Cease and Desist: Measures of Success Outside the Machine

On Monday night, the Bullet Club invaded Raw. No, you didn't miss some sort of must-see segment. The group stood outside. And now the WWE is trying to take food off of their dinner tables.

Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, Cody and Brandi Rhodes happened to be in California with the Young Bucks. When the group tweeted out that they would be visiting the Hot Topic just outside of the Staples Center, a sea of fans met them there. The group then gathered outside of Raw, where they found even more fans. Parodying DX's invasion of Nitro, the Bullet Club filmed the event for the YouTube series, Being The Elite.

In recent months, the series had been joking about getting cease and desist orders from the WWE for the catchphrase "f*** The Revival", for the use of the crotch chop, and even for Marty Scurll carrying an umbrella. The "WWE Stooge" responsible for this also kidnapped Hangman, leading to ROH peppering the arena for Death Before Dishonor with "Where's Hangman?" signs. This was all created for or because of the series. But then things got a bit more real.

The WWE t-shirt using the "Kliq Hand Design"

On Tuesday, the Young Bucks received a cease and desist order for the use of the "too sweet" hand gesture. The rights to the "too sweet" have bounced around it appears, with the WWE currently owning the hand design, referring to it as the "Kliq Hand Design". I can't imagine I will ever be mistake for a lawyer, so I won't be speculating on what this means for the parties involved. I am concerned about what this means for wrestling as a whole.

We live in a time of unparalleled access to content. On the whole, this has been a good thing. For less than I would pay for the most basic cable package I can find, I can subscribe to High Spots Wrestling Network, NJPW World, the WWE Network, and find even more programming through Twitch and YouTube. Merchandise can be purchased though vehicles like prowrestlingtees, directly from the athletes, or through independent designers who create designs on their own. More wrestlers, and in some cases even wrestling fans, are able to make a living doing what they love.

Mia Yim paints her left ring fingernail purple to raise
awareness of domestic abuse.

We have also started to see more and more wrestlers bringing light to social issues, either in the world  or in the community. Mia Yim has used her success to be an advocate for domestic abuse victims. Professional wrestling has given Yim a platform to show the world that being a victim doesn't make you weak. Instead she is proving that survivors come in all shapes and sizes, that domestic abuse is a real issue that has touched more of us than we realize. Through a single painted nail, she is bringing light to an issue that so often gets swept under the rug.

Jimmy Havoc, a major star on the U.K. indie scene, recently spoke out against a heckler at a Fight Club PRO show. Speaking out against the fan shouting "get your tits out" at 17 year old Millie McKenzie. McKenzie has proven herself to be a top talent in just over two years in the ring, but that shouldn't matter. Training to perfect your craft shouldn't result in people, especially "fans" of the craft, objectifying you and turning you into a sexualized object. Fortunately, many agree. This supposed-fan has been blasted all over social media and many have come out to discuss this issue. While most were in agreement that there is no room for this type of behavior in wrestling, Billi Bhatti actually lost his job

as a writer with Sportskeeda over his antiquated, misogynistic views.

Fostering a community of inclusiveness and self-policing are topics I have covered in the past. Wrestling should be for everyone. Today's global wrestling community is working hard to make sure that it is. It is exciting to see wrestlers, fans, entrepreneurs, artists, everyone celebrating the industry and bringing their perspective to the table. Moves like this cease and desist order are hurting what so many have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into creating. It is a reminder that the machine can take things away seemingly with the snap of a finger. Two men who have spent years building a brand to provide for their families are now sitting on dead stock. They are also being threatened with $150,000 per "too sweet" related item mentioned in the letter, plus any profits made off of these items, and of course legal fees.

For every step forward the WWE takes towards a more inclusive conversation (the Mae Young Classic, for example), it seems we see a story of how they're holding the community down. Let's hope that stories like this one will continue to light fires under The Young Bucks, the countless other wrestlers outside of the WWE's umbrella (sorry Marty), indie promoters, podcasters, and anyone else looking to make a name for themselves in the professional wrestling industry. Acknowledging the Bullet Club invasion and lashing out in response to it is only showing that the wrestling is gaining momentum outside of the machine. We are seeing levels of success once considered impossible without the WWE. There is nothing more exciting than seeing someone succeed at what they love. Nothing that is, except being that someone yourself. Will the cease and desist order hurt the pockets of The Young Bucks? Possibly. But in a different light, it can be a badge of honor for not only the Jackson brothers, but for indie wrestling as a whole.

Until next time, stay (too) sweet copright World Wrestling Entertainment 2015!