By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW has fired broadcast team member Kevin Kelly. Wade Keller of PWTorch.com reports that Kelly’s social media posts, in which he accused Ian Riccaboni of libel, ultimately cost him his job. “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,” Kelly wrote.
In another tweet, Kelly added: “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, keep asking why but get pushed aside. It’s okay, because there is no one better than me. Ask the ones that know and they’ll tell you.” Read more at PWTorch.com.
Powell’s POV: The dynamic has clearly changed between Kelly and Riccaboni. I interviewed Riccaboni for the Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast for the first time in 2018 and he was very complimentary of the role that Kelly played in helping his career going back to their time in Ring of Honor. Kelly landed the job of the lead voice of AEW Collision because Riccaboni reportedly passed on the gig due to his desire to be home with his family. Kelly started as the voice of Collision on June 17, 2023. He got off to a rocky start and was replaced in the lead role by Tony Schiavone on October 14, 2023.
Imaging getting fired for a Twitter outburst by a boss who has a couple of complete meltdowns on Twitter at least once a month.
I think there’s more to it than just the social media outburst, but fair point.
Professional wrestling is a BILLION dollar business. It continually amazes me how many of the employees of every company still act like high school children. Grown men in a “twitter feud” – give me a break.