Professional Wrestling and the Law

Written by a law professor (who also happens to be a wrestling fan), this book is an entertaining and informative exploration of legal cases involving professional wrestling. Relying upon judicial decisions and court documents, it discusses the legal theories and procedures involved in legal disputes involving professional wrestling and explores how the legal system—an institution devoted to arriving at the truth involved in any conflict—has dealt with the business of professional wrestling, a business with a long history of obscuring the truth. Topics include: the legal issues involved when a wrestler goes into the crowd and beats up a fan; Hulk Hogan’s defamation lawsuit against World Championship Wrestling for statements made during a live pay-per-view event; and race and sex discrimination in professional wrestling.

Alex B. Long is the Williford Gragg Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville. He has published over 40 scholarly articles and books on legal topics, ranging from defamation law to the use of popular music lyrics in judicial decisions and legal scholarship.

Alex B. Long
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 257
Bibliographic Info: 22 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9297-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5200-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Chapter 1
An Introduction to Kayfabe in the Law of Wrestling 5
Chapter 2
Kayfabe and the Doctrine of Unclean Hands 15
Chapter 3
Negligence and Battery 33
Chapter 4
Antitrust and Interference with Contractual Relations 52
Chapter 5
Labor and Employment Law 95
Chapter 6
Sex Discrimination, Constitutional Law, and Lady Wrestlers 120
Chapter 7
Defamation 150
Chapter 8
Breach of Contract 168
Chapter 9
Concussions, Fraud, and Statutes of Repose 181
Chapter 10
Race Discrimination 196
Chapter Notes 221
Bibliography 243
Index 247

“Entertaining and informative.”—Review Fix