John Cena, TKO, WWE Sued Over Horns In ‘My Time Is Now’ Entrance Theme

John Cena’s “My Time Is Now” theme has become the focus of a lawsuit filed against John Cena, TKO, and WWE over an unlicensed sample in the song. Brandon Thurston reported for POST Wrestling that Kim Schofield filed a federal lawsuit against WWE, TKO, Cena, music producer “Jake One” Jacob Brian Dutton, publisher Pix-Russ Music, and Cynthia Jo Russell over the use of the horn introduction and outro used in Cena’s theme music.

Schofield’s lawsuit states that the intro and outro were taken from a 1974 cover recording that was arranged by Pete Schofield, her father. The song was an instrumental cover of Bobby Russell’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” The lawsuit states that the horn part was original and what she claims were sampled for Cena’s theme.

The complaint notes that the horn elements were not in the Russell version. It asserts that they were sampled by Dutton in 2003 to produce the song. Schofield says she reached a written settlement with WWE in 2017 for a one-time payment of $50,000. She argues in the new suit that WWE withheld “key information” during negotiations and is asking that the agreement be voided.

Kim Schofield registered two copyrights with the US Copyright Office in 2024 and 2025. One is for the horn intro and outro, and the other is for the full 1974 recording. The Russell estate and Pix-Russ have challenged the registrations, arguing that it is an unauthorized derivative work. The lawsuit alleges that the Russell side of the groups accepted royalties for horn parts.

Schofield is asking that the original settlement be invalidated and for damages in excess of $150,000. The defendants have not yet filed a response to the complaint, and it is not clear whether any of them have received the lawsuit.