1:08 PM PT -- Vince McMahon says he has his "reasons" for firing Luck -- and he's digging in his heels.
In fact, Vince issued a statement through his attorney, Jerry McDevitt of K&L Gates ... and it's clear, he's ready for war.
"Oliver Luck's services as Commissioner and CEO of The XFL were terminated by a letter sent to him on Apr. 9, 2020 which explained the reasons for the termination."
"As to the lawsuit he filed, his allegations will be disputed and the position of Mr. McMahon will be set forth in our response to his lawsuit."
The league is dead ... but the XFL's behind-the-scenes drama is very much alive!
Oliver Luck -- who was the highly touted commissioner and CEO of the new XFL -- has sued Vince McMahon claiming he was wrongfully terminated after the league folded up shop.
In his suit, Luck -- father of NFL star Andrew Luck -- says he received a termination letter spelling out the case against him on April 9. Luck says the allegations are pure BS and he denies any wrongdoing.
Luck says he fulfilled his end of the bargain, running the league since its resurrection in January 2018 -- only to be "wrongfully terminated."
As for the specific allegations, Luck redacted the details in his lawsuit -- most likely due to a confidentiality agreement he signed with the company.
In other words, he doesn't want to breach the contract by dishing out the dirt ... at least, not yet.
As we previously reported, the XFL closed its doors, laid off staff and filed for bankruptcy ... claiming the COVID-19 pandemic essentially killed the business.
Luck is suing Vince personally seeking to hold the WWE honcho responsible for paying out a guaranteed portion of his contract.
Unclear how much cash is on the line -- but we're guessing it's a good chunk of change.
We're reaching out to Vince's camp for comment -- so far, no word back.
Originally published -- 9:44 AM PT