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All Elite Wrestling has filed a lawsuit against the production company behind Queen of the Ring, alleging it is owed more than $105,000 in unpaid sponsorship fees and expenses tied to a promotional agreement for the wrestling biopic. PostWrestling.com first reported on the lawsuit, which was filed 6/26 in Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit in Duval County.
AEW alleges that Ring Productions LLC breached a sponsorship agreement by failing to pay the remaining balance owed under a $350,000 marketing deal. AEW is seeking $100,000 in unpaid sponsorship fees, $5,262.51 in contractual talent travel expenses, and interest on the overdue amounts at the 1.5% monthly rate specified in the contract.
According to the lawsuit, Ring Productions signed the sponsorship agreement in January 2025 to promote Queen of the Ring. In exchange for approximately $350,000, AEW agreed to provide extensive promotional support across its television programming and digital platforms. The campaign included sponsored matches on AEW broadcasts, front-row appearances by members of the film's cast during televised events, in-arena screenings of the movie's trailer, and social media promotion from AEW talent, among other marketing benefits. A number of AEW stars appeared at the film's NYC premiere as well.
While Ring Productions paid $250,000 by 5/23/25, AEW alleges the company missed a February 2025 deadline to complete the second half of those payments. The remaining $100,000 has allegedly never been paid. According to the lawsuit, AEW attempted multiple times to collect the outstanding balance before turning to litigation. That complaint states AEW sent four follow-up emails to Ring Productions between September and December 2025 but received no response. AEW then retained outside counsel, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, which sent a formal demand letter on 3/4/26, giving Ring Productions seven days to pay the outstanding amount. The lawsuit alleges Ring Productions COO Paul Leighton acknowledged that the company owed AEW $105,262.51 but that no further communication followed after that.
The film was officially released on Blu-Ray today by Kino Lorber after short theatrical runs in the United States and The UK.
Queen of the Ring was written and directed by Ash Avildsen (No Cover, the in-development Genghis Khan and Paradise City, among other projects), telling the story of influential groundbreaking women's star Mildred Burke. He is the son of Rocky and Karate Kid director John Avildsen. The screenplay by Avildsen was based on the excellent Jeff Leen book of the same title on Burke's life, which was released back in 2009. Arrow star Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak in the excellent DC series) played Burke in the film. AEW star Kamille played her rival June Byers while Jim Cornette, Mickie James, Naomi, Josh Lucas, Francesca Eastwood and Deborah Ann Woll, among others, also rounded out the cast.
The plot of the film - "The true story of the tough, gutsy Mildred Burke, the first world famous female pro wrestler and million dollar athlete, who becomes a champion of a growing entertainment franchise in the 1930s-1950s. Married to business partner BILLY WOLFE, the brilliant but vicious entrepreneur who pioneered women wrestlers, Mildred endured his infidelity and physical abuse despite the rise of her own power until she couldn't take it any more. With courage, panache and a loyal following, Mildred challenged the all-male hierarchy of the wrestling world as she became the first woman to headline over men."
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