[Rumor] TNA to be Pushed Out of the iMPACT! Zone?

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According to a source within TNA, the company could be losing their home arena at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL (dubbed the "Impact Zone") as a direct result of a possible lawsuit from former Knockouts wrestler Shannon "Daffney" Spruill.

Discuss this breaking story in our new forums.

For those that are not familiar with the lawsuit, Daffney recently filed a Workers' Comp claim against TNA because the company did not cover her medical bills, despite the fact that the injuries were sustained in a TNA ring during her two-year stint there. TNA promised Daffney they would cover her medical bills, only to become standoff-ish when she would bring the subject up to management.

While Daffney's claim is being filed, there is a strong possibility that if TNA does not comply, the company, along with the "Impact Zone" owners Universal Studios, may be named in a liability lawsuit.

"It is one thing for TNA to get sued, but when it becomes Universal's problem, they may just say 'To hell with TNA," says one TNA employee. " [TNA is] too much of a liability [to Universal] if that happens.'"

Considering Daffney had been seriously injured in a TNA ring at the "Impact Zone," she would have the grounds to sue the wrestling promotion and the venue owners if she does not get what she wants--and deserves.

Based on this latest development, many within the company are in panic-mode, although some TNA wrestlers claim those in power are still too clueless to realize the potentially serious ramifications of this issue.

One TNA insider joked that while TNA will not go bankrupt anytime soon, the company does need to stop delaying payments to wrestlers and office employees--especially since the owners are an energy company.

The insider also joked saying that TNA fans miraculously survived the Southern storms during an Alabama house show. The reason? No one was there.

As for how this would effect the Impact television show, it is said that this potential lawsuit would dampen TNA's rebranding efforts. Sources say that Spike TV's (Impact's TV home) new regime wants to broaden the network's male-centric demographic, thus putting more emphasis on shows like "Coal."

TNA Impact is safe for now, given the show's consistent viewership. The show's venue is not safe.

http://thesportscourier.com/content/tna-wrestling-be-forced-out-impact-zone

Wow this is shocking news but it is a doubtful story. Does Daffney have a claim? Yes. Will the impact zone close? No I don't see it happening but either way TNA is safe from being canned.

What are you thoughts?

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

http://thesportscourier.com/content/tna-wrestling-be-forced-out-impact-zone

Wow this is shocking news but it is a doubtful story. Does Daffney have a claim? Yes. Will the impact zone close? No I don't see it happening but either way TNA is safe from being canned.

What are you thoughts?

Meh, i don't think its true. Does Daffney have a claim? Maybe, but hell its wrestling( yeah WWE i said wrestling) so she was bound to be injured at some point. It all depends on the seriousness of the injury. Now as for the Impact Zone closing, well its a sound stage and it could be a problem because travelling would be expensive for TNA. I doubt its true, because wrestlezone would be all over the story if it was.

 

[vndwnbytheriver]

Meh, i don't think its true. Does Daffney have a claim? Maybe, but hell its wrestling( yeah WWE i said wrestling) so she was bound to be injured at some point. It all depends on the seriousness of the injury. Now as for the Impact Zone closing, well its a sound stage and it could be a problem because travelling would be expensive for TNA. I doubt its true, because wrestlezone would be all over the story if it was.

So just because its a "dangerious" job, if she gets hurt doing it she doesn't deserve to get paid?

 

[JJ15776]

Meh, i don't think its true. Does Daffney have a claim? Maybe, but hell its wrestling( yeah WWE i said wrestling) so she was bound to be injured at some point. It all depends on the seriousness of the injury. Now as for the Impact Zone closing, well its a sound stage and it could be a problem because travelling would be expensive for TNA. I doubt its true, because wrestlezone would be all over the story if it was.

I like how you say "it's wrestling" as if that's a defense or something. WTF? So if a football players gets hurt, can the team tell him he has to pay his own bills, because "it's football"? And no, it doesn't depend on the seriousness of the injury. If she was hurt working for the company(and she was), they owe her money. Period. End of story.

 

[KaoticMayhem]

So just because its a "dangerious" job, if she gets hurt doing it she doesn't deserve to get paid?

rofl.. thats like saying construction workers(dangerous job) dont deserve workmans comp when they get hurt
anyone working for any company whether it be known to be dangerous or not should be compensated when doing a job for them

 

[Smooth Sexual Chocolate]

TNA being forced to leave the Impact Zone would be a blessing in disguise. The Impact zone gives all there shows a minor league feel and being forced to take the show on the road, or even just moving to a new location would really freshen things up.

