Tony Khan Outraged by Kevin Kelly’s Lawyer’s Remarks on Jim Ross Amid Lawsuit

Kevin Kelly, who has worked with WWE, Ring of Honor, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, recently garnered attention following his departure from AEW. Reports indicated that he left the company after a heated outburst before the AEW Revolution event. Subsequently, Kelly filed a lawsuit against AEW, prompting Jim Ross tothe lawsuit as “frivolous.” This led to Kelly’s lawyer criticizing Ross, and Tony Khan has now addressed the situation in response.

Kevin Kelly’s unexpected exit and return to AEW sparked significant speculation among fans. The situation intensified when Kelly accused Ian Riccaboni of defamation and highlighted his own contributions to AEW before the AEW Revolution pay-per-view. It was later disclosed that Kelly’s absence was due to legal issues, and he has since been exploring other opportunities in pro wrestling.

On August 30, Kelly, along with former AEW wrestlers Brandon and Brendan Tate, filed a lawsuit against AEW and others in a Pennsylvania court. Their attorneys, Stephen P. New and Benjamin Baer, are challenging the arbitration clause in their contracts and aiming to convert the lawsuit into a class-action case. The lawsuit contends that AEW improperly classifies its wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees. Kelly is also seeking financial compensation, alleging that AEW breached his contract and harmed his future employment prospects.

Jim Ross weighed in on the lawsuit, expressing skepticism about its success and labeling it as “frivolous.” In response, Stephen P. New was not surprised by Ross’s comments, noting that Ross has been well-compensated by Tony Khan while contributing minimally over the past few years.

”I need to make a response. J.R., Jim Ross called this lawsuit frivolous. Well, let me tell you something, boola-boola, this is not a frivolous lawsuit. You’re part of the problem. You, Jim Ross, are part of the problem because you fed the guys in WWE, as Talent Relations, these crap contracts for a quarter of a century. You told these guys that it was the take it or leave it deal and that they needed to sign these crap contracts that were contracts of adhesion, that they should’ve never have signed or they should have lined the arbitration provisions out of so, I’m not shocked in the least that you go on Conrad Thompson’s podcast and you say that this is a frivolous lawsuit. I might lose it, but bah gawd! It’s not frivolous. I can tell you that.

Tony Khan’s paid J.R. a lot of money to do nothing, for about five years now, and so, if I were Jim Ross and I were living at Jacksonville Beach and making a bunch of money to not do much at all, I’d probably come out and call Stephen P. New’s lawsuit frivolous also. Everybody’s got a price.”

AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter and expressed his shock and disappointment after reading Stephen P. New’s comments about Jim Ross. Khan emphasized that Jim Ross, a cornerstone of AEW’s foundation from its inception, remains a crucial part of the company. He made it clear that AEW, along with Jim Ross and himself, reserves all rights regarding the situation.

”I’ve just read Stephen P. New’s comments about @JRsBBQ . I’m shocked + appalled by these comments on legend Jim Ross, part of AEW’s foundation, someone so important from the beginning of AEW and still right now today. AEW, JR & I reserve all rights. See you tonight at #AEWAllOut”

The outcome of this legal battle remains to be seen as it progresses in the coming months. With Tony Khan likely to mount a robust defense for AEW, the case could either be resolved quickly or evolve into a lengthy legal struggle, depending on how the arguments and developments unfold.

Do you believe Tony Khan’s response to Kevin Kelly’s lawyer was the most appropriate one? Let us know in the comments section below!