Eric Bischoff Discussed WWE Drop Jey Uso’s Yeet Catchphrase Trademark

Jey Uso’s adoption of “Yeet” as a catchphrase seems to have hit a roadblock, as WWE reportedly stumbled upon a pre-existing trademark related to the term within the wrestling realm. Reports suggest that the company had manufactured and marketed shirts featuring the phrase, prominently worn by Uso on a recent “WWE Raw” episode. Interestingly, the word mysteriously vanished from the shirt during Uso’s appearance, with a different shirt donned before the main event.

On the “Strictly Business” show, Eric Bischoff, a former executive of both WWE and WCW, shared his insights on the matter. According to Jon Alba, the co-host of Bischoff’s show, WWE encountered a hiccup in their attempt to trademark “Yeet” when they discovered that a professional wrestler from the past had already secured the rights in 2022. The trademark had been subsequently canceled in the preceding year, leaving the term open for WWE to claim. Bischoff, not being a legal expert but drawing from his experience, speculated on the corporate and risk-management aspects of the situation.

“I’m no trademark or copyright attorney, but I’ve dabbled in that arena,” Bischoff remarked. “My hunch is that this is a cautious, corporate reaction—a risk-management move in response to the trademark hiccup. They probably don’t want to invest heavily in a licensing-merchandising program if there’s even a remote chance of not securing it.”

While WWE might have a strong likelihood of obtaining the trademark, Bischoff suggests that the potential loss of a substantial amount of already-produced merchandise could have led them to err on the side of caution. Although not well-versed in the dynamics of the current generation, Bischoff expressed respect for artists like Uso or LA Knight who leverage trademarks to their advantage.