Significant AEW Win In Ongoing Lawsuit

An ongoing lawsuit filed against AEW by former talents in the company has been ordered into arbitration by a judge.

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.

Judge Grants AEW Motion

POST Wrestling has now reported that there has 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, the judge dismissed the company’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit altogether.

The report noted that the lawsuit will now be classed as “administratively closed”, meaning that the case will be inactive in the courts while arbitration takes place. Updates to the court every 90 days will be required from the plaintiffs, and while these might appear on public dockets, the detail of what goes on in arbitration is expected to be kept under wraps.

Lawyer Stephen P. New, who is representing Kelly and the Tates, noted: “We look forward to pursuing the plaintiffs’ claims in arbitration.”