Ricky Starks hasn’t appeared for AEW since March of last year, with the former Tag Team Champion in the dark about the reason for his absence. While there’s still no sign of when fans will see the ‘Absolute’ wrestler again, AEW has made efforts to distance themselves from Starks on their merchandise website.
AEW has pulled all merchandise for Ricky Starks from their online ‘Global’ store. Web archives show that as of September 2024, AEW listed seven t-shirts on their site. An error message on Starks’ profile reads:
“While this AEW wrestler’s merchandise isn’t available on Global ShopAEW just yet, you can discover their incredible collection and more at ShopAEW USA!.”
Going to AEW’s U.S. based store, fans will find just one shirt for Starks, another downgrade from what was previously available for the wrestler.
Starks has reportedly requested his release from AEW, a request that Tony Khan turned down despite not using him. Starks’ AEW situation has affected his work outside the promotion, including being pulled from GCW events by Khan. This move is said to have happened after a comment made by EFFY about Khan’s father at an event.
Effy On Ricky Starks, GCW, and AEW Heat: Go Ahead, Blame Me
While Starks continues to compete on the independents, questions remains as to when, if ever, he will appear for AEW again. In the meantime, AEW will continue to produce events and merchandise, but fans will have to go elsewhere to find shirts of the missing Ricky Starks.