AEW and Jon Moxley have suffered a legal setback after a judge denied their request to move a civil lawsuit filed by former AEW production crew member Christopher Dispensa from Michigan to Florida.

According to POST Wrestling, Wayne County Judge Catherine Heise rejected the motion. This was in an order filed on October 5, following a hearing on September 17. The lawsuit will remain in Michigan. This is where the incident at the center of the dispute allegedly occurred during an episode of AEW Dynamite in May 2023.

Dispensa filed the lawsuit in May 2025, alleging that Moxley pushed him to the floor during a match against Kenny Omega at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Dispensa claims the incident caused serious neck and shoulder injuries that required surgery. The allegations have not been established in court. Moreover, the latest ruling does not determine whether Moxley or AEW are liable.

AEW and Moxley had asked the court to dismiss the case or pause proceedings so the lawsuit could be refiled in Florida. Their request cited Dispensa’s residence in Florida, the location of most of his treating physicians, and AEW’s headquarters in the state. However, the judge concluded that Michigan remained the appropriate venue for the case.

Judge Heise noted that the alleged incident, the arena, and several likely fact witnesses are all located in Detroit. She also pointed out that medical witnesses based in Florida could testify remotely, reducing the need to transfer the proceedings to another state.

The judge also raised concerns about the timing of the request. AEW and Moxley filed their motion to move the case to Florida on July 7, nearly 10 months after AEW answered Dispensa’s complaint in September 2025. Heise determined that the defendants had waited too long to seek the transfer.

Another factor involved the application of state law. Since the alleged incident occurred in Michigan, transferring the case could require a Florida court to apply Michigan law to the dispute. The defendants also indicated they would not invoke Florida’s three-year statute of limitations as a defense if the case moved there, but Heise expressed concern about whether a Florida court would honor that arrangement.

Dispensa’s lawsuit includes claims of civil assault and battery against Moxley, along with negligence and gross negligence claims against both Moxley and AEW. He has also accused the promotion of negligent hiring, training, supervision, and retention.

The parties previously attended a settlement conference on July 29, 2026, but discussions were held for further settlement. A second court-supervised settlement conference is scheduled for December 22, 2026.