David Otunga: “Deep In Every WWE Contract Is A Binding Arbitration Clause… Any Dispute, Claim Or Controversy Has To Be Settled Privately In Stamford, Connecticut”

Otunga discusses the independent contractor status.

On former WWE talent David Otunga’s YouTube channel, he discussed WWE’s talent contracts and talents being considered independent contractors.

Otunga started off his video with the following:

“So, let me apologize in advance to WWE because I’m now going to completely dismantle your independent contractor clause in the contract. Look, WWE, I don’t want any smoke with you. I don’t want any problems. But I promise on my channel, I would try to be objective and just with everything going on, I have to cover this. I really do. Look, I’d be more than happy to help you guys rewrite this. I’d be happy to rewrite it for you. But, I have to go through it as it is. So just wanna say that beforehand. Please don’t be mad.”

He went on to state the following later in his video:

“So, even if a wrestler wanted to challenge WWE’s contract, they can’t just go to court. Why, you ask? Because very deep in every WWE contract is a binding arbitration clause, and it basically says that any dispute, claim or controversy has to be settled privately in Stamford, Connecticut through arbitration. Not in open court. So, this means there’s no jury, no public trial and no class actions. The arbitrator’s decision is final and confidential. So, if a wrestler ever challenged a non-compete or contractor status, it would happen behind closed (doors). But this, in and of itself, is another contradiction. Think about it, WWE calls wrestlers independent contractors but forces them into arbitration like employees. Independent contractors normally have the right to choose how and where to resolve disputes. But WWE removes that choice entirely in the contract. So, that’s another layer of control, and another reason the independent contractor label just doesn’t hold up.”

Otunga graduated from Harvard Law School and went on to work for the multinational law firm Sidley Austin.

If the quotes in this article are used, please credit the original source with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.