GCW Boss Responds To AEW Pulling Ricky Starks From Upcoming Booking
Ricky Starks won’t be appearing for GCW going forward.
On November 23rd, Ricky Starks appeared at a GCW event before it was announced that he’ll face Matt Cardona on December 14th. But now, not only will that match not be happening, but Starks won’t be working for GCW at all.
Three days later it was reported that Ricky Starks had been pulled from the match and other planned appearances. The report noted that derogatory comments from GCW regular Effy about AEW and Tony Khan’s father were at the heart of the fallout.
The complicate matters further, the whole situation is playing out against huge speculation about Starks’ AEW future. Despite appearing to not want to use him on television, it’s been reported that the company took up a one-year option on Starks’ contract in the spring.
Brett Lauderdale Responds To Ricky Starks Chaos
During an appearance on the Game Changer Weekly podcast, GCW boss Brett Lauderdale responded to Starks being pulled from the bookings.
“Ricky Starks has worked for GCW before. So, he’s no stranger. We know him and we had a little bit of a relationship. And he’s also pretty tight friends with a few of the people in our locker room.
He, like many others, reached out to us and asked if we’d be interested and, of course, we’d love to have a guy like Ricky Starks, who we know how talented he is, we know how popular he is.”
Lauderdale went on to suggest that independent contractors aren’t being allowed to be very independent, adding that while he’s never spoken to Tony Khan, he always considered GCW and AEW to be on the same team.
“Theoretically an independent contractor is independent, and they can go and work wherever they want. But in wrestling, these independent contractors don’t seem to be very independent. They’re at the whim of an employer, which sure makes it seem like they are an employee…
I don’t really have a line of communication with AEW. I’ve never talked to Tony Khan on the phone or via text in my entire life. They don’t talk to me. I’m not trying to say that necessarily in a negative context but, I guess, we’ve never really had to talk.
I haven’t been on the phone with AEW where they’ve given me an explanation or asked me any questions or anything. I have no communication with AEW over this. I don’t know where it goes beyond Ricky Starks.
But, of course, Sunday was Bloodsport in Jersey city and Jon Moxley was there, and Marina was there, and some others, many others, actually, were there, both on and off camera. So, I’m not sure what the deal is. Of course, I’ve heard things. I’ve heard things in many different directions but, again, without me hearing it directly from AEW, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.”
“I’ve always considered GCW and AEW to be on the same team. So, I don’t know if this is meant to punish Ricky Starks, is it meant to punish GCW, is it somewhere in-between? I just don’t know because again, I just don’t have that line of communication. It certainly doesn’t feel great.
I would love to know if there is something that we should have done or something we should be doing or whatever. But we got to the point where this stuff was agreed upon and announced and fans were looking forward to this. So whenever that happens, to promote something and then have to pull it back, it’s not ideal.”
With regard to the comments from Effy playing a role in Starks being pulled from the bookings, Lauderdale said he’s only heard snippets of what the star said. Although he did note that Effy is an independent contractor so is free to give his own thoughts and opinions without them being linked to GCW.
H/t to f4wonline