In a recent video on his YouTube channel, former WWE star Maven opened up about a significant decision he faced back in 2016. He was approached with an offer to join a lawsuit against WWE but ultimately decided against it, explaining his reasoning in detail.

“When I was approached a few years back to join a lawsuit against the WWE for those injuries, I politely declined. The year was 2016, and by this time, I was entering a new phase of my life. By that I mean my post-wrestling career. I’ve talked all about previous bitterness I had toward the business and what it took to finally let those demons go. During this time, I was working with Verizon and diving into basic corporate sales. I received a letter at my house regarding the lawsuit. At first, I didn’t pay it much mind, but then I started hearing rumblings from some of the other wrestlers about it. They were asking, ‘Hey, did you get the letter?’ I soon discovered it was part of a class action lawsuit concerning head trauma.

The landscape of wrestling was vastly different during my time in the ring. While we were aware of concussions, we often brushed them off as simply getting your bell rung. If someone couldn’t finish the match, we figured they’d be back the next night. What we didn’t fully understand was the long-term impact of head trauma and CTE.

“So by 2016, people were looking to strike, and people were looking to place blame. In my opinion, the WWE was an easy target. While I do believe WWE is responsible for some mistreatment of its wrestlers, such as putting them in the ring when they were unfit to compete, I wanted to be sure about the facts before taking any action. Once I received the letter, I didn’t immediately disregard it. I didn’t throw it away; I put some thought into it. At that time, I didn’t have an attorney or any representation. Not having my own counsel meant I would have to trust the firm bringing forth the suit. There was no reason to doubt them, but I felt I should at least consult an attorney to ensure that any decisions made were in my best interest.

For about a week, I considered the situation, weighing the pros and cons. The pros included the potential for a decent financial payout and the opportunity to stand up for the seriousness of head trauma. I’m genuinely pleased to see that today’s wrestlers are much smarter; they avoid unnecessary chair shots, and if accidents happen, they take the necessary time off to recover.

However, I identified two significant cons. The first was the perception that joining the lawsuit might position me as an enemy to WWE. I worried that they would view me as if I were stabbing them in the back. The second con was the time commitment involved. I would have had to meet with an attorney and possibly give a deposition. As I was just starting to find my footing in the corporate world after years in wrestling, I didn’t want to disrupt that momentum by telling my employer, ‘I need time off to sue my former workplace.’ I had finally turned a corner in my life, and I wasn’t eager to rock the boat.

“Had this lawsuit come to me four years earlier, shortly after my arrest, I might have viewed it differently. The mental toll of signing on would have been considerable. Once I agreed to participate, I would have constantly worried about WWE’s perception of me moving forward. I would have kept my ear to the ground for any gossip about me. Furthermore, I would have been left waiting for a settlement check that might never arrive. What if a settlement was reached, but the amount wasn’t satisfactory? I didn’t want to feel like my injuries and pain were being reduced to a dollar figure. I refused to put a price tag on my health, whether it was $50,000, $70,000, or even just $5,000. Ultimately, I chose not to join the class action lawsuit. I don’t judge those who did; I recognize that everyone has their own struggles and pain.”