## Bischoff: WWE‘s Self-reliant Contractor Model Faces High Barriers to Legal Challenge
Eric bischoff, former WCW executive, discussed the long-held legal risks associated with WWE’s classification of its wrestlers as independent contractors during a recent appearance on the *83 Weeks* podcast, a topic brought to the forefront by former WWE performer David Otunga. Bischoff stated the arrangement has been a known vulnerability for decades.
Bischoff, who oversaw talent contracts at Turner Broadcasting during his time with WCW, recalled revisiting the issue when WWE first became a publicly traded company. He explained, “I remember when I heard that WWE was going public… the first thing I did was jump back into the independent contractor status… becuase that’s like the one big thing that if anybody ever penetrated the independent contractor defense, it would become a major vulnerability, because some of the fines associated with… if an independent contractor sued me… and the jury found for them, I would owe them back pay, back taxes ther. There’d be a whole lot of expense.” He described it as “always been one of those internal issues… a skeleton in the closet that may actually come to life.”
Despite recent controversy, including the release of Ridge Holland, Bischoff believes a triumphant legal challenge to the independent contractor status is unlikely. “I don’t think so,as it’s going to be a massive legal battle,” he said. “It’s something you’d have to be really financially well-off to afford to challenge this. you have to really be invested in it, and it’s risky. There’s a lot of reasons why there’s a lot of defense for it too. We’ve talked about some of the vulnerabilities, but there’s also a defense for it. So either way, it’s going to be a long, drawn-out, incredibly expensive exploration. I just don’t see anybody have any appetite to do it.”
*h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.*
