AEW, under the leadership of its President Tony Khan, has formally requested the U.S. District Court in Florida to shift Ryan Nemeth’s legal action into a private arbitration process.
This information came to light when Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics gained access to the submission paperwork. The document provides insights into why AEW is keen on keeping its contracts private and prefers to settle the lawsuit out of the public eye.
As per the contents of the filing, it reveals, “Any public interest in obtaining access to the terms of the Agreements is outweighed by AEWs legitimate interests in maintaining the confidentiality of the contractual relationship at issue. Moreover, maintaining confidentiality of the terms between AEW and its Wrestlers and former Wrestlers, such as Respondent, is essential for AEW to remain competitive in the wrestling industry, and allowing the Agreements to be filed on the public docket will result in substantial and irreparable harm to AEW’s and Petitioner Khan’s business, which harm cannot be reduced or eliminated through any other reasonable means. Moreover, redaction, or any other means, will not cure the harm that Petitioners stand to suffer if the terms of AEW’s confidential business relationships become accessible by its competitors.”
The legal battle began in February when Nemeth initiated charges, claiming assault, infringement of contract, violation of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and deliberate disruption with a prospective advantage.