Tony Khan has responded to Stephen P New's comments towards Jim Ross and Ross' comments regarding a lawsuit filed by Kevin Kelly and the Tate Twins (Brent Tate & Brandon Tate).
On September 4, Kelly and The Boys, also known as The Tate Twins, brought a lawsuit against AEW.
In the suit, the plaintiffs seek to void the arbitration clause of their talent contracts and request the court to certify a class-action suit against AEW over claims the company is misclassifying its wrestling talent as independent contractors, rather than employees.
Jim Ross commented on the lawsuit by saying, "I don't hold out much hope they're going to get any kind of settlement, whatsoever. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm not a judge or lawyer or anything along those lines. I don't like those kind of lawsuits. I think they're frivolous."
Kelly said the lawsuit is "not frivolous," and Kelly's attorney Stephen P. New replied to Ross by saying, “I need to make a response. JR, Jim Ross, called this lawsuit frivolous. Well, let me tell you something, boola-boola, this is not a frivolous lawsuit. You’re part of the problem.....I might lose it, by ‘bah gawd’ it’s not frivolous, I can tell you that. Tony Khan’s paid JR a lot of money to do nothing for about five years now. If I were Jim Ross and I were living at Jacksonville Beach and making a bunch of money to not do much at all, I’d probably come out and call Stephen P. New’s lawsuit also. Everybody’s got a price."
Tony Khan has not commented on the lawsuit, but he did address New's comments about Ross.
I've just read Stephen P. New's comments about @JRsBBQ.
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) September 7, 2024
I'm shocked + appalled by these comments on legend Jim Ross, part of AEW's foundation, someone so important from the beginning of AEW and still right now today.
AEW, JR & I reserve all rights.
See you tonight at #AEWAllOut
Ross signed with AEW in 2019 and currently calls the main event matches on pay-per-view events.
Fightful will provide more information on the lawsuit when it is known.
