What is the controversy around Tony Khan's father that could impact AEW's future? Possible reason explored

The wrestling world was marred by another controversial incident surrounding AEW owner Tony Khan and his family. A popular talent from the promotion, Ricky Starks, was set to compete in GCW in December this year. This is not an isolated occurrence as notable AEW stars like Jon Moxley and MVP, among others, have made appearances on Game Changer Wrestling.

Starks was announced for three dates across Los Angeles, Seattle, and The Hammerstein Ballroom. Just a few hours earlier, reports surfaced that an altercation sparked by Effy's remarks led to Starks' being taken out of the bookings. Effy (real name Taylor Gibson) has been associated with GCW since 2019. Shortly after news picked up about Starks being removed from scheduled events, a clip of the 34-year-old star's recent podcast appearance went viral, where he allegedly took a few shots at the Khan family, specifically Shahid Khan.

Effy indicated that GCW was not running in a 'deficit,' unlike other promotions, subtly hinting at AEW. He also added that Brett Lauderdale, the owner of GCW, does not have a football team nor does he have his father's help.

"My company, I don't run a company, our company GCW can't run on a 40 Million Dollar deficit and continue to run shows, but some of us have the privilege of being able to run at a 40 Million Dollar deficit. Brett (Lauderdale) does not own a football team. Brett doesn't have a dad who pays him to stay away. I don't want this to be a personal thing." (00:01 - 00:24)

The aforementioned statement has spawned wild speculation online that it was behind this rift between GCW and AEW. The former issued a statement highlighting Ricky Starks' removal from the events but it doesn't make any mention of the cause for the same.

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What is next for AEW star Ricky Starks?

Ricky Starks sparked rumors of potentially jumping ship to WWE early last year when he was spotted at the Royal Rumble with his good friend, Cody Rhodes.

The 34-year-old had his last AEW match in March this year on Collision. He participated in a tag team title tournament with Big Bill. That was the last the promotion saw of him before his next handful of appearances on Big Time Wrestling and Glory Pro Wrestling.

The young star's contract with the Jacksonville-based promotion was extended to the summer of next year, thus ending all conjecture of him moving to WWE any time soon at least. In the aftermath of this GCW incident, Ricky Starks could make his AEW return sooner rather than later.

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