 

[Azane]

They'll settle this behind the scenes, it won't be a huge issue.
Most of us won't know it's happening.
Good luck making a company throwing cash to superstars left and right to move out over a woman with a broken wrist.

 

[wrestlemaniac]

like I've said before...this is konan vs tna all over again. This shit might not even go anywhere. wrestlers are independent contractors...might soundd mean but they unlike other workers..aren't guaranteed shit

 

[Uncle Phatso]

Meh, i don't think its true. Does Daffney have a claim? Maybe, but hell its wrestling( yeah WWE i said wrestling) so she was bound to be injured at some point. It all depends on the seriousness of the injury. Now as for the Impact Zone closing, well its a sound stage and it could be a problem because travelling would be expensive for TNA. I doubt its true, because wrestlezone would be all over the story if it was.

Yes it is wrestling, but if it was in her contract and she didn't breach it at any point in time she is deffinatly owed compensation. I look for Tna to find something she breached in her contract to get out of this. But then I'm not a lawyer. She may be entitled to it even if she did breach. This is wrestling, but it is also a job. A job that she signed a contract to, if she stuck with her end of the contract then I'm afraid tna has to do the same dude.

 

[shattered dreams]

This is just posturing by Daffney's camp. In practically every state you are not entitled to workman's comp if you are an independent contractor. About the only thing you can do is file a lawsuit claiming you are an employee or something along those lines. Something that is usually pretty suspect because you seemed to be fine with being an independent contractor up until this point. If no wrestler has successfully broken the independent contractor status yet in prowrestling, I highly doubt Daffney is going to be the one to do it. She just needs to make it seem like this will be ugly enough that TNA should just pay up and simply avoid the negative publicity instead.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I can't really comment on the validity of Daffney's suit against TNA. If, and I do very much mean If, she has verifiable documentation to back up her claims that TNA would cover her medical bills then TNA definitely should pony up. If, once again if, Dixie was dumb enough to say that in writing, then Daffney should get what's owed. If it's nothing more than a matter of he said/she said, then she's just up a shit creek with a turd for a paddle.

As for the possibility of TNA being forced out of the Impact Zone, I agree with Smooth Sexual Chocolate that it could be a blessing in disguise. Let's face it, the Impact Zone is one of the big reasons why TNA iMPACT! looks second rate. If they want to move to the next level, they're going to have to get out and tour like the WWE does anyhow. But, to be fair, who knows what sort of financial strain that might put on the company at this particular time? When it comes to anything regarding the finances of TNA, only a small handful of people probably have access to that information so we ultimately don't know what's what.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

So just because its a "dangerious" job, if she gets hurt doing it she doesn't deserve to get paid?

She deserves to be paid, but if you are wrestling and you don't expect to be hurt you are dumb thats what i meant.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

Yes it is wrestling, but if it was in her contract and she didn't breach it at any point in time she is deffinatly owed compensation. I look for Tna to find something she breached in her contract to get out of this. But then I'm not a lawyer. She may be entitled to it even if she did breach. This is wrestling, but it is also a job. A job that she signed a contract to, if she stuck with her end of the contract then I'm afraid tna has to do the same dude.

Like i just said, she should get paid. I'm not a lawyer either, i just said that if she is wrestling and doesn't expect to be injured at some point then she is dumb.

 

[UFOcalling]

As far as Daffney being owed money, I would try to sue TNA if I was in her position as well. I'd want that shit paid for too, whether I worked as an athlete or worked at a grocery store. She got injured on the job, while WORKING. The company you're working for should be paying your co-pay, if they're insuring you. If you're not insured, they should pick up the whole tab. It's not like she's trying to scam them, she's trying to get her medical bills paid for.

The fact is that we don't know what her contract specified as far as paying medical bills (whether or not TNA is legally obligated to pay). Who knows, TNA may have orally agreed to pay her bills, even though they weren't obligated to -- then backed out at the last minute.

I don't know the laws that protect workers from being hurt on the job in Florida (hell, I barely know them in Michigan - where I live!), but I imagine that she would win if this actually makes it to court. TNA will most likely settle (out of court) before things get any more out of hand, especially if Universal is threatening to evict them.

I doubt this will really affect anyone, except the lawyers and accountants that work for TNA. Business as usual, TNA (and just about every wrestling promoter, for that matter) must have dealt with similar situations in the past...there must be a common procedure for things like this that promoters know like the back of their hands.

