Despite being seven-foot-tall, Big Bill knows what it’s like to fight from underneath and his baby nephew Connor is doing the same after only just being born at 28 weeks.

Big Bill, real name William Morrissey, who is nearing five years of sobriety, spoke with me ahead of his trios tag match involving The Learning Tree taking on The Congolmoration on the upcoming episode of AEW Collision.

Big Bill is no stranger to Arthur Ashe Stadium as Queens, NY is his almost literal backyard, but did give details about Connor who is now home after spending nearly three months in the neonatal unit for premature babies. Bill mentioned Connor was nominated for the 2024 Good Housekeeping Baby Of The Year Award and if Connor wins, the family will take home $25,000 to benefit his future. Big Bill also said how appreciative he is for the wrestling fans and the support they’ve already shown for baby Connor.

“No matter what side you’re on, or who you love or who you hate, the wrestling community always comes together for something like this so put it out there and a lot of people have responded so I’m really, really appreciative of that.”

You can vote for Baby Connor by going here (deadline is Sept. 26 at 7 PM Pacific Standard Time)

Big Bill Has Learned From Chris Jericho

Big Bill is also appreciative of his Learning Tree branches in Bryan Keith and Chris Jericho Bill mentioned Chris helped donate to Connor and planned on thanking him at Arthur Ashe, but did say what he’s actually learned from Jericho. A big takeaway is always playing it straight no matter how ridiculous a segment can be.

“I agree with him. No matter how goofy things may seem, no matter how silly, no matter how much you think someone may look at that and be, ‘Oh, that is so stupid.’ As long as you play it straight, you believe it and you believe it’s real, it’s going to work and I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing.

“The thing with a character like that is yeah, you can be funny, but when things get real you gotta lock in and I think we’re also very good at that.”

As for Keith, Bill knows that he’s one mean man, and “The Bad Apple” conveys viciousness, but has the charisma factor as well.

“T-shirt material. He’s got all these things that he says that can all be t-shirts. He’s killing it.”

The full conversatoin with Big Bill is below:

Big Bill’s new pairing with former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho signifies the end of his previous partnership with Ricky Starks. We’ve seen wrestlers teaming with multiple tag partners and being part of multiple ongoing storylines, but that won’t be the case here. Fightful Select reports Bill and Starks have officially parted ways and there are no plans for the former AEW tag champs to work together on television. After reaching the top of the mountain together, they’ve decided to go their separate ways.

While Big Bill is sitting under the Learning Tree, Starks is out of action recovering from a leg injury. That process is never fun, but he let his social media followers know he’s doing just fine while off the road.

Laid up with a fine lady, eating grapes. Pick a day https://t.co/K3FQNod6T9

— Ricky Saints (@starkmanjones) May 8, 2024

Big Bill in AEW

Big Bill has gone through a lot since his WWE release, and it was well-documented. He has also spoken candidly about overcoming those struggles.

After a run in the NWA and Impact Wrestling, AEW opened their doors to the former Realest Guy in the Room.

Big Bill made his AEW debut on May 4, 2022, as MJF’s pick to face Wardlow in a storyline for their Double or Nothing match. Although Bill lost that debut match to the Warddog, he wasn’t finished in Tony Khan’s company. By August, the 37-year-old signed with AEW, initially as part of Stokely Hathaway’s stable, The Firm.

In August 2023, Big Bill teamed up with Ricky Starks, who managed him after obtaining a manager’s license. They won the AEW World Tag Team Championship from FTR on October 7 and held it for 123 days before losing it to Sting and Darby Allin.

On April 24, 2024, Big Bill told FTW Champion Chris Jericho he wanted to join his Learning Tree. After assisting Jericho in a match, Jericho welcomed him into the group a week later. All signs point to the fact that Bill’s stories in AEW are far from over.

All Elite Wrestling fans are dumbfounded by the inactivity of Ricky Starks. The company hasn’t featured Starks since his tag team loss with Big Bill against Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) on the March 30 episode of AEW Collision. It was rumored that his absence was due to an injury. However, he has revealed that he is fine despite the speculations. 

In his last appearance, Starks seemed to have gotten hurt towards the end of the match. After he took the pin after a Tornado DDT from Darius, doctors checked on the former tag team champion. Starks would reveal later on Instagram that he wasn’t hurt and that the doctors were looking at him for precautions. However, AEW’s decision not to feature him for over a month has left fans wondering if he was injured. 

On X/Twitter, Starks shut down rumors of him being hurt. 

“To ease anyone’s mind, I’m not injured. Never was. Pick another narrative pleaseeeee,” wrote Starks.

