Kevin Kelly and the Tate Twins just hit a legal roadblock in their lawsuit against AEW, which will now play out behind closed doors. A federal judge in Florida has ruled that Kelly and the Tates must take their dispute into private arbitration. Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger writes:
"All disputes between Talent and AEW… [to] be resolved for final, binding, and conclusive arbitration conducted before a single arbitrator in Duval County, Florida.”
Attorney Stephen P. New, representing the plaintiffs, told POST Wrestling that "We look forward to pursuing the plaintiffs' claims in arbitration."
This lawsuit was filed in August 2024 against AEW, Tony Khan, and commentator Ian Riccaboni. Kelly has claimed that Riccaboni falsely painted him as a QAnon supporter, which allegedly played a role in Kelly's exit from AEW. The Tate Twins, better known as Dalton Castle's 'Boys,' claim that Khan damaged their reputations when he claimed they had missed events, mere hours after the pair were cut from AEW in April 2024.
Now, this case will play out in arbitration, making a public fallout unlikely, if not impossible. It remains to be seen whether the two sides can come to terms in arbitration.