Daffney Protests At TNA Knockouts Knockdown PPV Taping

Richard Gray March 17, 2013 TNA News 12 Comments

Shannon “Daffney” Spruill was in attendance at Sunday’s TNA Knockouts Knockdown “One Night Only” pay-per-view taping from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. We’re told Spruill was with independent wrestler Amber O’Neal and she held a sign that read “I’m here independently.”

This is noteworthy as Spruill settled her lawsuit against TNA Wrestling a couple weeks ago where she challenged her “independent contractor” status. You can read her statement on the settlement at this link.

When I asked if Spruill was there as a shoot or if she was working, I was told it was “definitely a shoot.”

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Richard Gray

Richard Gray is the owner and editor of WrestlingNewsWorld.com. Covering the professional wrestling business since 1999, Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia University. He is also the owner of Gray Internet Technologies, LLC. and should be contacted with all business matters. You can friend him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. Email him directly at [email protected].

http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Trash

Always loved her b00bies. Wish she would be signed again!
- http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/ Richard Gray
  
  I’m not sure she’s medically cleared but I seriously doubt TNA would employ her after the lawsuit
  - http://www.facebook.com/jayjay1777 Jay Jones
    
    Maybe after she’s cleared WWE can offer her a contract, they need some ‘serious’ female talent right now instead of just eye candy
    - Earl
      
      Nothing cuzz, wwfe dun want no big mob sheila on dat dere sckuad dey want dat one big boi coz dat one bring in da big mob koolaba into dere pockets
  - http://www.facebook.com/ModernDayWitch Johnny Kaduces White
    
    The independent contractor thing has been a long standing debate. Not just in wrestling but in any field. But I think she had merit for the lawsuit (if my understanding of things that happened is correct). Didn’t she say she did not want to take the bump in the Abyss match and they “gave” her the bump anyway? Also they put her in a match with someone too green to be at that level (Rosie or whatever her name was)? If those are true, I think she had a case for negligence not withstanding med. bills and the independent contractor issue. And I agree, I do not see her back in TNA or even WWE because of the lawsuit. She is definitely one of the better female workers who never really got her due on a big stage. I don’t count WCW because she had little experience and was pretty horrible at that point.
    - _JIM_
      
      If all that is true then she had a legit reason for a negligence suit. But if it isn’t and she just didn’t have medical insurance, then I don’t think TNA owed her a thing. If you are an independant contractor you better have insurance for yourself. Especially in a field as dangerous as wrestling. Being classified as an independant contractor definitely sucks because you have basically zero rights, but you also have to be smart enough to make sure you have yourself covered.
      - http://www.facebook.com/sandersd84 Dave Sanders
        
        The thing about the “independent contractor” status is how can they have that label when they have a contract with the company that says they can not go work elsewhere (WWE does this with ALL talent, TNA does with most I believe). If you have a contract, you are an employee of that company and should be at least offered basic benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc) That is the biggest argument right now in this, and she had the chance of a lifetime to not only help herself, but every other wrestler signed to a contract. The reason the courts never see this case is because there are always settlements out of court. I’d like to see someone take this as far as it can and get the talents the benefits they deserve if they are under a contract.
      - LeftyTosser
        
        Dave, I have a contract with the company I work with, but I am an independent contractor. It has pluses and negatives for both sides. I have worked as an IC for almost 20 years and would not go back to being an employee. My contract also does not allow me to work for other companies, but I certainly make more being an IC than if I were an employee (at least in our industry). The biggest downfall for ICs is that they don’t worry about taxes and insurance, which both ALWAYS come back to bite one in the butt! If you handle both of those two issues like you should, then an IC is a great way to work. Most people do not understand that musicians, actors, athletes and a lot of other “high income” professions are ICs.
    - http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Bluemeanie-Wilson/599549664 Tony Bluemeanie Wilson
      
      blame terry taylor for that injury
- Devin
  
  AMEN!
King A sshole

Good, after all the crap they put her through, this is the best thing she could do… she’s still hot by the way.
wrestlingfan4life

So let me get this straight: Daffney sues TNA over being considered an “independent contractor”, then shows up at a TNA event holding a sign that says, “I’m here independently”? And we’re really supposed to believe this is a shoot? Really? REALLY? RRREEEAAALLLYYY?