Kevin Kelly and the Tate Twins just hit a dead end in their legal war with AEW.
The 11th Circuit Court officially dismissed their appeal to reverse the ruling that sent their defamation case into private arbitration—shutting down their final chance at a public trial.
The lawsuit, originally filed in August 2024, accused AEW, Tony Khan, and commentator Ian Riccaboni of breach of contract, defamation, and other claims. But from the start, AEW fought to keep it out of the courtroom—and now they’ve won that battle for good.
The appeals court sided with a previous decision from Judge Harvey Schlesinger, who pointed to a “classic delegation provision” in AEW’s talent contracts. That clause requires “all disputes between Talent and AEW… [to] be resolved for final, binding, and conclusive arbitration conducted before a single arbitrator in Duval County, Florida.”
The plaintiffs tried to argue that the clause was unfair and unenforceable, but the court wasn’t buying it. With the appeal now dead, the case remains locked in arbitration—far from the public eye.
Kevin Kelly had claimed he was wrongfully painted as a QAnon supporter by Riccaboni after posting about The Sound of Freedom, and believes that narrative got him fired. The Tate Twins alleged Tony Khan tanked their reputations when he questioned their professionalism in front of media following their release from AEW in April 2024.
Things even escalated on the indie scene. Brandon Tate accused AEW President Tony Khan of pulling The Outrunners from a scheduled match against the Tate Twins on an independent card, further adding to the tension.
Now, despite all of that, the fight won’t play out in federal court. Instead, arbitration will handle it quietly—and out of reach from fans and media.
This latest ruling means the case is all but sealed off. No trial. No jury. Just private lawyers in a conference room.
What’s your take on AEW forcing talent disputes into arbitration? Fair move or way to silence its critics? Sound off in the comments below.
