On November 26, GCW announced that Starks had been pulled from his upcoming GCW dates. Starks made a surprise appearance at GCW Dream On, confronting Broski Jimmy, saying he wasn't going to just sit out, and setting up a match with Matt Cardona.
Fightful Select reported, "Among the reasons we're told that AEW pulled Starks were comments made by Effy towards Tony Khan's father, Shad."
Appearing on Bodyslam's Game Changer Weekly, Effy addressed the situation.
"I can’t speak for Ricky Starks, right? I want the best for Ricky. That may be at AEW, that may be at WWE, that may be out here on the indies, that may be with GCW. And I don’t think that dream is out the window and you know, to everyone who’s saying “oh, it’s EFFY’s fault he can’t be here,” this is how things are done in wrestling and it’s something that, you know, he’s going to have to go work out on his own. AEW’s going to have to work out with him. They are correct, he is under contract with them. But, you know, I haven’t seen him on TV in a ten month period. I haven’t seen him doing much and the timing is to me, a little laughable and I was surprised as many people were taking it as seriously as they were, seeing okay, here’s a clip from a podcast, over a week old, here’s Ricky Starks releasing an interview with Chris Van Vilet, where I don’t think he was rude at all, I think he was very honest and direct about his situation and you know, you know who approved him being at GCW, but, somebody was not excited about his contract being leaked, that they’d added on the additional option, which they legally have a right to do. It’s all the timing of that happening at the exact same time and then using me as a blame, you know, go ahead, buddy. You can blame me. I can handle the blame, I can take the heat. I’ve been called every name in the book before this and it doesn’t, like, it surprised me this time too because I’m opening twitter and at one point on Tuesday im trending #4 in the nation. Not Tony khan, not Ricky Starks, not AEW, EFFY. EFFY is trending fourth in the United States because there’s a lot of reaction to this and the reaction is kind of split between “this is very silly, clearly not, this is not the straw that broke the camels back of, we’re taking all our talent away” because you had guys working Bloodsport, you had Ricky showing up at the Mall. This was, someone pointed out a way out, and they took the way out and that’s fine. And, you know, I’m not someone who’s going to go back on what I say. I said what I said and I don’t think I said anything crazy. I just think there’s certain triggers that people have, that you have to be mindful of, especially if you’re in business with them. But, I’m not in business with these people and, you know, sometimes I feel like the little choir, the little village boy, who’s out speaking for the people throwing rocks at the side of the castle and you wouldn’t notice it if you’re in the castle, unless you look out and see them and yell and point me out and, you’re just giving me press.
"You’re just pointing to me as the direct reason is only going to help EFFY out. I flip this on its head, it’s fine. And I think even the news articles that were confirming with them were a little confused and going, 'Is this, this is the reason you want us to print? This is the reason you want us to put with this, specifically.' This wasn’t like a side 'oh, maybe it’s this, maybe we saw this.' This is a specific reason given for why he was pulled from the show, and I clearly am a person who’s GCW for life, man. I’m independent for life. I made this very clear. So, someone like me, who’s not looking at any future job opportunities currently, who’s not looking to work for the major companies, who’s not looking to sign any contracts, I understand the downsides of being that kind of independent, but I also see me as an easy person to go “okay, we can throw the blame on him, he’s not someone who’s our employee, who we have to deal with, who knows anybody or is dealing with anything here.” It’s easy to throw it on the indie boy and I can take the heat. But, also, like, I speak for myself. So, when you put this on me, I am going to make my own observations, look at what’s around me on the facts, and say, 'I don’t think this was really an EFFY problem.'
Starks was set for three GCW shows, two of which had not been announced at the time he was pulled from appearances.
Effy went on to address his comments towards Shad and Tony Khan, where he said that Tony was "being paid to stay away."
