Ryan Nemeth Lawsuit Against AEW, Tony Khan, & CM Punk Over Breach of Contract & Alleged Assault Update – AEW Accuses Nemeth Of Misrepresenting & Misleading Conduct

As noted before, former AEW and current TNA talent Ryan Nemeth filed a lawsuit in February of 2025 against AEW, AEW CEO Tony Khan, and CM Punk over claims of assault was committed against him by Punk and breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and intentional interference with prospective advantage by AEW and Khan. AEW and Khan had filed a petition in March of 2025 requesting for the lawsuit to be moved into private arbitration. Nemeth had claimed in April of 2025 that he was served with a counter-lawsuit by AEW that was later revealed to have been different legal papers related to AEW’s petition. Both Nemeth and AEW had filed to voluntarily dismiss their lawsuits against each other in April of 2025.

Post Wrestling and Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston reported that AEW had filed a petition on June 5th before the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida to compel Nemeth to arbitrate the dispute at a JAMS administrative office nearest to Duval County, Florida. AEW also requested for it to be adjudicated under Florida law.

In the filing, AEW claims that Nemeth has misrepresented and misled them through his conduct in voluntarily dismissing his lawsuit against the company by agreeing to take the matter to private arbitration.

Thurston reported that AEW dismissed its own petition in the U.S. District Court of Florida seeking to compel private arbitration between the two sides.

Thurston also reported that JAMS is a private company designed to help resolve disputes and arbitrate. This company reportedly has been designated by AEW in its contractual language to settle any disputes. This company has 29 locations worldwide and is based in Irvine, California.

In the filing, AEW stated that Nemeth had filed a demand for arbitration with a JAMS office in Orange County, California and had added “an assortment of unsupported claims under the California Labor Code.” AEW stated that the California Labor Code does not apply because Nemeth was not an employee of the company and was classified as an independent contractor.

Thurston reported that JAMS had presented both sides with a list of ten potential arbitrators, with six located in California, three in Florida, and one in New York. AEW claims that California having more arbitrators is in favor of Nemeth as opposed to the amount for Florida. AEW also claims that arbitrating in California is “in violation of the express terms of the agreement.”

AEW reportedly is seeking to have the terms of Nemeth’s contract deemed valid and enforceable and also to have him arbitrate his claims at the JAMS administrative office nearest to Duval County, Florida. AEW reportedly also wants to prevent Nemeth from prosecuting an arbitration in violation of the agreement and is seeking “reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in this proceeding” and “any other such relief to which petitioners may be entitled.”

Thurston reported that AEW and AEW CEO Tony Khan filed a separate filing on Tuesday seeking to seal confidential information related to the three independent contractor agreements that Nemeth signed from 2021 to 2023. AEW argues that the agreements contain “sensitive, confidential and proprietary information belonging to the Petitioners, including but not limited to information related to its business practices, its internal economic structures, compensation agreements, and intellectual property.”