GCW promoter addresses Avery Styles situation
Brett Lauderdale, the promoter of Game Changer Wrestling, believes Avery Styles has a bright future ahead of him
A mini-controversy erupted on social media over the weekend when wrestler Arik Cannon (who runs his own indie promotion in Minnesota) called out Styles for supposedly skirting responsibilities and refusing to pay his dues by not helping to set up chairs at a GCW event. GCW told our Dave Meltzer that, while they like and respect Cannon, he does not speak for the promotion.
Lauderdale has now sent out a couple of tweets addressing the situation, saying that — whiles Styles is under a microscope because of his famous father (AJ Styles) — he believes Avery deserves the same grace that any teenager just starting out their wrestling career would get:
- I respect arik cannon & i respect aj styles. Regardless of which side of this situation you’re on…
- Avery Styles is a kid and he deserves the same grace that would be afforded to any other teenager being thrown in to the deep end at this early stage in his career (and LIFE)
- hes gonna make mistakes along the way just as all rookies in this business will, but the difference is he will be held to a higher standard because of who his dad is
- from talking to avery personally, im certain hes going to learn from them all and continue to grow on his journey
Brett Lauderdale says Avery Styles earned GCW spot —
Lauderdale also pushed back against the idea that Avery, who just made his in-ring debut in June, is only getting GCW bookings because of who his father is:
- He earned his spot on the show because I’ve never seen a wrestler with less than 10 matches under his belt show so much natural talent and ability. He was highly recommended & endorsed by people whos opinions i value.
- There is no privilege here. If he sucked, he wouldnt be here
Avery’s first two GCW matches took place at the end of July/start of August. He defeated Alexander Lev and then lost to Marcus Mathers.
Though AJ Styles retired from the ring earlier this year and now works in a behind-the-scenes role for WWE, the idea of teaming with Avery or his other children at a big WWE event could potentially entice AJ to return for one more match down the line.
I respect arik cannon & i respect aj styles. Regardless of which side of this situation you're on…
— brett lauderdale (@Lauderdale11) August 11, 2026
Avery Styles is a kid and he deserves the same grace that would be afforded to any other *teenager* being thrown in to the deep end at this early stage in his career (and LIFE)
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.