Former AEW star CM Punk and president Tony Khan are being sued by former wrestler Ryan Nemeth for alleged assault, breach of contract, and more, according to a new report.
Fightful reports Nemeth filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against AEW, Punk, and Khan on Friday, February 14, 2025. He is seeking “compensatory damages, punitive damages, and demands a jury trial.”
The lawsuit alleges that Punk “assaulted and battered” two wrestlers, Matt and Nick Jackson, in addition to Nemeth. Khan subsequently suspended Punk for his actions, and Nemeth alleges that Kahn “did not feel that [Punk] could be removed without a substantial loss in profit for AEW.”
Additionally, he has a “very deep affinity” for Punk. He kept Punk around despite his alleged violent outbursts. Apparently, during his suspension, Punk made it clear that he “despised” Nemeth, though he claims he did “nothing” that would cause this hatred. Still, Punk reportedly “made it well-known that he was angry with Nemeth.”
Why are CM Punk and AEW being sued?
Ryan Nemeth also claims that he reached out to executives of AEW with worries that Punk would “assault” him after his return on April 16, 2023. Months later, on June 21, 2023, Punk allegedly “assaulted” Nemeth in the men’s locker room. In a “menacing manner,” he reportedly yelled, “Do we have a f**king problem? Do we need to step outside and handle this like men?”
He also alleges that he tried to “de-escalate” the situation as he was cornered. The following day, Nemeth reportedly talked to Tony Schiavone and other AEW executives about what happened. Punk was not punished for his actions.
Nemeth believes he was “benched” (not being scheduled for matches as a way of punishing wrestlers) by AEW. He spoke to AEW’s attorneys from Lathan & Watkins, who reassured him he was not being “benched.”
He would not be booked for a match for more than two months after talking to Schiavone. Nemeth contacted AEW’s legal team to file a complaint on June 17, 2023.
Who was behind his benching?
According to Nemeth, it was Punk’s desire that he be “benched.” Tony Khan went along with it due to his “deep affinity” with Punk. He was then booked for a match on August 12, 2023.
On the day of his match, Nemeth saw Punk while walking into the arena. Punk reportedly began texting someone, and Nemeth was then told to meet with AEW supervisor Pat Buck when he got to the venue. He was told he needed to leave “immediately” and was flown out the same day.
Nemeth leaving the arena went “viral” and was an embarrassing situation for him. These were once again Punk’s orders, according to Nemeth, who complained about it on August 15, 2023. The AEW lawyers were reportedly “stunned and could offer no explanation for the conduct of [Punk] and Khan.”
What happened to them?
A few months later, Nemeth wrestled his final match for AEW on November 18, 2024. While he continued to reach out to AEW’s legal team, one of their attorneys, Chris Peck, threatened legal action against Nemeth. He accused him of having a “ghost writer” in his emails. A week after Nemeth’s last match, Punk left AEW to rejoin WWE.
In turn, Tony Khan was “furious” with Nemeth, blaming him for Punk’s AEW departure. The defendants then allegedly embarked on a “blackmail” campaign of Nemeth, trying to get him out of professional wrestling. Nemeth believes Khan did everything he could to ensure he would “never again make a living in wrestling.”
Since leaving AEW, Ryan Nemeth has joined TNA. His brother, Nic Nemeth, also wrestles for TNA. CM Punk, meanwhile, rejoined WWE and is about to participate in the 2025 Men’s Elimination Chamber match.
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