AEW Files Motion in Kevin Kelly Lawsuit to Pause Legal Proceedings Pending Arbitration Decision

AEW is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with former employee Kevin Kelly, as well as Brandon and Brendan Tate, who filed a lawsuit against AEW and others in a Pennsylvania court. In a new development in the lawsuit, AEW has filed a motion to pause all movement and the discovery process of the lawsuit.

According to PWInsider, AEW’s legal team filed a motion on January 2nd requesting the court to pause all proceedings and the discovery process until the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Jacksonville) decides whether the case should be moved to private arbitration.

This lawsuit was transferred to Florida in November 2024 from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, following AEW’s argument that due to the terms of their contracts, any legal matters should be handled in Florida, where AEW’s headquarters are located and the Pennsylvania court agreed with this request.

Now that the lawsuit has been moved to Florida, AEW argues that the contracts’ language stipulates that any disputes should be handled through arbitration. AEW has requested the court to approve this and formally agree to move the case into arbitration.

The lawsuit, which was first filed in Philadelphia in August, accuses AEW of defamation, breach of contract, and misclassification. Kevin Kelly claims he was wrongly labeled as a member of QAnon by Ian Riccaboni after a post about The Sound of Freedom, which he says led to his firing. The Tate twins allege that Tony Khan made damaging comments about their reliability after they were removed from AEW’s roster earlier this year.

Steve New, the plaintiffs’ attorney, stated that they respect the judge’s decision and are eager to continue with the case in Florida, saying, “We respect the judge’s decision and look forward to litigating the issues in Florida.” AEW has not commented on the ruling.

This legal case between Kevin Kelly, the Tate twins, and AEW could have significant implications for the wrestling industry, particularly in terms of how talent contracts are enforced and how disputes are resolved in the future. Therefore, we will have to wait and see how the case will be resolved in the end as Ringside News will keep you updated on this ongoing lawsuit.

What do you think about AEW’s motion to pause the lawsuit proceedings? How do you feel about the potential implications this legal case could have on the wrestling industry? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.