Ryan Nemeth’s legal battle with AEW, Tony Khan, and CM Punk has taken another turn, and AEW is now trying to force the dispute into arbitration in Florida.
According to POST Wrestling, AEW filed a petition on June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claiming Nemeth has misrepresented and misled them through his conduct. The company wants the matter handled at a JAMS administrative office nearest to Duval County, Florida, under Florida law.
JAMS is the private arbitration company AEW designated in its contract language for resolving disputes. After the parties previously agreed to move the matter to arbitration, AEW claims Nemeth instead filed a demand with a JAMS office in Orange County, California, while adding several unsupported claims under the California Labor Code. AEW argues those California labor claims do not apply because Nemeth was not an employee and was instead classified as an independent contractor.
The company also claims it tried to move the arbitration to Florida last November, but JAMS declined the request on December 2. JAMS later gave both sides a list of ten possible arbitrators, including six in California, three in Florida, and one in New York. AEW claims that list favored Nemeth because most of the arbitrators were based in California. The company argued that holding arbitration there would violate the terms of Nemeth’s agreement.
AEW is now asking the court to confirm that Nemeth’s contract terms are valid and enforceable. The company also wants Nemeth blocked from pursuing arbitration in a way it claims violates the agreement, while also seeking attorneys’ fees, costs, and any other relief the court may allow.
In a separate filing on Tuesday, AEW and Tony Khan also moved to seal confidential information tied to three independent contractor agreements Nemeth signed between 2021 and 2023. They argued the contracts contain private business details.
“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.”
This comes after Nemeth’s attorney previously confirmed there was no settlement between the parties and that the matter would be sent to arbitration: “There has been no settlement. The parties have agreed to submit the matter to arbitration.”
Nemeth originally filed his lawsuit in February 2025, accusing AEW, Tony Khan, and CM Punk of blackballing him and enabling alleged backstage abuse. AEW has denied the public court path is proper and has continued pushing for the case to be handled privately through arbitration.
For now, the dispute appears to be less about the original allegations and more about where the arbitration should happen, which law should apply, and whether Nemeth’s contract terms can be enforced. AEW clearly wants the case heard in Florida, while Nemeth’s arbitration filing in California has created a new fight over procedure.
What do you think about AEW trying to force Ryan Nemeth’s dispute into Florida arbitration? Do you think this should stay private, or should the case play out in court? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.