Kevin Kelly, the former play-by-play commentator for AEW Collision, opened up about his abrupt termination from AEW earlier this year in a recent virtual signing with K&S WrestleFest. Kelly, who joined AEW in June 2023, was supposedly fired for leveling accusations of libel and promoting QAnon conspiracy theories against Ian Riccaboni.
Discussing his departure from Tony Khan’s company and his fallout with Riccaboni, Kelly revealed that he felt Riccaboni was betraying him behind his back, despite their professional history and friendship. He talked in depth about his confusion and frustration when he discovered Riccaboni’s negative comments about him on a New Japan Discord board.
Kelly also expressed his disappointment with AEW’s management, stating that his tenure did not work due to the constant micro-management and pressure to mimic the format of another show, ‘Dynamite.’ He criticized the management for their decision to let him go when he shared his mental distress caused by the internal issues of the company.
Despite his efforts to resolve things with Riccaboni, including a conversation where Kelly admittedly said things that could have been taken out of context, the issue was never settled. Kelly also had issues with being kept in the dark about his dismissal details by the company, a decision which he found upsetting.
To this date, Kelly holds a grudge against AEW, saying that even his worst enemy would not deserve such treatment. He also speculated that the whole episode might have been associated with CM Punk’s departure from the company.
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