(TW: Sexual abuse of minors)
On Monday, three new former "Ring Boys" were added to the lawsuit filed last October against Vince and Linda McMahon, WWE, and TKO. The men allege that they were sexually abused by WWE ring announcer Mel Phillips when they were underage. Some of the men said previously that Terry Garvin also abused them. They say that the McMahons knew or should have known about the abuse that they endured. They also say the McMahons and WWE failed to protect them while in their care.
The case was temporarily stayed while the Maryland Supreme Court reviewed whether the Child Victims Act (2023) was constitutional. It allows plaintiffs to sue defendants no matter when the abuse occurred. The ruling allows entities and organizations to be named as defendants. The court upheld the ruling and allowed the lawsuit to move forward.
The defendants can know the identities of each John Doe, but the public cannot. In the lawsuit, they are listed as John Doe 6, John Doe 7, and John Doe 8. All three men share similar stories to the original five, establishing a pattern of alleged behavior. The following outlines what each individual alleges to have occurred during their interactions with Mel Phillips.
John Doe 6
John Doe 6 alleges he met Phillips in 1988 when he was just 11 or 12 years old. WWE held an event in Portland, Maine, and Doe 6 wanted to get into the event. Since he had no money, he went to the back of the building where claims he met Phillips. He asked him if there was anything he could do to earn a ticket. He alleges that Phillips said “yes” and took him inside. He brought Doe 6 to events anytime the promotion was in Maine, including Augusta and Bangor. On those out-of-town trips, the boy stayed with Phillips in a hotel. He says another minor stayed with them.
Upon their first meeting, Doe 6 states he told Phillips that he wanted to be a wrestler when he grew up and Phillips replied that he needed to be able to handle the pain. Doe 6 recounted a situation that happened at one of the events. He states that WWE Hall of Famer, Koko B. Ware, Tony Chimel (who was a former ring crew worker before becoming WWE’s announcer), “Dangerous” Danny Davis, and referee Mike Chioda (who also worked on the ring crew) were present in the dressing room.
“In front of everyone in the room, Ware told the boy to “get against the wall, pushed John Doe 6’s head against the wall, patted him down, and then grabbed John Doe 6’s crotch. Koko B. Ware laughed, along with almost everyone else. Chimel said something like, ‘Don’t do that to him, let him go.’ Sometime after the incident, Chimel told John Doe 6 that John Doe 6 should not be with the WWE ring crew and should run.”
Doe 6 alleges Phillips brought him across state lines to work in New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Between 1988 and 1992, Doe 6 worked for Phillips for roughly ten events.
One of those events was WrestleMania V in 1989. Three photos provided by Doe 6 show him in the crowd, a couple of rows behind WWE Hall of Famer and current U.S. President Donald Trump during a match between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. The lawsuit states that the proximity to the ring “highlights the special access to WWE events that Phillips provided to Ring Boys in order to groom and manipulate them for his sexual abuse.”
Doe 6 alleges that he was sexually abused at every event he worked and that the abuse occurred at both hotels and venues where the events took place. He says that Phillips would “painfully manipulate his toes and feet, and also put John Doe 6’s feet on Phillips’ genitals and vice versa.” He also says the abuse happened when they were wearing nothing but underwear and that Phillips often ejaculated during the abuse. Doe 6 also states that Phillips would sometimes videotape the abuse. Similar incidents have been reported by other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit.
At a WWE event in Baltimore, Maryland, in July 1989, Doe traveled with Phillips to work. While in the locker room with Phillips, Garvin, Patterson, and Vince were also present. According to the lawsuit, Linda entered the room, “looked right at John Doe 6, and then summoned Vince to leave with her.”
Following the event, Doe 6 and another underage boy were taken to a hotel with Patterson. Doe 6 was directed to stay with Patterson while the other boy stayed with Phillips. Patterson gave Doe 6 alcohol while putting pornography on the TV. Patterson forced him to perform oral sex on him and vice versa.
John Doe 7
John Doe 7 alleges he met Philips in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was around 14 or 15 years old. He was promised the chance to meet wrestlers and get their autographs. He was paid cash to perform Ring Boy duties, including setting up and tearing down rings, carrying bags for the wrestlers, and selling photos of wrestlers in the lobby. Doe 7 says that he received tasks from Vince on multiple occasions. At the time, Vince was a commentator and was seen as the de facto boss when on-site for shows.
Doe 7 alleges being sexually abused by Phillips in similar ways to Doe 6. He also says he was abused by Phillips at the Philadelphia Police Athletic League. There was a ring downstairs where Phillips would put him in painful submission holds. He also alleges that Phillips abused him at a church in West Philadelphia, and Phillips often videotaped the abuse.
When traveling to Hamburg, Pennsylvania, for WWE shows, Doe 7 claimed he would stay in hotels with Phillips, Patterson, Vince, and other wrestlers. He would occasionally eat breakfast at or near hotels where Vince, Patterson, and other wrestlers would be present. He also traveled across state lines with Phillips to Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Maryland. He alleges Phillips sometimes provided him with alcohol before sexually abusing him.
John Doe 8
In 1982, John Doe 8 alleges was working concessions at the Baltimore Civic Center when he was approached by Phillips. He was about 15 years old. He alleges Phillips asked him to attend the March 13, 1982, show. He and another underage boy were taken by Phillips to a dressing room because Phillips wanted to show them his outfits. Garvin was present with Phillips. Phillips provided both boys with marijuana. He says he was paid cash by both Phillips and Patterson for performing Ring Boy duties.
That April, Doe 8 alleges Phillips took him and another underage boy to a hotel where wrestlers were present and spoke to Phillips in the presence of the boys. In the hotel room, Philips told them to undress, and he was in his underwear. He directed them to put their feet on his penis to compare sizes. He gave them cocaine and pills. Doe 8 claims that Phillips told them they should take steroids to get bigger.
At two other shows in June and August, Doe 8 was paid to perform Ring Boy duties. He alleges he was offered steroids and cocaine by Phillips or Garvin. He states that Vince was present at all or nearly all shows when he was working as a Ring Boy, and Doe 8 was in plain sight when the ring was being checked by Vince and when Vince spoke to Phillips, Patterson, Garvin, or other wrestlers.
All three men have said they suffered emotional and mental distress since Phillips harassed and sexually abused them.
The lawsuit also includes photos of various advertisements for shows in Maryland. It also includes that WWE taped a show called “Tuesday Night Titans” in Owings Mills, Maryland, from 1984 to 1986.
As of this writing, the McMahons, WWE, nor TKO have responded to the amended lawsuit. Phillips died in 2012 while Patterson died in 2020.