Five ex-WWE employees, colloquially known as “ring boys,” are reportedly filing a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and WWE’s parent company, TKO, based on accusations of sexual abuse dating back to the 80s, as reported earlier on eWn.
This legal action alleges that these former WWE employees were mistreated by past staff members Terry Garvin and Mel Phillips. The lawsuit further implies that both Vince and Linda McMahon were cognizant of this abuse yet failed to intervene.
Vince McMahon has categorically denied these allegations in a statement, comparing these charges to similar accusations made by journalist Phil Mushnick in the 1990s.
Greg Gutzler, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, has recently argued against McMahon’s rebuttal on “Post Wrestling.” Gutzler juxtaposes McMahon’s claim to the plentiful evidence outlined in the 81-page complaint, demonstrating Phillips’ unambiguous interaction with young boys.
Gutzler said, “If you read the 81-page complaint, you are going to see multiple facts, myriad facts, dozens of facts that have nothing to do with Phil Mushnick. We had the fact that we had Mel Phillips, shuttling young boys in plain sight, in front of WWE executives and wrestlers, from state to state. You have him in plain sight staying in hotel rooms with young boys. You have in plain sight Mel Phillips engaging in sexual foot fetishes in the ring in front of people, in the locker room in front of wrestlers, and he was even provided his private dressing room in certain areas. You have the FBI videotape, where the FBI said — the behavioral science unit said — this is consistent with pedophilia and sexual foot fetishes.”
Gutzler also underscored that McMahon has not denied the fact that he had informed others about Phillips’ predilections for young boys, although he had fired and later re-employed Phillips on the condition that he “steered clear of the kids.”
Interestingly, Gutzler made the point that McMahon’s decision to withdraw from a defamation lawsuit he filed against Mushnick for his statements insinuates that Mushnick’s claims could hold some truth.