AWA Veteran Doug Somers sues WWE

[Seth82]

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe/23294-wed-update-gsp-a-doctor-talk-chael-speaks-tokyo-dome-ratings-wwe-sued-jones-vs-rock

http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/pictures/r/rosesomers/02.jpg

first of all I doubt he's had 400 concussions because he would essentially be a vegetable and wouldn't have the mental capacity to get a lawyer.


this will go nowhere and probably be settled out of court.

Douglas Somerson (Pretty Boy Doug Somers) filed a lawsuit against WWE saying he's owed royalty rights for WWE using his name and matches in videos, most notably in Shawn Michaels compilations with the Michaels & Marty Jannetty bloodbath from Las Vegas against Somers & Buddy Rose. He filed suit last week in Fulton County (Georgia) Superior Court saying they used his name and likeness without making an attempt to compensate him and never signing him to a contract. The suit claimed Somerson is in bad health due to suffering what the suit claimed was 400 concussions and injuries to his neck, back, knees and foot.

[Kane Knight]

Is he gay?

[Seth82]

Is he gay?

lol No he isn't

He was at one time married to WWF Ring Announcer Mike McGuirk

[Lock Jaw]

Mike is a dude's name.

[Lock Jaw]

Anyways, they should give someone a "Man of 400 Concussions" gimmick. It would be money.

[Aguakate]

Ric Flair should sue HIM for stealing his look.

[Droford]

Sounds like it could have a big impact on the DVD business of compilation sets if they have to go back and try and compensate everyone that they feature in a match, which would likely be the case if this guy wins on that complaint.

[Jordan]

Well it was a fucking great match on the best of steele cage matches with Shawn and Marty, brutal hard hitting and full of testosterone and one upsmanship. He should be compensated for the DVDs I think he has full matches on at leat three of them. They should toss him 15g's or something simple.

They have no reason too WWE owns those matches which were owned by AWA which cause it was so long ago I'd say a decent lawyer could clear their verbal agreement to be for image rights as well as live performance pay. Just give Doug some money for all the shit he taught Marty and Shawn and call it a day.

[Theo Dious]

lol No he isn't

He was at one time married to WWF Ring Announcer Mike McGuirk

That is not mutually exclusive to being gay.

http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/m/mikemcguirk/02.jpg

Look at her, she dressed exactly like Vince McMahon did at the time.

[Theo Dious]

Sounds like it could have a big impact on the DVD business of compilation sets if they have to go back and try and compensate everyone that they feature in a match, which would likely be the case if this guy wins on that complaint.

It'll specifically depend on what kind of contract the guy signed at the time. Anyone who ever worked in the WWF in the home video era or later definitely would have had some kind of contractual language giving permission for this kind of thing.

[Aguakate]

http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/m/mikemcguirk/02.jpg

Look at her, she dressed exactly like Vince McMahon did at the time.

Maybe it was VINCE who was dressing like she did at the time :shifty:

[Phenomenal 1]

Is he gay?

no he was not gay or is not gay, that was the way they dressed back in the times and in the late 70's to early 80's the long blond hair was the look most of the wrestlers were striving for. It also went with his gimmick.

The picture posted by the OP who started the thread is of him and his tag team partner at the time. They were billed as "The Playboy" Buddy Rose and "Pretty Boy" Doug Soumers. They were the AWA tag team champions at the time and were one of the longest reigning Tag Champions during the tenure the AWA.

If you watch or have seen the Shawn Michaels compilation DVD's that WWE has put out in the last 5 years, you will see them talk about the rivalry between Rose/Soumers vs the Midnight Rockers (known simply as the rockers in WWF/WWE) during the 80's and how it solidified Janetty and Michaels in tag team wrestling competition.

I don't buy 400 concussions that he supposes he suffered over the years, however if WWE did not contact him regarding using him name and likeness in the DVD and failed to pay him royalties there may be grounds for his lawsuit to be legitimate. After all, they are profiting off him name and likeness for video footage from his time in AWA.

I'm no lawyer but on the other hand he may have no grounds for a lawsuit and potentially I can see it being thrown out because that footage, name and likeness to the character he portrayed in wrestling could have been TM'ed or copyrighted by the AWA and the AWA library of video and trademarks was bought/purchased by WWE and they would at that point I believe not need permission to use his name, likeness, and character reference on television, dvd, or the internet at that point.

Regardless it sounds like he's in poor health, more than likely due to years of drug and alcohol abuse while he was in the wrestling industry and is looking for a payday since he is obviously on hard times.

[Rammsteinmad]

So wait... he's suing WWE over injuries he suffered? As a pro wrestler?

[CSL]

doubt it, sounds like a "footnote". And surely part of his AWA contract would have been something about recorded performances and likeness rights etc which would have been covered in WWE purchasing the library aka don't see how he'd have a leg to stand on. But I'm not a lawyer so fhaq knows

[Nicky Fives]

I'm pretty sure he isn't getting any money.....

[Kane Knight]

no he was not gay or is not gay, that was the way they dressed back in the times and in the late 70's to early 80's the long blond hair was the look most of the wrestlers were striving for. It also went with his gimmick.

Are you autistic?