at the very least, the rest of the contract to the family.

[illmatic]

Could something like this hold up in court, though? Especially if there's indisputable proof that it's due to the promoter's negligence?

No. There is no way a company would win if it was their negligence that caused the death.

However, it common in contracts for any high risk job. The companies will always try and cover their ass.

[Josef Von Schmidt]

This would not apply in my contract, there is no move that can even cause me pain, let alone kill me.

[Gerard]

This would not apply in my contract, there is no move that can even cause me pain, let alone kill me.

The sheik and his patented humble clutch buttfuck would beg to differ.

[Thunder Savage Go]

haha

[Triple Naitch]

Could something like this hold up in court, though? Especially if there's indisputable proof that it's due to the promoter's negligence?

Possibly in Civil Court they would work out some sort of settlement.

[Theo Dious]

I'm sure Major League Baseball doesn't have anything like this in their cotnracts in the event that a player dies from a line drive to the head.

[Thunder Savage Go]

Because baseball is just golf with defense

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Could something like this hold up in court, though? Especially if there's indisputable proof that it's due to the promoter's negligence?

There's always a duty of care from employer to employee, and no contract clause can waive that right. If WWE knows of a problem or the problem is so obvious that they should have known, but they don't try to fix it, and that problem ends up injuring a performer, then they're liable.

This clause is more to prevent petty lawsuits that arise out of the standard activities of a dangerous job like wrestling. And companies with much safer jobs still use similar clauses in their contracts.

Don't worry, guys, it's a standard clause and is in no way proof that WWE is trying to screw over their employees.

[Josef Von Schmidt]

The sheik and his patented humble clutch buttfuck would beg to differ.

The Sheik? I would reverse this 'humble clutch butt fuck' into my own patented Berlin Wall Faceplant and then lock in the 'Gas Chamber' until he stopped existing.

Then I would go to dinner with Mein Mutter.

Ich bin Ihr König