Lawsuit Appeal By Fired AEW Stars Dismissed

An ongoing lawsuit battle being fought by AEW has seen the latest appeal dismissed by the courts.

Kevin Kelly was fired by AEW after going public with his frustrations with the company and comments made by fellow AEW announcer Ian Riccaboni online. The former WWE and NJPW commentator has previously vowed that the company “will get theirs” and soon launched a lawsuit against Tony Khan’s company alongside Brandon and Bret Tate.

The Tate twins are best known as The Boys, having accompanied Dalton Castle to the ring for his bouts for years in Ring of Honor. They were let go from their contracts in April 2024, and Tony Khan had publicly claimed that the Tates had failed to show up for work on several occasions, which is why they joined Kelly in launching a lawsuit.

Back in June, it was reported that there had been a “significant win” for AEW in relation to the case. In the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger granted AEW’s motion to compel arbitration in the lawsuit.

However, in August, it was reported that Kevin Kelly and the Tate twins had appealed that decision as they pushed for a trial. But now they have their answer.

Appeal Dismissed For Ex-AEW Stars

Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston has reported that the appeal has been dismissed by the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. The dismissal is said to be because the original case was stayed – meaning that it was temporarily halted or that legal proceedings were suspended for the entire case or a portion of it. It was due to that the appeals court could not review the original decision.