Since launching in 2019, AEW has been home to several wrestlers and on-screen personalities, though not everyone is still with the company. Now, three former members of the All-Elite promotion are filing legal action against AEW, alleging defamation and misclassification.

Kevin Kelly and brothers Brandon and Brendon Tate filed the lawsuit on August 30 in the Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, The Wrestling News reports. The suit alleges that AEW misclassifies its wrestling talent as independent contractors rather than employees. If successfully challenged, this could have wide-reaching implications for the wrestling industry.

The Tate Brothers, better known to ROH fans as Dalton Castle’s ‘Boys,’ were released from AEW in April 2024 and their departure was first explained as due to budget cuts. Tony Khan later stated that the release was due to the brothers no-showing several events, a claim the brothers have denied. Now, this claim by Khan has become the basis for their defamation claim.

As for Kevin Kelly, he’s seeking monetary damages from AEW, alleging that the promotion breached his contract and has interfered with his ability to find work elsewhere. Kelly joined AEW in June 2023 and was fired from the promotion in March of this year. Kelly’s termination came about after a series of social media posts in which he spoke critically of AEW and Ian Riccaboni. The lawsuit also names Riccaboni, accusing him of defamation for allegedly linking Kelly to the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory on social media.

In a statement, attorney Stephen P. New, who is representing the trio alongside Benjamin Bear, said the following:

“I applaud the bravery of these plaintiffs in bringing this long-overdue action, challenging the misclassification 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.”

This lawsuit has the potential to bring about significant changes in wrestling, especially concerning how talent are classified and compensated. As of writing, AEW has not publicly commented on the lawsuit or the potential ramifications. We here at SEScoops will continue to follow this lawsuit for further updates.

AEW recently released several names from its roster, including Brent and Brandon Tate, known as ‘The Boys.’ Their departures surprised fans, especially considering their involvement in the ongoing storyline between Dalton Castle and Johnny TV.

At the ROH Supercard of Honor press event, Tony Khan disclosed that the Tates had been absent from work on multiple occasions. This prompted Khan to release them, though he emphasized the difficulty of this decision.

Khan clarified that these releases were part of AEW’s careful budget management, ensuring resources are available to pursue top talent in the industry.

Brandon Tate, who previously denied Tony Khan’s story, but he deleted that tweet, has now responded with a lengthy story. He told all about the Twins’ time in AEW, and what led to the alleged story around them no-showing events.

He said that The Twins had initially intended to maintain silence regarding their release from AEW, in order to avoid overshadowing the significance of the upcoming ROH Supercard event. However, following Tony Khan’s remarks and the overwhelming support from fans, media outlets, friends, and colleagues, they felt compelled to address the situation publicly.

Brandon Tate and his brother were informed that they would be prominently featured in the storyline leading up to Supercard, alongside Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie. They were encouraged to pitch ideas for their characters, suggesting that they would have opportunities to showcase their wrestling abilities in the future.

However, on March 16th, the scheduled date following a storyline development, which involved Dalton Castle losing custody, they encountered an unprecedented change in their travel arrangements. Instead of departing from their home airport in Knoxville, their travel was booked out of Nashville. This departure from their usual travel pattern, which previously involved Sinclair ROH and now Tony Khan’s ROH, raised questions and concerns.

He said the next thing that took place was their release. They were told they were let go due to budget cuts, with no mention of them no-showing any event.

On Monday April 1st, we were contacted by management accompanied by HR on a call to inform us of our release due to “budget cuts.” At that time we raised concerns and repeatedly questioned if the release was due to the travel issues, we were repeatedly and adamantly assured that this was not the case and based solely on budget cuts. Since Tony’s statement, we reached out yesterday providing the specific details asking for Tony to clear this up. We have gotten no response. Unfortunately in the court or public opinion for a lot of people commenting, it’s assumed that we’re guilty from 1 man’s words until we now have to prove we’re not.

https://twitter.com/tatetwinbrandon/status/1776330031536488749

AEW’s Recent Signings

It was a very interesting turn of events to see AEW release so many names from their roster. This came after Tony Khan stated for so long that he intends on fulfilling any contract he signs.

AEW has just inked big contracts with Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, and Mercedes Mone. That was followed by some cuts. We will have to see if Tony Khan has any response to Brandon Tate, but he’s been radio silent for now.

In the end, those released names were The Boys, Dasha Gonzolaz, Jose The Assistant, Jora Johl, Anthony Henry, Gravity, Stu Grayson, Parker Boudreaux, and Slim J. You may find an updated list of AEW’s 2024 releases here with our tracker.

Two wrestlers recently cut from All Elite Wrestling have themselves to blame for being cut from the company after they no-showed multiple events. 

AEW released several names from its roster earlier this week, including Brent and Brandon Tate, better known as ‘The Boys.’ Their releases came as a surprise to fans as they have been integral to the ongoing storyline between Dalton Castle and Johnny TV. 

During the ROH Supercard of Honor press event, Tony Khan explained how the Tates had failed to show up to work on multiple occasions. This led to Khan deciding to cut them but made clear it was a difficult decision. 

Khan explained that these releases were made with AEW carefully monitoring their budget, ensuring they have resources available to compete for top talent in the industry. The promotion recently reached high-budget deals with new signings including Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone, and Kazuchika Okada.

Who Else Was Let Go? 

In total, ten stars were released from All Elite Wrestling. In addition to the Tate brothers, Stu Grayson, Parker Boudreaux, Slim J, Gravity, Anthony Henry, Jora Johl, Jose The Assistant, and broadcaster Dasha Kuret were also cut from the promotion. 

While Anthony Henry has been released, fans can expect him back with ROH and AEW very soon. On the media call, Khan said that Henry got injured during an independent show and said his situation is a “challenging grey area.” He added that Henry will come back to AEW and Ring of Honor once he is cleared to wrestle again.