Leland Owens, known for filing lawsuits against WWE and UFC has had his case against AEW and Byan Danielson officially dismissed. On December 26, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington dismissed Owens’ case, the latest in a series of peculiar claims.
The lawsuit, filed on December 13, alleged “intellectual property infringement” and “theft” of ideas Owens claimed to have shared with Danielson. Owens stated he created the name “Shockwave,” which AEW trademarked as a potential show name, though such an event has yet to be confirmed. He also linked “Shockwave” to an undefined “Engage PPV or PLE” without providing any clear explanation. Owens sought either “a reasonable offer” or full rights to his alleged ideas, while also citing “emotional stress” in his complaint.
Just two weeks later, on December 27, Owens filed another lawsuit—this time against the United States Government. In this filing, Owens claimed he provided the government with film and television ideas, as well as inventions, but received no compensation. Owens named Bryan Danielson, Mercedes Moné, Vince McMahon, and Donald Trump as parties involved in this alleged wrongdoing, and again cited “emotional stress” and demanded”reasonable payments” and recognition.
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Now, both of these cases have been dismissed, with the court citing Owens’ failure to establish federal jurisdiction. However, the dismissal was without prejudice, leaving open the possibility for Owens to revisit the matter in the future.
This isn’t the first time Owens has taken aim at the wrestling world. In a previous lawsuit against WWE, he accused Stephanie McMahon of making disparaging remarks about his daughter, allegedly leading to a hush-money offer. He has also claimed that Danielson and Mone, during their time in WWE, were involved in misusing his intellectual property. Neither of these suits saw him receive a penny from WWE.
