In an update on the ongoing lawsuit brought forward by Dr. Chris Amann against CM Punk (Phil Brooks) and Colt Cabana (Scott Colton) regarding comments made on The Art of Wrestling podcast back in November 2014, a report from PWInsider.com has provided more details on the lawsuit.

The report notes that for most of November and December 2015, each side filed motions back and forth in regards to Amann trying to shoot down Punk and Cabana’s defense pleadings, while the defense has been arguing back as to why their pleadings remain relevant to the case and that one of the sticking points has been that the court had ruled that certain statements made by Punk over the course of the podcast would not fall under one of the defense claims, but which statements have been thrown out were never specified, leaving too huge a loophole, which led to Punk and Cabana’s defense responding to the lawsuit with amended responses on December 15th, 2015. In the case of CM Punk, he argued that his comments were his opinion and therefore protected by the United States Constitution as free speech and that many of his statements are reasonably capable of innocent and/or non-defamatory meanings or interpretations.

The report goes on to note that in the December 15th filing, Punk also stated that many of his statements were substantially true, again alleging that despite requests, Dr. Amann never drained the lump that Punk discovered in his lower back and that Amann also allegedly failed to diagnose it as a potential MRSA or staph infection while clearing Punk to wrestle and that these statements were substantially true because it was Punk’s experience and observation that Plaintiff had failed adequately to evaluate and treat concussion-like symptoms experienced by Punk and other WWE wrestlers and that Punk alleged that when he suffered severe head trauma, in what would turn out to be his final match at the 2014 Royal Rumble, the Plaintiff did not direct or encourage him to leave the ring and that the Plaintiff had indicated to Punk that Punk had discretion as to whether to remain in the ring. Amann alleged in his lawsuit that what Punk claimed on the podcast in relation to the above statements is absolutely false. Punk also argued that Dr. Amann, via his job with the WWE and appearances on their website, TV series and more, as well as his work with other high-profile sports organizations means that Amann has become a public figure, making the argument that Amann’s complaint about their invasion of his privacy doesn’t have merit and that the statements made on the Art of Wrestling podcast fall under fair comment because the entire conversation was about professional wrestling and was based around the opinion and commentary of the host and guests.

The report states that a filing made by Colt Cabana on December 15th notes many of the same defenses also and that Punk and Cabana have demanded a jury trial in regards to the lawsuit, while there is a hearing scheduled for February 1st at 9:15 AM in regards to the discovery process of the lawsuit, as well as court rulings on the aforementioned pleadings.