Court hearing for former WWE Star Mike 'Duke' Droese Postponed to January

Former WWE and Memphis Wrestling star Mike "Duke" Droese gets an update on his court hearing. The original case hearing scheduled for today in Warren County, Tennessee, has been postponed to January 2026. The hearing, which was set for October 22, 2025, was listed as a "plea or trial selection" and now will take place on January 14, 2026. Officials have released the new date for the hearing, but refused to give any reason for the postponement this time.

Droese, whose real name is Michael Droese, was indicted in May 2025 on one count of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, which is a Class D felony under Tennessee law. He turned himself in to the authorities shortly after the indictment and was released on $10,000 release bond.

What were the Case and Charges for Mike

According to the District Attorney's office, Droese was charged with child sexual assault when was used his Coinbase account in April 2024 to try to purchase child sexual assault material from the Dark Web. The transaction was flagged and stopped before it was completed. The FBI received a tip from Coinbase, and later the information was passed on to the Warren County Sheriff's department in March 2025, leading to an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation(TBI).

Following the incident, Droese was fired from his job as the DUI Coordinator for the 31st Judicial District Adult Recovery Court Program, also known as Drug Court. The District Attorney confirmed that Droese did not have any work duties involving minors and that all program participants were adults. So if convicted, Droese could face an imprisonment of two to four years. The next court hearing session in January will now decide whether a plea agreement is reached or if the case will move to trial. 

Droese, wrestled as "Duke 'The Dumpster' Droese," was part of the WWE roster from 1994 to 1996 and was known for his garbage man gimmick during the company's "New Generation" era. He later appeared at WrestleMania X-Seven and in MLW's Battle Riot event in 2023. In 2013, Droese was also charged with selling controlled substances to an undercover informant while working as a teacher. He served 30 days in jail as part of a three-year sentence following that case.