Btw, I've never really thought of this before...does anyone know if wrestlers can even be medically insured? I mean, it seems plausible that an insurance company might think that a profession such as a pro-wrestler might be too big of a liability for an insurance company to cover. I'd imagine the insurance situation would be pretty much identical to that of a stuntman, basejumper, rodeo clown (lol!), etc. Your premiums would have to be expensive as hell, at the very least. I do understand that even if Daffney had insurance (whether or not it was through TNA) she probably still had a hefty co-pay.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

Btw, I've never really thought of this before...does anyone know if wrestlers can even be medically insured? I mean, it seems plausible that an insurance company might think that a profession such as a pro-wrestler might be too big of a liability to even cover them. I'd imagine that it's expensive as hell, at the very least. I do understand that even if Daffney had insurance (whether or not it was through TNA) she probably still had a hefty co-pay

Idioteque555, I don't know really but i bet it would be hard and very expensive for them to be insured. Like someone said they are independant contractors, so i wouldn't expect them to receive shit but hey i'm no lawyer so what do i know. Anyways, i don't even know if a wrestler ever won a case similar to this and since wrestling has been around for so long i would think that we would have heard about something like that if it happened.

 

[nWoImmortal]

You know there's always a bad apple in every bunch brother, the way I see it, just someone who could never live up to making it as a big star trying to get the cash that they don't deserve. What has Daf given to the business other than the time she was David Flair's crazy girlfriend in WCW. Would you find Hulk Hogan suing WWE or TNA for his back problems that have practically crippled him? Steve Austin suing WWE for Owen Hart's horrible piledriver that nearly paralyzed him? I don't think so! She should've never stepped in the ring, she knew the risk. Maybe she needs to get back in the ring again so one of the Knockouts can knock a little sense into her

And considering wrestlers are independent contractors... nuff said.

 

[deforty]

Btw, I've never really thought of this before...does anyone know if wrestlers can even be medically insured? I mean, it seems plausible that an insurance company might think that a profession such as a pro-wrestler might be too big of a liability to even cover them. I'd imagine that it's expensive as hell, at the very least. I do understand that even if Daffney had insurance (whether or not it was through TNA) she probably still had a hefty co-pay

Yes they can, I am an insurance agent and they can get insurance, but it will be quite expensive just like the new law that Obama put in that all insurance companies have to take people with pre-existing conditions. It costs a hell of alot but they can get it. Now the thing is they are considered like someone else out there mentioned and independent contractor. Which means that they are technically under a captive contract with said company which means that they can't go work else where like WWE, WWE is the same way too, unless its in their contract that they can still work indy shows and get paid. When you are an independent contractor you have to get your own insurance, that is what Nash was complaining about after he went back to WWE was that TNA didn't provide travel and hotel pay unless they were overseas, but hell they get to write that off on taxes every year along with the mileage they use on their cars, new cell phones, new computers anything that they would use for business, they can even write off meals, so its not as bad as its all made out to be, because they could essentially make 250000 a year but after all the write offs it could go down to 100000 because they like to live life a little on the road, so pay less in taxes.

The only way Daffney has any standing on this is if she had it in writing that they would pay for the bills either in her contract or a piece of paper. I know verbal contracts mean nothing anymore unless she had it recorded that they would pay for it, it becomes a he said she said thing in court.

I still find it Ironic that they are using Universal Studios still as it is owned by GE along with NBC, USA, and SyFy all of whom show WWE. Maybe this is Vinces way of getting into the ears of GE so they leave and don't have a home base anymore so A: he could buy them or B: make them go on the road and do better shows to create more competition. Either way would not be surprised.

 

[jnubbs216]

its time for mcmahon to buy out tna and put them to sleep once and for all if this lawsuit gose through theay still have a sexual harrassment suit pending too so thier done flush em down the toilet swhisssss the sound of a toilet flushin tna lol

 

[deforty]

Fuck Daffney and Fuck Karen Angle/Jarrett.

Get the fuck outta my wrestling world. Your ruining it.

Why are you even posting anything that neither helps further the discussion or takes away from it. What you have posted just states that you hate these three people and that is it. Why would you even do that? A forum is to discuss the topic at hand to argue against or for something that is being discussed.

I personally don't like the Angle/ Jarrett feud to much my self but it is actually some what telling a story.

The topic at hand is does daffney have anything really to stand on, and will TNA leave the impact zone. Like i said above, she does as long as it is in writing, and I think it would help TNA to no end to leave the impact zone and find either a larger place to call home and charge something and also possibly travel more.

