Posted in: AEW, Sports, TV | Tagged: aew, Ian Riccaboni, Kevin Kelly, wrestling

Kevin Kelly Reportedly Fired from AEW, Removed from Roster Page

AEW Collision announcer Kevin Kelly has reportedly been fired for tweets criticizing the company & accusing announcer Ian Riccaboni of libel.

Kevin Kelly has reportedly been fired by AEW for criticizing the company on social media, according to a report on Friday by PW Torch's Wade Keller. Kelly, a former WWE and NJPW commentator, has been on the announce team for AEW Collision since it started but, according to the report, was not present at the most recent taping for this Saturday's episode. According to Keller, the firing was in response to Kelly's tweets in response to a fan complimenting his NJPW commentary:

I do the same thing in AEW because it's critical to explain the why. But the idea of what I bring to the table is lost there because Ian libeled me. So I sit on the bench, valued by my peers, waiting to get my number called. I keep asking why but get pushed aside. It's ok because there is no one better than me. Ask the ones that know and they'll tell you.

The tweets appeared to reference messages from fellow AEW and ROH announcer Ian Riccaboni allegedly posted to a discord server criticizing Kelly for promoting The Sound of Freedom, which Riccaboni linked to Qanon conspiracy theories. The posts were recently screencapped and shared on social media, making headlines. Riccaboni had previously recommended Kelly for the Collision job after passing due to his own desire not to travel weekly, but, according to the discord screencaps purportedly written by Riccaboni, he now regrets it.

In response to other Twitter users questioning Kelly's promotion of the film and clarifying his tweets about Riccaboni, Kelly responded:

When you go out of your way to intentionally mischaracterize my raising awareness of the global horrors of child trafficking to a fringe conspiracy theory that everyone knows is bullshit in order to hurt my career and standing in the industry, that at the very least is libelous

Stat at the end of the movie said over 300,000 children are trafficked. The movie was heartbreaking. Do you have kids? Did you see the movie?

He also wrote:

Ok so I should be name called and outcast because I am opposed to child trafficking? What this comes down to with Ian? I have no idea. A friend would advise and counsel. He was not my friend, I guess.

It's a propaganda film or it's a documentary. I'm in the middle. We learn from both. I knew it was fiction but is a real issue. I don't care who made the film.

Neither AEW nor Kelly have confirmed Keller's report that Kelly has been fired, but Kelly has been removed from AEW's roster page on their website.

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