AEW has hit a setback in its ongoing legal battle with former wrestler Ryan Nemeth. A federal judge rejected the company’s request to keep his wrestling contracts completely secret.
The decision comes as AEW continues trying to move Nemeth’s lawsuit into private arbitration in Florida. While the company can still ask to hide certain confidential details, it cannot keep the contracts entirely out of public record.
Judge rejects AEW’s request to fully seal the contracts
Nemeth originally sued AEW, Tony Khan, and CM Punk in February 2025. His lawsuit includes claims of assault, breach of contract, breach of good faith, and intentional interference with business opportunities.
According to Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston, Magistrate Judge Patricia Barksdale ruled on Tuesday that AEW cannot completely seal the three wrestler contracts it filed as evidence.
Instead, the company has to submit new versions with sensitive information blacked out. AEW must also explain why those specific sections should remain confidential.
Thurston had challenged AEW’s original request, arguing that the contracts should not be hidden from the public. Under the judge’s ruling, he can also object if he believes the company removes more information than necessary.
The ruling means AEW must balance protecting private business details while following the court’s expectation that legal records should generally remain public. Tony Khan’s company argued that the contracts include confidential information like pay details, business practices, and intellectual property that should not be made public.
The contracts emerge as a key part of AEW’s effort to move the dispute into arbitration instead of fighting it in court.
On June 5, AEW filed a petition in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The petition asked the court to force Ryan Nemeth into arbitration at a JAMS office near Duval County, Florida. The company also wants the case handled under Florida law, pointing to clauses in Nemeth’s contracts.
However, the judge’s latest decision puts AEW in a difficult position. If the company wants the judge to consider the contracts while deciding the arbitration request, it must file redacted versions publicly along with a revised motion explaining the redactions.
If AEW doesn’t submit the contracts, the judge cannot use them to decide on the topic of arbitration enforcement.
The judge also set deadlines for the next steps. If Nemeth files his first response, AEW will have 21 days to submit the revised motion and redacted contracts. If Nemeth does not respond, the company must file the updated documents by September 24. The court also denied a request for electronic filing access from the objecting party.
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