 

[GameOver]

Even if the lawsuit was successfull it would not bring down a whole company. Maybe shake it up in terms of people being fired which wouldn't be a bad thing.

as for workcover not being offered to casuals, glad i don't live there then
in Australia it's irrelevant if you are a temp or a permanent. You get injured on the job they have to pay whatever the salary average (at the time of the accident) was for the term of your rehabilitation.

I say sue away Daffney and Co.... I'll support ya

Originally Posted by nWoImmortal
You know there's always a bad apple in every bunch brother, the way I see it, just someone who could never live up to making it as a big star trying to get the cash that they don't deserve. What has Daf given to the business other than the time she was David Flair's crazy girlfriend in WCW. Would you find Hulk Hogan suing WWE or TNA for his back problems that have practically crippled him? Steve Austin suing WWE for Owen Hart's horrible piledriver that nearly paralyzed him? I don't think so! She should've never stepped in the ring, she knew the risk. Maybe she needs to get back in the ring again so one of the Knockouts can knock a little sense into her

And considering wrestlers are independent contractors... nuff said.

Wrestlers are contractors but while they are working for the company even if for just 1 show, they would be covered under there Health and Safety, Insurance etc. if not, the company is dodgy

Daffney was a staple in ECW for one thing and is hardcore woman personified
and in those cases WWE paid for the rehabilitation and paid the guys why they were laid up.

Hogan's back issues came after his WWE tenure, and he his knee issues were not during his WWE tenures either. Sure all the years would've contributed to it but the actuall injury was outside of WWE timeframe. That's the difference, Daffney is claiming she was injured while working TNA show's not oh years later I'm suing them for something that happened way back when and suing Paul Heyman for possibly adding to the injuries via stunts she did while in ECW decades ago, if they refuse to pay some of the bill they deserve to be sued. They have a duty of care to protect there employers as much as is possible.

And if you bothered to read her arguments, she stated they "forced" her to work injured. Sure they obviously couldn't physically drag her out there but mental is the same as physical and she was told to work with someone who clearly shouldn't have been allowed to put other people's lives in her own hands.

 

[blockanWo]

I think absolutely Daffney has a leg to stand on as far as sueing TNA goes. As far as getting Universal involved is concerned, I dont think shes going to get any money out of them, but it may not be about the money.

Universal wont want the bad press. Universal will be pressuring TNA to just settle it quietly and if their name gets tarnished because of TNA, Daffney will be the least of their worries.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

If there are laws that stop indenpendent contractors from suing people they work with for medical expenses, Daffney may have a tough chance winning this battle. If she wins, Vince would have to look over his shoulder. He's made his fair share of performers work injured, or with performers wo wer less than safe workers.

TNA may look bad refusing to pay (which is how I feel), but I can understand why they wouldn't want to. If they pay her, what's to stop other performers who've been injured, from expecting their medical expenses to be paid by TNA ? I mean that type of expense for a wrestling promotion could be detrimental to their business if not the entire industry itself.

The Impact Zone is crap. It's too bloody small. The ring has virually no space surrounding the ring for the performers to work without hitting the guard rail so I think they needed a change of venue any way.

 

[Ubiquitous]

What you guys are completely failing to realize is this; obviously this claim has some sort of legal merit, otherwise the lawyer she hired to try to fight for her would've laughed in her face and told her to go fly a kite. What it sounds like here, is that TNA had a clause stating they would pay for medical bills while under contract, and then once Daffney got injured, I think that's when they may have cut her contract short. In any case, that's completely illegal in my fantastic country of Canada, and it's most definitely illegal in the United States. If something that you're contractually obligated to happens, you CAN NOT just cut ties with whomever you are binded to with said contract. That's the whole point of there being a fucking contract to begin with. Now, I'm merely going on probability here, but this is most likely the case. I hope Universal tells TNA to go fuck themselves, to be honest. They need to get out of that upgraded high school gym and into somewhere nice.

 

[ZERIC23]

While I dnt want to see TNA fold I do personally hope Daffeny gets PAID!!! Lol I dnt see TNA closing dwn due to her lawsuit but one has to wonder if losing the Impact Zone and maybe Spike TVs backing is going to cause a bit of a meltdown

 

[marker]

I don't understand one thing about this whole situation with Daffney. Shouldn't she or TNA have some sort of insurance that would take care of the medical bills for work related injuries?