Leland Owens’ lawsuit against AEW and Bryan Danielson has officially been dismissed.
Previously, Owens filed lawsuits against WWE and UFC earlier in 2024 before turning his attention to AEW and Danielson on December 13th. In this lawsuit, he alleged “intellectual property infringement” and “theft” of his ideas, claiming he had shared concepts with Danielson, including the “Shockwave” name, which AEW later trademarked. Owens further asserted that “Shockwave” was meant to be part of an “Engage” pay-per-view or premium live event. He cited “emotional stress” and demanded “a reasonable offer or the rights to all my ideas.”
According to court documents obtained by PWInsider.com, the case was dismissed on December 26th. The court ruled that Owens failed “to allege any federal jurisdiction” but dismissed the case without prejudice, leaving room for potential refiling.
The following day, Owens escalated matters by filing a lawsuit against the United States Government. In this new filing, he alleged that he provided film, television, and invention ideas to the government without receiving payment. Owens also named Daniel Bryan, Mercedes Moné, Vince McMahon, and Donald Trump as being involved, demanding “reasonable payments” and “credit for everything.”
