57-year-old threatens a lawsuit, Contract termination, and more - 5 names who seemingly left AEW on bad terms
AEW has signed a number of exciting free agents over the years. While some of these stars went on to become reliable assets for the Jacksonville-based promotion, a few names eventually departed the company after a fallout with Tony Khan.
Stories of wrestlers developing issues with the head booker behind the scenes are commonplace in the pro wrestling industry. While experienced bookers like Vince McMahon have dealt with such incidents before, Tony Khan is still going through a learning curve when it comes to dealing with his talents.
![A number of wrestlers have cut ties with All Elite Wrestling in recent years. [Image credits: All Elite Wrestling YouTube channel]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/06/c8a95-17191749183074-1920.jpg?w=500)
From contractual frustrations to backstage politics, a number of factors have cost All Elite Wrestling many of its premier attractions over the years. In this article, let's look at five AEW Superstars who left the company on bad terms.
#5. Kevin Kelly threatens to sue Tony Khan
Kevin Kelly, one of the most well-known announcers in the pro wrestling industry, was brought in as a play-by-play commentator for Collision last year. The 57-year-old had a great initial run during the first few months before he was abruptly pulled away from the Saturday night broadcast.
Earlier this year, Kelly was handed his release from All Elite Wrestling, owing to a series of negative comments made towards his fellow commentator, Ian Riccaboni, on X/Twitter. The former ROH announcer accused Riccaboni of sabotaging his career through backstage politics.
Unfortunately, Kelly's fiery remarks did not sit well with the AEW higher-ups, leading to his departure from the company. Speaking on the Wise Choices with Eric Bischoff podcast, the veteran color commentator expressed his frustrations with how Tony Khan and Co. handled the whole situation.
Kelly also took shots at AEW's declining backstage morale, before disclosing his intentions of suing the Jacksonville-based promotion.
#4. Bobby Fish expresses his frustrations at not being offered a good contract
Bobby Fish had a brief run in All Elite Wrestling from October 2021 to August 2022. During the short stint, the MLW star featured in a few prominent matches against the likes of Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.
Although Fish was not involved in many memorable moments during his year-long run, the 47-year-old star did develop some off-screen issues with The Straight Edge Superstar. After his departure from the Tony Khan-led promotion, Bobby Fish opened up about his experiences with his former employers.
The former Undisputed Era member seemed grateful for his time in AEW, which allowed him to reunite with his former friends. However, Fish was not very pleased with the underwhelming contract offered by Tony Khan at the end of his first deal.
Bobby Fish was unhappy with the amount offered to stay with the promotion. As per the former NXT Tag Team Champion, Tony Khan left money on the table by underestimating his worth as a performer.
#3. Lio Rush calls out Tony Khan on X/Twitter
In December 2021, Tony Khan entered an online feud with former AEW star Big Swole. After being released from the promotion a month earlier, Swole called out the Jacksonville promotion for a perceived lack of diversity.
Tony Khan was quick to fire back at Big Swole. Taking to X/Twitter, Khan dismissed Swole's claims about the lack of racial representation in his company. Moreover, the head booker of AEW also revealed that he did not renew Swole's contract as he didn’t find her wrestling skills good enough.
Khan’s remarks garnered divisive reactions from various wrestling personalities, including Lio Rush. The Man of the Hour was quite upset about the All Elite Chief going after his former co-worker. Standing up in Swole's defense, Rush asked Tony Khan to apologize for his remarks on X/Twitter.
Lio Rush's comments seemingly affected his equation with the company higher-ups. Following a six-month-long stint, the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion became a free agent in February 2022 after his deal with AEW was not renewed.
Although Rush has seemingly returned to All Elite Wrestling on a regular basis, it may take him a while to mend his relationship with Tony Khan.
#2. Frankie Kazarian criticized Tony Khan's directionless booking after leaving the company
TNA Legend Frankie Kazarian joined AEW in 2019 as one of the promotion’s earliest signings. Teaming up with Scorpio Sky, the veteran became the inaugural Tag Team Champion of the Tony Khan-led promotion.
Unfortunately, Kaz kept falling down the ranks on the AEW roster as years passed by. The former TNA X-Division Champion was rarely featured in any prominent storyline, which soon became frustrating for Kazarian.
In the fall of 2022, the former SCU member asked for his release from the company, which was later granted by the management. Appearing on Busted Open Radio in May 2024, Kazarian shed light on AEW's backstage operations.
The Elite Hunter criticized AEW's programming for its lack of structure, calling it "an asylum run by inmates." The veteran also took shots at Tony Khan’s leadership skills. As per Frankie Kazarian, the AEW creative team did not have a vision about how they wanted to build weekly storylines, leading to a lot of confusion amongst the talents.
Considering the issues highlighted by Kazarian after his departure, it is likely that the current TNA star did not enjoy his stint in All Elite Wrestling to a great extent.
#1. CM Punk departed AEW after a year-long backstage struggle
Losing CM Punk may forever remain Tony Khan's biggest fumble as a wrestling booker. The Jacksonville Jaguars owner brought the Best in the World out of his seven-year-long hiatus from pro wrestling in 2021. The move paid off almost immediately, as AEW witnessed a sudden surge in its popularity.
Unfortunately, CM Punk soon entered a backstage feud with The Elite and Hangman Adam Page, which dealt a serious blow to the promotion's locker room morale. The offscreen drama soon turned ugly, leading to a physical altercation between the two sides at All Out 2022.
After serving their respective suspension periods, both Punk and The Elite found themselves back on television by mid-2023. Just as things had begun to cool down, The Second City Saint had a backstage fight with Jack Perry at AEW All In 2023.
With the ongoing turmoil slipping out of his control, Tony Khan eventually made the tough call to fire CM Punk. The decision to cut ties with Punk led to a considerable decline in the backstage chaos, even though it cost the promotion its biggest-ever draw.