WWE Ring Boys Lawsuit Paused

The lawsuit filed by five former ring boys against WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon has officially been paused, Brandon Thurston for POST Wrestling reported.

Federal Judge James K. Bredar ruled on Wednesday that the lawsuit will be paused until the Maryland Supreme Court decides on whether the Maryland Child Victims Act is constitutional. The law passed in 2023 removes the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sex abuse, including when negligence may have led to abuse.

The lawsuit was paused following a WWE request on Monday. Bredar stated in his order to stay the lawsuit:

"The Complaint raises allegations regarding sexual abuse committed in the 1980s, and the timeliness of the claims depends on the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 (‘CVA’). As Defendants [WWE] explain, the viability of Plaintiffs’ [the ring boys’] claims 'depends entirely on the constitutionality of the CVA.'"

Five former WWE ring boys filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Maryland in October. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants were "fully aware" of the sexual abuse carried out by Mel Phillips against the ring boys but they did nothing to prevent or stop it. Phillips is alleged to have groomed, exploited, and sexually abused underage ring boys.

Ring boys are underage boys who used to help set up the ring at WWE events in the 1980s and 1990s. Terry Garvin was the head of the ring boy crew, while Mel Phillips worked under him.