What would Andre the Giant have thought about a new lawsuit just removed to federal court on Friday? Three wrestlers, Scott Levy (better known as Raven), Christopher Klucsarits (known as Chris Kanyon) and Michael Sanders (“Above Average” Mike Sanders), have brought a class-action lawsuit against the Connecticut-based World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. company alleging that they have been misclassified as “independent contractors” instead of employees. They are seeking unspecified “financial benefits” that would have come with being an employee. WWE has denied the claims in a 10-Q filing but has not filed a formal response yet. Of course, Overlawyered has chronicled lawsuits like this before — previous a group of strippers also claimed that they were not independent contractors. (You can read more about the claims and download the lawsuit directly at my site here.)
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No comment on the class as a whole, but if “Above Average” Mike Sanders can offer any evidence the WWE saddled him with that awful moniker, I’d have to conclude they exercised a level of control over him that is more indicative of an employee than a contractor.
If memory serves me correctly, it was WCW who saddled Mike Sanders with the moniker “Above Average”. although, WWE did eventually buy out WCW, so that point is probably moot anyway.
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