AEW has been denied its request to fully seal contracts submitted as part of its ongoing legal dispute with Ryan Nemeth.
A judge ruled Tuesday that AEW may refile redacted versions of the three contracts alongside a new motion to seal, but the company will not be permitted to keep the documents completely under seal as originally requested.
The ruling comes after Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics opposed AEW’s motion, arguing that the contracts should not be withheld from the public in their entirety. Under the court’s decision, Thurston will have the opportunity to challenge the redactions if he believes excessive information has been blacked out.
AEW also has the option of withdrawing the contracts as exhibits altogether. However, doing so would prevent the court from considering them as evidence in the company’s effort to compel arbitration in its dispute with Nemeth.
The legal battle stems from a petition AEW filed on June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, seeking to require Nemeth to resolve the dispute through arbitration at a JAMS administrative office nearest to Duval County, Florida, under Florida law.
Nemeth originally filed suit in February 2025 against Tony Khan, AEW, and CM Punk, alleging assault, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and intentional interference with prospective advantage.
