By Brandon Thurston & Jason Ounpraseuth
A Connecticut judge on Tuesday rejected WWE’s motion to dismiss a slip-and-fall case.
A worker tasked with breaking down the ring after SmackDown in Uncasville, Conn., on March 29, 2024, alleges he suffered multiple injuries while working for contractor Complete Labor & Staffing.
Teodoro Troche said in his complaint filed on May 22, 2025, that he slipped and fell on debris on the floor while holding a ring post upright. The ring post struck his face, according to the lawsuit, knocking out his teeth and landing on his right hand, crushing it. The injuries Troche says he suffered required him to be transported to a Level 1 trauma hospital, where he needed multiple surgeries, long-term rehabilitation, and treatments.
Troche’s complaint is against Event Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WWE that the company uses to operate its live events. As part of running the SmackDown event, WWE’s subsidiary had a contract with the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, the entity that operates and controls the Mohegan Sun Casino on the Mohegan Reservation. The complaint alleges the plaintiff’s injuries resulted from Event Services LLC’s negligence, including failure to inspect and clean the arena floor for debris, failure to warn workers of hazards, and permitting staff to handle heavy steel equipment in unsafe conditions.
Troche said he suffers from a fear of future pain and disability. He claims the negligence of the defendant meant he spent “substantial sums of money” for medical care, services, treatment, diagnostic studies, drugs, and devices necessitated by his injuries. He further alleges that his injuries caused him to lose wages and suffer permanent impairment of his ability to earn a living.
The case was filed in Connecticut Superior Court, and WWE filed a motion to dismiss on Sept. 22. WWE argued that the Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court would be a more appropriate venue. WWE raised that the plaintiff had already filed an earlier lawsuit on Jan. 9, 2025, against the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority in that court, based on the same alleged incident, and that related claims involving Event Services LLC are already pending there.
The plaintiff filed an objection to the motion, arguing that Connecticut courts have a history of exercising jurisdiction over negligence actions that occurred on tribal reservations in Connecticut, citing prior court cases. The objection also noted that the plaintiff’s ability to seek damages is limited under the Mohegan Code.
Judge Scott Chadwick denied WWE’s motion on Tuesday, and the case remains ongoing. In this preliminary phase of the case, the judge did not yet rule on the merits of the case or whether WWE in fact has any liability in the matter. If the judge had granted the motion, the case would have been dismissed and unlikely to continue.
Reached by email on Tuesday, Troche’s attorney, James Harrington, emphasized that his client suffered “a catastrophic crush injury” to his right hand, in addition to his claims of dental injuries.
“[I]t was a life-altering injury that permanently changed his ability to work, care for himself, and live without pain,” Harrington added. “We appreciate the Court’s ruling allowing this case to proceed so the full facts surrounding how this devastating injury occurred can be fairly examined.”
WWE did not respond to a request for comment.
In the decision, the judge considered WWE’s request to move the case out of Connecticut and into the Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court and decided to keep it in the Connecticut Superior Court. Chadwick found that the tribal court does not offer jury trials and limits potential damages, while Connecticut courts do not, and concluded that keeping the case in Connecticut “will best serve the convenience of the parties and the ends of justice.”
Troche’s complaint describes how he says the injury happened.
[W]hile in the course of breaking down said ring, as aforesaid, the plaintiff was holding one of the four main support poles that constitute the four corners of the wrestling ring, also known as a corner post. The corner post, upon information and belief, is several hundred pounds of heavy-duty steel.
As the plaintiff was holding the pole upright, he was caused to slip and fall due to debris that had been deposited on the floor during the event, which made both his footing and that of the corner post itself unstable.
As the plaintiff fell, the pole struck his face, knocking out his teeth, and landed on his right hand, crushing it.
In addition to filing suit against WWE’s Event Services, Troche also initially named HDI Global Specialty SE—a contractor for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority—as a defendant. Troche dropped HDI Global as a defendant on June 16 of last year, leaving Event Services as the lone defendant.
