Kemo
09-28-2023, 08:06 AM
Panini will continue to create WWE products for the foreseeable future after a court rejected the promotion's request for a restraining order.
Last week, it was reported that WWE had severed its ties with the trading card manufacturer, alleging a breach of contract with over two years remaining on its deal. Panini vehemently disputed WWE's claims and sought to not only retain the deal but also avoid paying a substantial sum demanded by WWE.
The initial report stated that WWE would be pursuing legal action to prevent Panini from continuing to sell WWE products.
Fightful Select has learned that a New York court denied WWE's restraining order against Panini, who will be allowed to continue making and selling WWE-related items. This will continue while both WWE and Panini's lawsuits against one another play out in court.
WWE had intended for Fanatics, which had originally been slated to take over WWE's collectibles operations in 2026, to assume control immediately.
In new documents made available to the public, WWE claims that Panini did not fulfill its contracted obligation to create digital trading cards or physical trading card games by June 1, 2022. This is why WWE terminated its contract with Panini.
Panini claims that they fulfilled the physical trading card game part of the deal via Pack Wars and Box Wars at numerous conventions. WWE argues that the Box/Pack Wars don't qualify as physical trading card games, and that images of these cards don't count as digital trading cards, as those images are not for sale.
Litigator Paul Lesko on Twitter suggested that this is the reason why WWE's restraining order was denied, as the matter should have been filed in 2022.
Last week, it was reported that WWE had severed its ties with the trading card manufacturer, alleging a breach of contract with over two years remaining on its deal. Panini vehemently disputed WWE's claims and sought to not only retain the deal but also avoid paying a substantial sum demanded by WWE.
The initial report stated that WWE would be pursuing legal action to prevent Panini from continuing to sell WWE products.
Fightful Select has learned that a New York court denied WWE's restraining order against Panini, who will be allowed to continue making and selling WWE-related items. This will continue while both WWE and Panini's lawsuits against one another play out in court.
WWE had intended for Fanatics, which had originally been slated to take over WWE's collectibles operations in 2026, to assume control immediately.
In new documents made available to the public, WWE claims that Panini did not fulfill its contracted obligation to create digital trading cards or physical trading card games by June 1, 2022. This is why WWE terminated its contract with Panini.
Panini claims that they fulfilled the physical trading card game part of the deal via Pack Wars and Box Wars at numerous conventions. WWE argues that the Box/Pack Wars don't qualify as physical trading card games, and that images of these cards don't count as digital trading cards, as those images are not for sale.
Litigator Paul Lesko on Twitter suggested that this is the reason why WWE's restraining order was denied, as the matter should have been filed in 2022.