Three Former AEW Stars File Lawsuit Against Tony Khan, AEW & More

AEW

Three former All Elite Wrestling (AEW) talents have filed a lawsuit against the promotion, Tony Khan and more.

As first reported by The Wrestling News, a division of Arcadian Vanguard, a lawsuit was filed by Kevin Kelly, Brandon Tate and Brent Tate on August 30.

The lawsuit names AEW, Tony Khan, ROH and Ian Riccaboni as defendants.

The Tates (known as The Boys in the corner of Dalton Castle) and Kelly were all terminated by AEW earlier this year.

The suit was filed “in the Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas by attorneys Stephen P. New & Benjamin Baer”, per The Wrestling News.

The suit seeks to “void the arbitration clause of their contracts”, while also “requesting the court certify a class-action suit against AEW over claims the company is misclassifying its wrestling talent as independent contractors, rather than employees”.

After The Boys were terminated, Tony Khan claimed that they had no-showed multiple events – The Boys deny this claim and that claim is now “at the center of the defamation allegation against Khan”.

Kelly, real name Kevin Foote, is “seeking monetary damages claiming, among other things, that AEW breached his contract, and has interfered with ability to find work elsewhere”.

He is also seeking monetary damages from Ian Riccaboni, claiming Riccaboni “defamed him by way of social media after accusing him of being a member of QAnon”.

Attorney Stephen P New stated:

“I applaud the bravery of these Plaintiffs in bringing this long-overdue action, challenging the mis-classification of pro-wrestlers as independent contractors instead of employees.

“We know we are in for a long, hard fight, but in the end, I believe justice always prevails.”

He also tweeted:

How fitting and appropriate that on Labor Day weekend a lawsuit is filed seeking to correct, among other things, the abhorrent practice of misclassification of pro wrestlers as independent contractors and not employees. All AEW wrestlers are now members of this putative class

We’ll keep you posted with any further updates.

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• AEW
• tony khan
• Kevin Kelly
• lawsuit
• The Boys

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