Starks’s comments were in response to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson’s report that he was getting checked out by my AEW medical team last week. He shared that doctors saw him because it was his annual physical. He also noted that he squatted over 400 pounds during his visit. It’s unclear why the AEW superstar isn’t being featured on TV, but fans are wondering what the company’s plans are for him. 

AEW Seemingly Splitting Up Ricky Starks & Big Bill Tag Team

In recent weeks, Bill has started to look for guidance from ‘The Learning Tree’ Chris Jericho. He interrupted the current FTW Champion during an in-ring segment on the April 24 episode of AEW Dynamite. 

Although he didn’t address his status with Starks, Bill seemed ready to move on to be with Jericho. The company could build towards Starks eventually returning to confront Bill about switching allegiance. However, it does seem like their tag team may be over. The hope for fans is that AEW could bring back Starks to be more involved on TV soon. 

Get ready for a whole new learning experience courtesy of Chris Jericho.

The pro wrestling legend defeated HOOK for the FTW Championship at AEW Dynasty on Sunday and had some words of wisdom for the live crowd in Jacksonville, FL on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

All with a somewhat patronizing tongue, Jericho took to the ring to thank the fans for the love and support following his victory and spoke about the controversial meaning behind the letters “FTW.” Instead of the title standing for “F*** The World” he wants FTW to mean “For The World” because the championship now for all the fans.

Jericho then brought up the name of the late legendary Terry Funk and recounted when Funk told him it was time for him to start teaching the next generation of how to carry on the legacy of the pro wrestling business. He then thanked Terry Funk and thanked everyone in attendance.

Suddenly, out came former AEW World Tag Team Champion in Big Bill. What first felt like it was going to be a tense confrontation, Bill actually said that he’d love to learn under the learning tree of Chris Jericho. Chris noted that he respected the talent of Big Bill and told him that he’d very much consider that, but would like to see Bill prove it. Bill assured Jericho that he would do just that.

It’s serendipitous that Jericho did conjure up the name of Terry Funk. Back in 2019, Jericho was asked about being the modern-day version of Funk, who was notorious for always re-inventing himself later on in his career which helped to put ECW on the map.

“My mission has always been to reinvent and evolve. It’s David Bowie. It’s been one of my inspirations since I was 25 years old, when you realize that you have this guy that’s a genius and who constantly changes what he’s doing, what he looks like to keep the fans guessing.”

Chris Jericho Will Have A Challenger Next Week

Jericho will have a tough contender to go up against next week in his hometown of Winnipeg. Later during Dynamite, Katsuyori Shibata ending up revealing that he’ll face Jericho next week for that “For The World” Championship gold.

Katsuyori Shibata has issued a challenge to the FTW Champion Chris Jericho.

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@K_Shibata2022 pic.twitter.com/m5dKFQBvsd

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 25, 2024

Ricky Starks appeared to have legitimately gotten hurt on AEW Collision and it led to a change in the outcome of the AEW Tag Team Title tournament match.

According to Fightful Select, Ricky Starks and Big Bill were the planned team to advance in the tournament as they faced Top Flight in the opening round. 

Towards the end of the match, Starks was supposed to kick out of a pinfall attempt but he missed. The referee stopped the count despite Starks’ shoulder being on the mat which led to booing from the crowd. 

Ricky Starks then got up and took a DDT from Darius Martin before finally being pinned. Trainers were seen checking on the AEW star after the bell rang.

Even on the television broadcast, one could tell that Tony Schiavone was preparing to call for a kickout by Starks but sadly that didn’t happen. Big Bill and Starks were penciled in to face FTR in the next round of the tournament, but now it is Top Flight advancing. 

Starks and Big Bill had a credible run as AEW World Tag Team Champions before they dropped the titles to Sting and Darby Allin not long before Sting retired at AEW Revolution. 

So far the teams who have advanced in the tournament apart from Top Flight are The Young Bucks who defeated Private Party, The Best Friends who beat Undisputed Kingdom, and FTR who defeated The Infantry earlier in the evening.

Ricky Starks has since provided an update on his status and noted that he is doing fine. It’s possible that he may be kept away from ring for a while just to be sure. 

The show also featured a surprise appearance from a former IC Champion who answered Adam Copeland’s open challenge. You can check out full details of the segment here. 

Sting will wrestle his final match at AEW Revolution on March 3rd. Fans are gearing up for that big night in pro wrestling history, and it appears that Sting and Darby Allin will enter into that match as champions.

Sting & Darby Allin Win AEW Tag Team Gold

Big Bill and Ricky Starks put their AEW World Tag Team Titles on the line against Sting and Darby Allin during the February 7th episode of Dynamite. This match was the main event of the night.

