WWE, UFC Sued By Man Alleging ‘Hush Money’ Payments Sent Via Daniel Bryan & Sasha Banks

WWE and the UFC have been sued by a man claiming he was never paid for ideas he sent and that he was sent a “hush money” payment. PWInsider reports that Leland Owens filed the suit against WWE and UFC on September 3rd before the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Washington. Owens alleges in the suit that he entered into a verbal agreement with WWE Yakima Lower Valley, Washington, giving them “ideas” that he never got paid for.

Owens claims in the lawsuit:

“I gave the WWE ideas and never got paid. I also told Daniel Bruan (at the time what i was going to do with my earning with said ideas and the World Wrestling Entertainment tried to get in front of it because Vince thinks of this as competition. We have a verbal agreement in which was supposed to talk about at the time i receive my payment for my ideas.”

Owens went further to claim that WWE sent Daniel Bryan (using that name) and Sasha Banks (acknowledging that she is now known as Mercedes Mone in AEW) to send him “hush money” over a comment Stephanie McMahon made about his daughter in the form of a $100,000 check. He also alleges he submitted ideas to Triple H, Mone and Bryan through Instagram.

Owens has asked for a cease and desist on TKO Group as well as “what is fair and accurate.” The lawsuit was filed by mail on August 30th and it was recorded by the court on September 3rd. WWE has yet to respond to the claims.