Ottawa wrestler 'Hannibal' wins $2.3M hepatitis C lawsuit

Devon (Hannibal) Nicholson, a professional wrestler from Ottawa, should receive $2.3 million in damages and fees from the wrestler known as Abdullah the Butcher, who gave him hepatitis C, a judge ruled Tuesday morning. 

• Ottawa wrestler claims WWE legend gave him hepatitis C
• Experimental treatment cures Ottawa wrestler of hepatitis C

Nicholson, who wrestled under the moniker Hannibal, filed a $6.5-million lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) hall-of-famer Lawrence Robert Shreve, known as Abdullah the Butcher in the ring.

Nicholson said he contracted the infectious disease that attacks the liver from Shreve during a wrestling match in Cochrane, Alta., on May 26, 2007.

He said Shreve had a piece of razor blade taped to his finger during the match — a wrestling practice known as "blading."

Nicholson said he was offered a three-year contract with WWE, the largest professional wrestling company in the world, after a 2009 tryout camp.

The WWE cancelled his contract less than three weeks later when the company found out Nicholson had hepatitis C.

In January 2014, Nicholson said an experimental treatment cured him of hepatitis C. He now hopes to fulfill his dream of fighting in the WWE. 

Court rules in favour of Nicholson

On Tuesday, an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that Nicholson did contract hepatitis C from Shreve.

After a long legal battle, Nicholson said it's great to finally have the truth on the record.

"Mr. Shreve himself has been saying all along that I'm a liar, that he doesn't have hepatitis C, he didn't cut me, and I believe the judge made it very clear that, yes, he did cut me ... and yes, he does have a history of hepatitis C," Nicholson said.

Shreve has 30 days should he decide to launch an appeal.