AEW also received an overrun for the match, pitting the two teams against each other in a competitive tag team match. The crowd was also very excited to see the AEW World Tag Team Titles defended in such a high-stakes situation.

Sting and Darby Allin are on a roll!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@Sting | @DarbyAllin | @starkmanjones | @TheCaZXL pic.twitter.com/21OTQJQtCJ

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 8, 2024

The match was full of good spots, including Sting and Allin nailing Big Bill with multiple Stinger Splashes in the corner. This was before Allin nailed a Coffin Drop on Big Bill to the outside.

Later on, Sting kicked out of a spear from Ricky Starks after he hit the exposed turnbuckle. Starks also hesitated a bit before landing that move. Eventually, Sting nailed a Scorpion Death Drop on Starks and won the titles.

Is Ricky Starks having second thoughts?

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@Sting | @DarbyAllin | @starkmanjones | @TheCaZXL pic.twitter.com/gTDrksO4j5

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 8, 2024

They didn’t get to celebrate long, because the Young Bucks jumped them to end Dynamite with a beat down this week.

Sting’s Memorable Moment

Sting has won a lot of titles before in his career, but this marks his first title run in AEW. It is fitting that Sting and Darby Allin will have that run together, because the entirety of Sting’s time in AEW has been alongside the former TNT Champion.

SE Scoops will have more updates on Sting’s final weeks as an active pro wrestler. This was definitely a big night for his career.

#ANDNEW
The Legend Lives On! @Sting and @DarbyAllin are your NEW #AEW World Tag Team Champions! pic.twitter.com/Js9gwhJgD1

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 8, 2024

We’re closing in on Sting’s final match and his opponent(s) are still technically up in the air. On the Homecoming episode of Dynamite, the Young Bucks returned and seemingly challenged Sting and Darby Allin for AEW Revolution. The match has yet to made official. 

In the meantime, Allin and Sting have some important business to take care of. On Dynamite, Allin told a story of how he flew to Texas when Sting signed with AEW. He wrestled Sting in his own ring that he has in his garage. Within minutes, he told the veteran he still had it. After winning 27 matches together, Allin confirms that “The Icon” still has it. 

Allin pointed out that the rankings are back and thus they are the number one contenders for the tag team titles. Allin asked Sting if he wanted to end his career as tag team champions. Sting replied that he was “all in!” (as an AEW ALL IN graphic was on the screen behind him).

Later in the night, Ricky Starks and Big Bill accepted their challenge. Starks pointed out that it was fitting that he would be facing them since Sting’s first match back was against himself and another partner (Brian Cage). “It’s very fitting that now, me and the best partner I have will be the end of you. You are not making it to Revolution, my man.” 

After hearing what Sting & Darby Allin had to say.
The #AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks & Big Bill have their reply.

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@starkmanjones | @TheCaZXL pic.twitter.com/R93kOg1yr4

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) January 25, 2024

The match has been made official for Wednesday, February 7 in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega were all set to challenge Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Titles at Worlds End on December 30th, then Kenny Omega’s health took a turn for the worse. Despite losing his Golden Jets partner, Chris Jericho will continue without The Cleaner. 

AEW Tag Team Title Match At Worlds End

Chris Jericho is determined to win the AEW Tag Team Titles at AEW Worlds End, even in the absence of Kenny Omega due to diverticulitis. He made that very clear on AEW Collision this week.

During the December 23rd episode of AEW Collision, Ricky Starks and Big Bill announced their intention to take the night off and celebrate. They suggested that the scheduled tag team match at Worlds End was canceled since Kenny Omega is not able to compete.

However, Chris Jericho stepped in, and he revealed something very important. He still possesses a contract entitling him to an AEW Tag Team Title match. Le Champion is not fazed by Kenny Omega’s absence, because the show must go on. 

Chris Jericho then declared his intention to find a partner and challenge Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the titles at AEW Worlds End. He didn’t reveal who his partner will be at the pay-per-view. 

Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega secured their opportunity for the AEW Tag Team Titles by defeating The Young Bucks at AEW Full Gear. The Young Bucks used that loss to turn heel as well.

Ricky Starks and Big Bill address the status of the #AEW World Tag Team Championship match at #AEWWorldsEnd.

Watch #AEWCollision #HolidayBash LIVE on TNT!@StarkmanJones | @TheCazXL | @IAmJericho | @LexyNair pic.twitter.com/OtYsyZxzqz

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 24, 2023

AEW Worlds End 2023 Card:

MJF vs Samoa Joe – AEW World Title

Big Bill & Ricky Starks vs TBD & Chris Jericho – AEW World Tag Team Titles

Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland – AEW TNT Title

Continental Classic Final

Julia Hart vs Abadon – TBS Title

Hook vs Wheeler Yuta – FTW Title