WWE News: Devon Nicholson Sues WWE for Not Hiring Him Because He Has Hepatitis C

Canadian independent wrestler and promoter Devon Nicholson has gotten attention over the last several months for alleging that WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher gave him Hepatitis C by cutting him with a blade he had used on himself.  At the end of July, he filed a lawsuit against Abdullah.

Abdullah (real name Larry Shreeve) has yet to submit any blood tests.  Nicholson has noted in a YouTube video (which also shows the cutting incidents in question) that the WWE Hall of Famer has a rather strange idea of how to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases that doesn't appear to help his cause.

Throughout all this, one of the underlying threads was that Nicholson says he was offered a WWE contract and it was rescinded due to his illness.  Now, Nicholson has filed a lawsuit against the company in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

In the suit, Nicholson alleges the following:

• When he attended a May 2009 WWE tryout camp held at the Florida Championship Wrestling training center, longtime WWE road agent/producer/booker/all around wrestling genius Pat Patterson told him that he was "by far" the best wrestler at the camp.
• He was offered a three-year contract on June 5 of that year, which he accepted.
• On June 23, after he was offered his contract but before he went to Pittsburgh for his official WWE medical screening on August 20, he learned from his doctor that he had contracted Hepatitis C.
• In Pittsburgh, he told the medical staff that he had Hepatitis C.  The first doctor he dealt with, Dr. Donahue, assured him that there would be no problem clearing him thanks to WWE's "no blood" policy.  The second doctor, Dr. Sisk, told him that it was ultimately up to WWE Medical Director Dr. Joseph Maroon.

• Several days after the screenings, he spoke to Maroon by phone, who told him that the talent relations department would make the decision, but he could be cleared to wrestle because of the "no blood" policy.

• WWE did not speak to his local doctors though he did sign a release form giving the WWE access to his medical history.
• On August 28, he received a letter that rescinded the contract offer.  Subsequently, Ty Bailey of WWE talent relations called him and said that the changes was not because of Nicholson's illness per se, but because he would not be able to get licensed in the five states that ban wrestlers with Hepatitis C from competing.

Nicholson asserts that WWE used this issue to discriminate against him since most WWE shows would be outside of those states.  It's worth noting that WWE has used wrestlers like Booker T and R-Truth who were unable to cross the border into Canada due to past felony convictions.  In light of that, there's something to the argument that WWE's claim that Nicholson couldn't be hired because he wouldn't be able to work in certain places lacks legitimacy.

Nicholson is asking for a total of $6.5 million in damages based on claims of:

• Wrongful dismissal/breach of contract ($600,000)
• Damages for injury to dignity, feelings and self respect under the Ontario Human Rights Code ($250,000)
• Aggravated and punitive damages ($5 million)
• Cost of the action on a substantial indemnity basis.
• Pre-judgment and post-judgment interest.
• Any other relief deemed just by the court.

In addition, Nicholson told Slam Wrestling that he is retiring from wrestling.  "I'm turning 29 in a few weeks and am going to find other things to use my talents for. My mind can't take it anymore.  October 8th in Renfrew[, Ontario] will be my last match."