Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling has reported that a settlement has been reached in principle in the lawsuit filed by musician Wesley Eisold against Cody Rhodes and WWE, along with the company’s merchandise partner Fanatics.
The parties notified the court on 11/11 that they have agreed to resolve the case over the “American Nightmare” trademark, pending the drafting and execution of a written agreement.
Eisold, who owns the trademark after co-founding a band by that name, came to an agreement with Rhodes in 2021 that involved a $30,000 payment and a contract that detailed the manner in which the name could be used on wrestling-related merchandise.
The lawsuit was filed in September 2024 in federal court, alleging that WWE and Fanatics violated the agreement by selling apparel prominently displaying “American Nightmare” without sufficient reference to Rhodes or otherwise clearly distinguishing the brand from Eisold’s band.
Following a motion to dismiss by WWE and Fanatics, the parties were reportedly engaged in ongoing settlement discussions and are expected to file a joint stipulation formally dismissing the case within 90 days.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed as of this writing.