CFX then sent messages to AEW and Matelson asking them to stop using the design or come to a licensing agreement, but their requests were allegedly ignored. However, in an email exchange between Matelson and Tony Khan, CEO of AEW, Khan expressed that the current mask was “too iconic” to replace. In February 2021, CFX and AEW personnel began communications about a new custom mask, which All Elite Wrestling bought the rights to. However, CFX states that it attempted to come to a licensing agreement with Matelson when they learned that he had signed with the company in 2019, but no agreement was reached. The lawsuit includes various examples of the mask depicted in AEW’s merchandise advertisements, including T-shirts and action figures.ĬFX claims that Matelson initially worked with them in December 2016 to have a modified version of the design made and was then modified again in March 2019 before AEW’s first live events with the addition of horns.

The complaint states that Composite Effects (CFX) owns the licensing and design rights to the mask, referred to as “Viper Silicone Mask”, and that Matelson was only entitled to use the mask as a wrestler but not to create merchandise from it. Install About this app arrowforward Keeping up with friends is faster and easier than ever with the Facebook Lite app Use Facebook Lite as a friends app to connect and keep up with.

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