Former AEW star Ricky Starks made his debut in WWE NXT on last week’s episode after being sidelined by AEW for months. Starks had requested his release from AEW, but CEO Tony Khan initially refused to grant it.
It was widely believed that Starks would have to wait out the remainder of his contract before pursuing other opportunities, including the possibility of going to WWE. During this time, Starks made it clear that he wanted to wrestle, even booking independent dates while being kept off AEW TV.
According to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Khan expected Starks to leave AEW for WWE once his contract expired due to his close friendship with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
This week on NXT, Starks introduced his new ring name: Ricky Saints. Following the show, he appeared on Busted Open Radio, where he denied that his AEW status had been affected by his past appearances at WWE events, such as the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania to support Rhodes.
Starks emphasized that Khan had approved his presence at those events and claimed that certain AEW veterans interfered with his creative direction.