"No, I have plenty to say. First I want to cackle a little joke, I was talking to my uncle last week with my dad, and they said, 'Yeah, you know, Billy, he’ll get real fired up about something and he’ll say something that sounds just emotionally like he’s fully invested and then once he says it, he does not care even a little bit anymore.' I find myself making grand opinionated statements, and especially being in an environment like doing a podcast, like, I’m just a across the table, you can see the videos on YouTube, just across the table from my roommate, who we are very good friends, we get along very well. Not the biggest wrestling fan, you know, he’s seen wrestling, he loves wrestling that he’s seen, but he’s not seeking it out on a regular basis. So, a lot of the times when we’re talking it’s very casual. And that’s on me for forgetting that sometimes things go up and they have a much larger audience than we’re used to on just a long term show. 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," he said.
AEW is set to run three events at Hammerstein Ballroom at the end of December, less than 30 days before GCW returns to the venue in January 2025.
"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," he said.
Effy continued, "I’m fairly certain, and I may be speaking vague here, when Ronda Rousey wanted to make a big return, right in the week of her wrestling revolver match with Billie Starkz, my TikTok started going viral about Ronda Rousey. About how at the time, she’s since renounced it, at the time, she did not believe Sandy Hook happened. She had questioned the existence of a school shouting. At the time, she had made very transphobic statements towards partners or people in fights that we’re asking to have fights with her. And at the time, and still, she was a terrible professional wrestler. This video goes up, she has one Ring of Honor match that weekend, and then the week after, for some reason, she has announced as retiring from wrestling. I’m not saying they had anything to do with each other. But, if they did, this is probably a long time coming for Tony Khan to take it out on EFFY for ruining one of his little things, cause I brought up facts. This is me being on the radar of a company that doesn’t want to acknowledge my existence."
Rousey teamed with Marina Shafir against Athena and Billie Starkz in November 2023 for a match that aired on ROH on HonorClub. In August, Rousey apologized for posting a Sandy Hook conspiracy video eleven years ago.
Effy continued, "You don’t say my name backstage, I don’t exist until I need to exist and when I’m a reason for you to pull Ricky Starks from shows, therefore EFFY’s words are very important. They’re so cunning, they’re so jarring, and I just don’t understand, with some of the things Tony Khan has personally said about other people, that he would have the thin skin that is required for this to be what sets him off. But, once again, I’m also understanding that this is probably something he’s been told many times in his life by people. I can’t imagine having a billionaire father and not hearing something like this earlier, and I’m sorry that I was the one that got it through to you. But, I don’t think I’m saying anything outlandish, I don’t think I’m saying anything false, I don’t think I’m saying anything that should risk the reputation of an entire company. I’m someone who works at a company, I don’t represent GCW. I represent EFFY. And that’s how EFFY feels and I think it’s, you know, clear that I’m not doing someone else’s bidding. But it is odd to me that this was chosen as such an important thing or such a terrible thing and how could I bring family into this, when he’s been on the show, too. You’re a character on the show and these things are very public. And I’m allowed to be emotional and mad and you want to take it out on us, great. I do not think in the long term, this is going to make you look good. I think people will defend your honor right now, but in the long term, what it looks like is, anybody who works for us or doesn’t work for us, needs to speak about us a certain way or there will be problems. I don’t like the way that feels. Feels a little fascistic to me, feels a little control the free speech and it’s a private industry, they’re a private business.
"They can make and choose business decisions however they want. But, if they think that punishing someone or punishing a company because someone said something is a good look for them long term, I don’t think that’s the case. And I may look wrong here, but, looking at kind of the guys that have gotten out of contract, your Ethan Pages becoming NXT Champion, your CM Punk’s being in WWE and moving a lot of ratings now, Cody Rhodes becoming WWE champion, If I was Tony khan I’d be scared shitless right now with the Royal Rumble around the corner, of anybody getting out of their contracts. So, I understand they’ve got their right to their business to make sure these people are staying on contract and not disappearing or hearing bad things out on the indies about their company or whatever it may be, yeah I understand pulling Ricky, I understand blaming EFFY, I still can think the whole thing is so fucking silly and stupid and juvenile and none of that is reflective on GCW’s views, that’s just what EFFY thinks."
Fans can find Brett Lauderdale's comments on the situation by clicking here.
Fightful will provide more details on the situation when they are known.
