Most WWE fans may not know that Baron Corbin has an NFL background. While he never played in an actual game, he did have multiple stints with the Indianapolis Colts in 2009 and the Arizona Cardinals 2010. However, despite being removed from the gridiron, Corbin still has direct ties to the NFL.
Corbin is one of the 20,000 NFL players suing the league. The concussion-based lawsuit dates back to 2011, which ruled in favor of the players to the tune of $765 million. However, a federal judge re-opened the case in 2015 and now the NFL may have to foot a $1 billion bill.
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However, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE was unaware of Corbin’s involvement in the legal skirmish.
“It also came out in the discussion that Corbin was one of the players suing the NFL in a concussion lawsuit, which makes things weird given he’s now working as a pro wrestler,” wrote Meltzer. “Plus WWE apparently wasn’t aware of this fact until this past month.”
Corbin suing the NFL could have caused some discomfort for WWE. Dr. Joseph Maroon, WWE’s head of Wellness Policy, also works for the NFL.
However, a story from PWInsider has pinpointed the moment Corbin revealed that he was involved in the massive lawsuit.
In a recent presentation to WWE talent, Maroon was said to “downplay” the correlation between CTE and playing football. Baron Corbin, for obvious reasons, took grievance with this claim.
As Corbin challenged Maroon, he mentioned that he is part of a concussion-related lawsuit against the NFL, making him and Maroon natural adversaries. In the film Concussion, Maroon is actually in the movie and is portrayed as an NFL apologist who attempts to discredit football related CTE problems.
Corbin and Maroon were said to have debated for several minutes that cast a chilling awkwardness on the meeting. The “heat” on Corbin doesn’t come from his stance on CTE but his timing of debate. Apparently, the issue was that Corbin essentially took the meeting hostage instead of talking to Maroon privately. PWIsider reports that some WWE talent were annoyed by Corbin’s need for debate while others were impressed by his commitment to the subject.
The NFL lawsuit is believed to be approaching its final stages. It’s proven to be quite the scandal for the league as it’s illustrated blatant neglect of players well being. Here’s to hoping Corbin gets some extra spending money for his part.
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