It was officially revealed last week that AEW star Ricky Starks would be withdrawing from any planned GCW performances. While speaking on the GCW Weekly podcast, GCW wrestler Effy addressed claims that his prior comments about the Khan family caused a conflict with Starks.
“You know, the statement I made that seemingly was what pissed him off, was about his dad paying him to stay away and I think those words were appointed and to clarify, I would like to say that I don’t think that Tony Khan has ever been the best person that interviewed for a job in that’s why he got it. I think he’s been given a lot of positions in companies his father owns, I think he’s been given a lot of fluff PR positions, I do not think that he was ever the best technical person for any of the jobs that he has listed. I think the first time he ever actually did any real work was firing CM Punk, that’s why it was so emotionally exhausting for him.
All I’m saying is, we were frustrated because there is not this radius clause that we thought was built in for this, that in three years, since GCW has run the Hammerstein Ballroom, they have not attempted to run this venue not one time and one month before we are announced to be there, after we are announced to be there publicly, after this is already set, they have announced three days to run at Hammerstein. It just seemed odd to me that one month before, over a three year period, was the only time this venue has ever come up. Yes, historically Ring Of Honor has run there. ECW has run there, WWE has run there, we have run there once. We are not the primary wrestling function there. But, it is weird timing to me, and I said, we could not be in the same position that Tony Khan was in.”
“Because yes, AEW lost 36 million dollars last year. That’s public knowledge, public information. If GCW lost money like that, we would not exist. We rely on our streaming money. We rely on ticket money. We pay fairly. It is not my company, I don’t own this company. You know what I do? I run shows occasionally with Brett, and I’m paid fairly to do that. I am paid fairly to show up and wrestle matches, I’m advertised, I’m an independent contractor, I do not get a paycheck from GCW, I’m not paid to do appearances for GCW, I’m booked by GCW. I’m appreciative of that.
What I’m saying is, they are in a different boat. We are filling the small venues that we are filling everywhere around the world that we’re going to. They are smaller venues. They are not filling the larger venues, so they are running around the country, they are larger venues they’re a television company, why is the timing one month before, the only time in three we have chosen to run this venue, I don’t know. Did it upset me? Personally it did. Does it make me want to work harder and put on an even better show for our people? Absolutely. I’m going to be a little shady, but it is odd to me that these statements, a week or more after they were released, were chosen in this context with 200 likes on TikTok, with a few more likes on Twitter, I’ll give him that, to be the reasoning to pull Ricky Starks. I think it’s clear that like, EFFY can talk all the shit EFFY wants and it only matters if it benefits you to shun EFFY from talking shit. I talk shit all the time.”
You can check out the complete podcast below:
(quotes courtesy of Jeremy Lambert)
