Major Legal Threat Against TNA, Young Bucks, & Davey Richards
Source: PWInsider
It appears that things are not all sunshine and roses in the world of wrestling. TNA and The Young Bucks/Generation Me received legal letters last week. These letters were from Dragon Gate USA, regarding the fact that TNA has pulled the tag team from the WrestleMania weekend shows in Phoenix. DG: USA claims that they entered into a "verbal contract" with the tag team prior to them signing with TNA and that TNA has no rights to supersede that agreement. Reports say that this comes from a phone conversation that Gabe Sapolsky and TNA Director of Talent Terry had weeks ago, which ended with "Sapolsky screaming at Taylor and allegedly getting hung up on." Sapolsky has denied the story.
It also looks as if DG: USA will be pursing legal action against Davey Richards as well. Richards has signed a new contract with ROH, and when that happened, Sapolsky announced that Richards was removed from all future DGUSA and EVOLVE events. Richards had been a top name for DG: USA, and also a partner in EVOLVE with Sapolsky and Sal Hamoui, although he had no financial interest in that company. DG: USA looks to use the same verbal contract stance with Richards as they are using with The Young Bucks, but nothing has been filed at this time. DG: USA is very upset that Richards has backed out of the WestleMania weekend shows. DG: USA also went as far as to "leak emails and texts to different media outlets showing Richards' original explanation to Ring of Honor that he would be choosing to work DGUSA that weekend and that he was being "forced out" of the Phoenix dates. "
There is also talk from DG: USA that Richards had misinformed them of his ROH contract status, and also claimed in interviews that he was not contracted with the company. Richards was set to face BxB Hulk over WrestleMania weekend, and they say that he had assured them that he was on board with the company going forward.
ROH sources are saying that before they signed Richards to a new deal, they agreed to let him work double shots that weekend for both companies. Gabe Sapolsky denied this to PW Insider, but a DG: USA source confirmed that the offer was made to the Japanese office, but shut down. Many feel that Richards was tired of being caught in the middle of the two sides, and that he accepted a new deal with ROH for a slight raise and guarantee of a certain amount of dates.
DG: USA announced both the Bucks and Richards well in advance for the WrestleMania weekend shows as a way to get a jump on ROH in the market, and now will run the shows without the wrestlers. DG: USA feels that the Japanese talents are the main draws, and that they will not be hurt by their leaving. But they are also upset that they guys did not "finish up/do jobs" on the way out.
Many of the ROH and PWG talents feel that the DG: USA are ridiculous, due to their being that this is Independent wrestling and that there are no contracts. Some talents also feel that Gabe Sapolsky wasn't exactly endearing himself to the talents by pursuing legal action.