Musician sues WWE and Cody Rhodes over “American Nightmare” trademark dispute

A legal dispute has erupted over the use of the phrase “American Nightmare” in wrestling merchandise. Wesley Eisold, a musician who trademarked the term in 2016, has filed a lawsuit against wrestler Cody Rhodes, WWE, and Fanatics. The lawsuit claims that they have violated an agreement made in 2021, which allowed Rhodes to use the phrase under specific conditions.

The agreement, reached when Rhodes was with AEW, required that any merchandise featuring “American Nightmare” must also include “Cody Rhodes” in larger text. However, the lawsuit alleges that recent WWE merchandise fails to meet these requirements. The legal action accuses the defendants of breaching the contract and interfering with contractual relations. The court will need to determine if the agreement is still valid now that Rhodes has moved from AEW to WWE.

Listen you fucking dolts.
I already own the name.
Doesn’t matter who you like.
They licensed it from me.
Then violated that agreement. https://t.co/XbyO5LYV9G

— COLD CAVE (@ColdCave23) September 5, 2024

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