Tony Khan has blasted controversial new remarks made about Jim Ross that left him “shocked + appalled.”
In the wake of former AEW talents Kevin Kelly, Brent Tate and Brandon Tate’s lawsuit against AEW, their attorney Stephen P. New appeared on House Of Kayfabe to discuss the case as well as his clients’ defamation claims against Tony Khan and AEW announcer Ian Riccaboni.
New also took the opportunity to address recent comments made by Jim Ross in which he called the suit “frivolous”. The attorney blasted Ross for being complicit in talent being classified as independent contractors during his time at WWE and later claimed that Ross had been paid by Khan “to do nothing” since joining AEW.
“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. You, Jim Ross, are part of the problem because you fed the guys in WWE as Talent Relations these crap contracts for a quarter of a century.
You told these guys that it was the take-it-or-leave-it deal, and that they needed to sign these crap contracts that were contracts of adhesion, that they should have never signed, or they should have lined the arbitration provisions out of.
So I’m not shocked in the least that you go on Conrad Thompson’s podcast and you say that this is a frivolous lawsuit. 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.” (h/t to Fightful)
Tony Khan Was “Shocked + Appalled” By These Jim Ross Remarks
New’s comments have since attracted the attention of AEW President Tony Khan himself, expressing his shock and displeasure towards the remarks before going on to praise Ross’ contributions to AEW in a post to his X account this morning.
I’ve just read Stephen P. New’s comments about [Jim Ross]. 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.