Ohio State Tries to Ditch WWE Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit Over RAW Injury

A lawsuit stemming from a slip-and-fall during WWE Monday Night RAW earlier this year is heating up — and now one of the defendants is fighting to get out of the case entirely.

William Ricks filed the lawsuit in The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, claiming he suffered “permanent pain and suffering” after slipping on a “liquid or liquid-like substance that was not open and obvious” during the April 22, 2024 RAW event at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. He says it happened while walking around the aisle between sections 207 and 208.

The suit names WWE, Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment, The Ohio State University, and UMR, Inc., alleging negligence, failure to warn, and vicarious liability — with UMR being included because they “may have had medical assistance with or received payments from Defendant UMR for care and treatment rendered due to injuries sustained in the aforementioned accident.”

But in a new development, The Ohio State University and Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment are trying to shut this down, arguing the court doesn’t even have the right to hear the case.

“Here, neither the state nor OSU has waived its sovereign immunity, and therefore, the case should be dismissed, as the Ohio Court of Claims has exclusive jurisdiction over all claims alleged against OSU in Plaintiff’s complaint.”

Basically, they’re arguing that because OSU is an arm of the state, Ricks can’t sue them in federal court — and the case should be moved or tossed.

WWE has not yet responded to the lawsuit as of this writing. If the judge agrees with OSU’s position, it could drastically change the scope of Ricks’ lawsuit — or send him back to square one.

Do you think WWE should shoulder any of the blame here? Or should the responsibility fall on the arena and OSU? Drop your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.