Tiger Ali Singh
Updates:
22nd August 2002
TIGER ALI SINGH SUES WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
- Former WWE superstar Tiger Ali Singh sued World Wrestling Entertainment for $7 million claiming religious and ethnic harassment.
The New York Post said that Singh's turban, which is sacred in the Sikh religion, was taken from a WWE locker room in 1999 and was trashed by other stars while playing a rib on him.
Singh says that his co-workers stuffed cigarettes and garbage in it and called him 'taxi driver'.
Singh also claims that on one occasion, other WWE superstars ripped his turban and put the remaining pieces on the head of a mentally disturbed person as 'amusement for other WWE personnel present'.
The lawsuit is also for a career-ending injury he suffered,
however leading WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said that Singh's injury was suffered
while working for another promotion. His father - who wrestled as Tiger Jeet
Singh - claims that
he is owed $1 million in a separate arbitration action who says that he was
stopped being paid by WWE in 1999.
McDevitt says that WWE legally stopped paying him because
he could no longer wrestle. To read the full
NY Post story go to The
New York Post
GRAPPLER SUES OVER ‘TRASHED' TURBAN
FIGHTING MAD:
Pro wrestler Tiger Ali Singh is suing World Wrestling Entertainment for harassment
because his sacred Sikh turban was allegedly stolen and stuffed with garbage.
- Ken Kerr/Toronto Sun
A Sikh professional grappler is pile-driving wrestling impresario Vince McMahon's company with accusations of religious and ethnic harassment.
Gurjit Singh Hans - whose ring name is Tiger Ali Singh - claims his turban, which is sacred in the Sikh religion, was swiped in 1999 from a locker and desecrated by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. workers. He says they stuffed it with cigarette butts and garbage, and called the Indian-descended wrestler a "taxi driver."
"Another turban belonging to Gurjit Singh Hans was torn into pieces backstage and placed on the head of a mentally disturbed person for the ‘amusement' of the WWE personnel present," Hans, 31, claims in a legal filing.
The Ontario, Canada, resident says the harassment coincided and escalated with WWE efforts to get out of its contract with him. The conduct included WWE demands that he wear his turban as a "gimmick" during matches, and make pre-match speeches that "referenced persons of Indian descent as likely being perceived as taxi driver and convenience-store operators," his filing says.
He also claims he suffered a career-ending injury last December when he was forced to perform in an outdoor tag-team match in pouring rain.
Hans' lawyer Bruce Ewing said the McMahon-controlled WWE acted in an "appalling" manner toward Hans, who has asked an arbitration panel for a ruling against the company. Hans is seeking $7 million from WWE, which has stopped paying his contract.
His father, Jagjit Singh Hans - who became a wrestling legend in Asia as Tiger Jeet Singh - wants $1 million in a separate arbitration action that claims the WWE stopped paying him in 1999.
WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt said the company was not aware of any harassment Gurjit Hans may have suffered, and that it legally stopped paying him because he no longer can wrestle.
The lawyer also said the WWE is not responsible for Gurjit Hans' injury, which was incurred during another company's match.
"People make all kind of claims against the WWE, and when you get to the facts, you find that they're seldom found to be true," McDevitt said.
For more information on WWE legal matters, click here
Background to wrestler profile
This tribute is more a less an acknowledgment of the success both Tiger Singh and Tiger Ali Singh have achieved in the pro wrestling business, with an obvious lack of talent, when compared to that of their contemporaries. Tiger Singh is actually somewhat of a legend in Japan, which can be put down to his wild gimmick, all of the blood letting, and the quality of his opponents. I can't imagine working against either one on the Singh's would be great motivation for a quality match. On a positive note, I did enjoy Tiger Ali's segments on Raw Is Raw, where he would lower the audiences standards. This was one of the highlights of the show I felt. Hopefully, Ali Singh can improve his pro wrestling skills as time goes on.