WWE has been issued cease and desist letters, with an indie tag team accusing a top star of using their long-held nickname.
United States Champion Austin Theory has begun referring to himself as ‘The Now’ in recent weeks, however, there has been a tag team on the independent circuit going by that name since 2006.
The team’s members, Vik Dalishus and Hale Collins, recently spoke to the Hudson Valley Post, explaining that they were taking action as they copyrighted the name when they joined up.
“My initial reaction was shock, because of the fact that we have had it copyrighted since 2006, and there’s many people in WWE who know Hale and I, know our names, and know we own it.
“After shock goes away, we decided to reach out. We consulted with some friends who knew about the situation professionally and we were guided to an awesome lawyer named Mike Dockins, ‘the gimmick attorney’ who specializes in trademarks.”
The pair say that the promotion acknowledged the first letter they sent but hasn’t taken any action to stop the use of ‘The Now’ so far.
“We have sent two cease and desist letters to WWE, they acknowledged one, and said they would look into it. Looking into it doesn’t stop it from being on TV. Our next step is a lawsuit for trademark infringement and creating confusion in the marketplace.”
This isn’t the only legal issue the company is currently facing. Independent promotion Major League Wrestling has re-submitted a lawsuit accusing it of “predatory and unfair behaviour”.
Austin Theory will face John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39
While Theory may or may not be able to refer to himself as ‘The Now’ anymore, there can be no doubt that he is still a big part of WWE’s plans for the future.
He was given a huge boost on the most recent edition of Raw when one of the biggest stars the company has ever seen, John Cena, accepted his invitation to a match at WrestleMania 39 despite not being convinced that he is ready for the honour.