On February 16, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) took legal action against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in an effort to prevent the release of a confidential agreement between WWE and the City of San Antonio. This undisclosed agreement pertains to the arrangements made for WWE’s hosting of the Royal Rumble event at the Alamodome in 2023. WWE argues that the agreement contains proprietary information and trade secrets, justifying its exemption from disclosure under Texas’s public information law.
The legal dispute arose after Wrestlenomics, an organization specializing in wrestling industry analysis, submitted requests for records related to the Royal Rumble event. Initially, these requests were granted an exemption from disclosure by the state Attorney General’s office in April 2023. However, a subsequent revision of this decision on January 17, 2024, prompted WWE to initiate legal proceedings.
This revision was likely influenced by a second records request from Intelligence Options, LLC, seeking information about WWE’s interactions with San Antonio dating back to 2015. Notably, this request became irrelevant due to the settlement of a related lawsuit.
WWE’s lawsuit, filed with the 345th Civil District Court in Travis County, aims to obtain a judgment and injunction preventing the release of the bidding contract and associated information. The company contends that publicizing such details would undermine its negotiating power for live events and jeopardize the value of future bidding processes.
With legal representation from the Texas-based law firm Holland & Knight LLP, WWE seeks to safeguard its interests and maintain the confidentiality of its agreements. The lawsuit’s outcome will determine whether information related to the bidding agreement will be disclosed to Wrestlenomics and potentially Intelligence Options.
While the case shares similarities with a 2011 incident involving the release of event records in New Jersey, the specific circumstances and legal considerations are distinct. The resolution of WWE’s lawsuit will have broader implications for transparency in public-private agreements and the protection of trade secrets within the wrestling industry.
