Tony Khan Accused of “Fascistic” Tactics Amid Ricky Starks’ GCW Pull-Out Controversy

Controversial indie wrestler Effy has been making headlines for the past week after his scathing remarks about AEW President Tony Khan’s father, Shad Khan led to Ricky Starks being removed from future GCW bookings. It now appears that Effy has accused Tony Khan of fascistic tactics amidst the entire situation concerning Ricky Starks.

While speaking on the Game Changer Weekly podcast, Effy revealed his thoughts on Tony Khan. He started with a joke about his uncle and father, explaining that he sometimes makes bold statements, especially on podcasts, without thinking about the impact. One of his controversial comments was about Tony Khan’s father paying him to stay away from certain things. Effy clarified that he didn’t mean it personally, just sharing his opinion.

Effy then said that Tony Khan might not be the best fit for his roles, suggesting that he got them because of his father’s influence. He also mentioned AEW’s big financial losses last year and said that if GCW faced those same losses, the company wouldn’t survive. Effy criticized AEW for announcing a show at Hammerstein Ballroom just one month before GCW’s event there, calling the timing strange and frustrating.

Effy explained that GCW is a much smaller company compared to AEW, relying on ticket and streaming revenue. He made it clear that he doesn’t own GCW but is paid for his wrestling matches. He also thought it was excessive when AEW pulled Ricky Starks from shows because of his comments.

“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.” And 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. 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.”

Effy reflected on how he often speaks his mind, bringing up the incident with Ronda Rousey’s controversial views and how his TikTok video might have affected her career. He suggested that Tony Khan might be punishing him for speaking out. He was also disappointed that Tony Khan seemed to get too upset over criticism. He also accused Tony Khan of fascistic tactics regarding the entire situation surrounding Ricky Starks.

“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 s*** Effy wants and it only matters if it benefits you to shun Effy from talking s***. I talk s***all the time. 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. 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.

And 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. And 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 s******* right now with the Royal Rumble around the corner, of anybody getting out of their contracts. 

In the end, Effy said his comments were just his personal opinion and weren’t meant to hurt GCW’s reputation. He criticized the idea of controlling what people can say about the company, calling it an attack on free speech. He finished by saying the situation felt childish and that it only reflected his own views, not GCW’s.

“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.”

Effy also ended up replacing Ricky Starks for GCW Highest in the Room 3 on December 14, where he will square off against Matt Cardona. Regardless, it’s quite clear that Effy feels Tony Khan should have handled the situation better and many fans might agree with his remarks.