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AEW Pull Ricky Starks From Indie Show After Controversial Comments

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 27th November 2024
Ricky Starks

The saga of Ricky Starks in AEW has taken a new twist after he was pulled from appearances in GCW amid uproar over comments about Tony Khan’s father.

Ricky Starks hasn’t wrestled in AEW since teaming with Big Bill to take on Top Flight on the March 30th edition of Collision. At the time there were rumours Starks had suffered an injury, but he’s repeatedly denied that this is the case.

Ricky Starks has admitted he doesn’t know why he’s been left on the shelf by AEW but has recently picked up his career on the independent scene. AEW approves talent’s indie appearances and now it seems some controversy over comments made by GCW’s Effy have led to Starks being pulled from their shows.

In the hours before Full Gear, Starks made a surprise appearance at a GCW event in The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The AEW star interrupted Jimmy Lloyd before cutting a heated promo where he claimed he refused to be frozen out.

Ricky Starks No Longer Working GCW Shows

However, GCW has now been forced to announce that Starks has been pulled from three company appearances, one that had been advertised and two that had not. Fightful Select has reported that Starks was told of the decision on November 26th and it was one made by AEW.

The report noted that comments made by Effy about Tony Khan and his father Shad were likely the reason the decision was made.

Effy has since posted the supposedly offending comments on social media while urging fans to support Ricky Starks. The heart of Effy’s comments comes from unhappiness that AEW booked Hammerstein Ballroom for shows on the 21st and 22nd of December. GCW will run the same venue on the 19th of January 2025.

Ricky Starks will still make his debut in another indie promotion as his AEW absence continues. Starks’ contract with the company is expected to run until the spring of 2025.