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A production crew member who has worked with All Elite Wrestling since 2019 has filed a civil lawsuit against the company and AEW World Champion Jon Moxley (Jonathan Good). In it, he alleges various degrees of negligence by AEW and Moxley, alongside civil assault and battery against Moxley concerning an incident on AEW Dynamite in 2023.

The lawsuit was filed against the parties on May 30 in the Wayne County Circuit Court by Christopher Dispensa, a longtime wrestling and entertainment production crew member who started doing contract work with AEW in 2019. Dispensa is not a direct employee of AEW, and provided services to Broadcast Service Group, which supplies crew for AEW. His legal team, Raitt Law, PLLC, told The Takedown on SI he has not done work with AEW since Dec. 5, 2024, and was demoted by Broadcast Service Group to the role of carpenter without explanation. As of Monday morning, it had not yet received a response to the filing from the promotion.

Dispensa claims he suffered severe neck and shoulder injuries as a result of being shoved to the ground unexpectedly by Moxley during a match with Kenny Omega. Dispensa alleges in the lawsuit that the incident resulted in him requiring cervical fusion surgery, shoulder surgery, and treatment for other unspecified injuries.

Dispensa said the injuries occurred on the May 10, 2023 edition of AEW Dynamite in Detroit. There, Moxley faced Omega in a cage match, which ended up spilling to the outside. Moxley went to grab a screwdriver to use on Omega, and in doing so, shoved Dispensa to the ground. The lawsuit claims Moxley was supposed to only grab the screwdriver, and Dispensa took an unplanned fall as a result of being shoved. His legal team alleges this is an example of civil assault and battery, claiming that in allegedly deviating from the script, Moxley either showed intent to harm Dispensa, or “at a minimum a complete disregard for whether harm was a result.”

The lawsuit alleges that Moxley “had a history of disciplinary issues before this incident involving other people while under [AEW’s] employ, agency and/or contractual relationship.” It also says that “past disciplinary offenses by [Moxley] include a documented history of unpredictability as well as a lack of control by Defendant AEW, all of which were known or should have been known to Defendant AEW at the time of this assault.”

However, multiple high-level AEW sources with knowledge of Moxley’s working history with the company (and not speaking in an official capacity on AEW’s behalf) told The Takedown on SI they were unaware of any history of disciplinary issues with Moxley, noting he is respected within the promotion by talent and management. One referred to him as a “locker room leader” and disputed the characterization of Moxley given in the lawsuit.

The filing also claims Moxley and AEW are responsible for exhibiting gross negligence, suggesting, “By going off-script and violently shoving Plaintiff, who was only a crew member, to the ground, [Moxley] demonstrated a substantial lack of concern for whether a severe injury would result to a production crew member at the event.” It adds, “In taking no precautions or preventative measures to protect production staff, Defendant AEW’s actions likewise show a reckless disregard for the safety of production staff which goes beyond simple inadvertence.”

The complaint also accuses AEW of negligence in hiring and training Moxley. A portion of Count I claims AEW has a responsibility to “exert reasonable control over its employees, agents, and/or contracted individuals to ensure the safety of other performers, production crew, and the general audience.” The 39-year-old Moxley has been wrestling since 2004, and has worked for not only AEW but WWE, TNA, New Japan-Pro Wrestling, and other major promotions throughout his career.

Dispensa’s legal representation tells The Takedown on SI that he claims AEW upper management was aware of the incident, but says he never discussed it with them. He alleges to have met with Tony Khan and AEW General Counsel Chris Peck about potential full-time employment opportunities in the months after the incident, but acknowledged there was never a prior conversation about the injuries he says he sustained.

His attorney also noted Dispensa said he never filed an official incident report that night because he had another job on tour he had to get back to, but he claimed that he spoke with three individuals that evening about getting hurt.

His legal team said Dispensa relayed his alleged injuries to ringside physician Dr. Michael Sampson, director of performance psychology Chris Manzione, and a member of the athletic training staff. Dispensa claims Sampson was upset over the situation, saying that all stunts or interactions outside of the ring must be approved by Sampson beforehand. Sampson was near Dispensa when the incident occurred. He said Sampson asked him to go see the training staff.

Dispensa’s representation told The Takedown on SI that he was eventually told he would not be treated any longer by the AEW athletic training staff, and that the incident was never acknowledged again. It also said Dispensa and Moxley never discussed the incident beyond briefly after the segment.

Dispensa’s team said he is looking to obtain compensation for “injuries suffered due to actions of the wrestler and the company he worked for,” and the filing says the “amount in controversy exceeds $25,000.” It claims he incurred damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, disability, permanent and serious disfigurement, wage loss and lost earnings capacity, pain and suffering, eexmplary damages for mental and emotional anxiety, humiliation and/or indignity, diminution to business reputation and opportunities, other economic and noneconomic damages not yet known, and all other damages available under Michigan Law.

The Takedown on SI reached out to an AEW spokesperson regarding the lawsuit and the allegations detailed in this piece, to which they replied, “AEW does not comment on pending litigation.”

Moxley is scheduled to defend the AEW World Championship against “Hangman” Adam Page at AEW All In on July 12. A status conference for the lawsuit is currently scheduled for Aug. 29.