For those who don’t want to click.

KK had been hired on by AEW on the recommendation of Ian Riccaboni. Ian had been the original commentary choice but he didn’t want to go on the road full time. He recommended Kevin to TK and he was subsequently hired on.

Kevin is also known (aside from his horrible ‘destino’ calls on commentary) for posting on social media many things that are controversial (e.g. Q anon conspiracy shit, anti-vax garbage and shitty political takes), which (very tldr’d) Ian commented about online on social media/web forums describing KK’s views, and KK later complained online that Ian’s posts got him sidelined and tried sagotaging his career,

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

implying he could possibly be suing. Kelly also posted about his dissatisfaction with how he was being used in AEW.

“But the idea of what I bring to the table is lost there because Ian libeled me,” wrote Kelly. “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.”

As of late yesterday afternoon Kevin Kelly was removed from AEW’s profiles (a not-uncommon event) but it was confirmed this morning that his employment had been terminated.

tl;dr’ing the tl;dr - trash took itself out.

  • ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    9 months ago

    How long has Kevin been known to be a shithead? Because I’m a little surprised that Ian would have recommended him in the first place if he knew about it.

    • GeekFTW@lemmy.zipOPM
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      9 months ago

      It’s mostly been, to my own recollection, mostly since the rise of QAnon bullshit.

      • JelloBrains@lemmy.zip
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        9 months ago

        Yeah, I’d also say that’s about when his announcing started to take a nosedive too.

        It amazes me how people I know have fallen into that MAGA Q Cult and believe they’ve thought and acted that way their whole lives when we know they haven’t.

        • GeekFTW@lemmy.zipOPM
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          9 months ago

          Sucks cause he used to be fantastic, then he destino’d his way into the trash bin.

      • katy ✨@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        9 months ago

        yeah covid basically mushed peoples brains when all they did was sit at home on facebook and listen to talk radio

        it’s about when rowling went bananas in the uk too.

  • JelloBrains@lemmy.zip
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    9 months ago

    Putting the crazy Q’Anon-believing craziness aside, I’d have made him sit the contract out because being terminated allows him to play the “woke” mobsters took my job card. Also, I don’t think firing him paints AEW in a better light as they still employ Jericho and probably others that are or appear to be far right.

    • GeekFTW@lemmy.zipOPM
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      9 months ago

      You aren’t wrong, but AEW does need to start putting their foot down given how much TK lays down for the talent, and this may be the necessary first step.

      As for the ‘woke monsters’ card, let’s be real KK is gonna toss that one on the poker table no matter what lol.