WWE Receives Cease & Desist Letters on Austin Theory From Indie Wrestlers – Austin Theory bills himself as “The Now,” but this is also the name that New York indie veterans Vik Dalishus (Rob Begely) and Hale Collins (Dale Chapman) have used for their tag team going back more than 15 years. They are still active and have been seen on NWA programming in recent months.
Dalishus and Collins were surprised to see Theory using “The Now” on a recent WWE RAW episode. They say they have had the name trademarked since 2006 and are now trying to get WWE to stop using their intellectual property, according to The Hudson Valley Post.
“After shock goes away, we decided to reach out. We consulted with some friends who knew about the situation professionally and we were guided to an awesome lawyer named Mike Dockins, ‘The Gimmick Attorney’, who specializes in trademarks,” Dalishus said.
Dalishus and Collins confirmed that they have sent two Cease & Desist letters to WWE. One letter was acknowledged.
“We have sent two cease and desist letters to WWE, they acknowledged one, and said they would look into it. Looking into it doesn’t stop it from being on TV,” Dalishus said.
It was noted that a lawsuit is the likely step for Dalishus and Collins.
“Our next step is a lawsuit for trademark infringement and creating confusion in the marketplace,” Dalishus added.
Dalishus tweeted during this week’s RAW segment with Theory and his WrestleMania 39 opponent, John Cena.
“It’s weird that @JohnCena time is Now, and @_Theory1 is the Now, but neither one of them actually #LIVE in #theNOW …because, ya know…trademarks. @WWE #WWERaw,” he wrote.
One fan responded and told Dalishus to “stop trying to get some clout out of that…sue them and be happy when you win.”
Dalishus responded and implied that he was tweeting to help his case for a potential lawsuit.
He wrote back, “Thanks for the Advice. Can you tell me more about your experience suing billion dollar companies and garnering the necessary attention to accomplish such? All ears.”
WWE did not respond to a request for comment on the original article.
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WWE Receives Cease & Desist Letters on Austin Theory From Indie Wrestlers
