WWE superstar Cody Rhodes recently named two AEW stars who he believes should join WWE.

‘The American Nightmare’ has been on the top of his game ever since he left AEW and decided to return to WWE in 2022. He went on to win the Royal Rumble and main-event last year’s WrestleMania. 

Cody is one of the examples who came back years later as a huge star. While the WWE roster is stacked with a plethora of talents, Cody has picked some names that he would like to see join WWE in the future.

Cody Rhodes names Ricky Starks and Wardlow

Rhodes and Starks have a good friendship outside the ring and Starks has been spotted backstage in WWE supporting Rhodes.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Cody Rhodes revealed that he wants ‘The Absolute One’ to jump ship to WWE.

“My buddy Ricky Starks. I know he’s under contract so that’s not happening – but it’d be cool to see.”

In addition to this, the former AEW star named Wardlow, who had been speculated to join WWE in the past. Rhodes believes that Wardlow will fit well in the heavyweight-dominated WWE locker room. 

“Wardlow is one I’d like to see cross over if he ever wanted to.” Rhodes continues. “There’s a lot of beef in the WWE locker room; it’s a heavyweight locker room. It’s hard when you think you’re big and jacked, then you stand across the ring from Drew McIntyre and you find out ‘Oh, maybe not’. Wardlow is somebody I feel could fit into that role really well.

“It seems like we’re in this day where we’re doing so well everyone wants to be part of it, and the more the merrier. I’m happy with anyone who wants to make the leap and be part of this team.”

2K recently announced that Cody Rhodes will be the cover Superstar for the regular version of the upcoming WWE 2K24 game. ‘The American Nightmare’ recently went face to face with CM Punk in an epic promo battle on this week’s Monday Night Raw. Cody and Punk are among the several talented superstars who are aiming to win the coveted Royal Rumble match and earn a title shot at WrestleMania 40.

It remains unclear when Jade Cargill will make her in-ring debut for WWE, but the ex-AEW star will be ready for when it happens. 

Cargill signed with WWE in September 2023, shortly after her tenure with AEW came to an end. The former & inaugural AEW TBS Champion made her WWE TV debut on the Fastlane kick-off show and would make appearances on WWE Raw, SmackDown, and WWE NXT. 

Jade Cargill Trains for WWE Debut

Jade Cargill has yet to wrestle for WWE, but speculation continues to grow about what’s next for her. Despite her absence from TV, Cargill remains active in the ring. On her Instagram Stories this week, WWE Superstar Natalya shared a video of Jade training for her much-anticipated debut match.

Jade training at The Dungeon ???? pic.twitter.com/Z7SK9Elo9h

— Sean Slate (@slate_s42) January 4, 2024

Cargill wasn’t the only notable name training with Natalya. AEW’s Ricky Starks was also spotted training. Starks has friends in WWE and was infamously spotted backstage at the 2023 Royal Rumble event. WWE’s B-Fab and Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis were also at the training session. On Twitter, Natalya expressed her delight at the training session. 

A magical night in The Dungeon.

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) January 4, 2024

What’s Next for Jade Cargill?

As Triple H made clear during the Survivor Series post-show press conference, WWE will not be rushing plans with Jade Cargill. While Cargill knows what brand she’ll be working with going forward, the former TBS Champion has not confirmed publicly where she’ll be heading. 

Whatever’s next for Jade Cargill, it likely won’t involve Charlotte Flair. It had been rumored for some time that Flair would be Cargill’s first WWE opponent, especially after an interaction between the two on SmackDown. Unfortunately, Flair suffered an injury last month that will keep her out for much of 2024. The Queen recently thanked fans for their support after undergoing surgery. 

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

Ricky Starks is ready to challenge for the AEW world title after his big win at Revolution.

The AEW star was involved in storyline with Chris Jericho heading into tonight’s PPV. The young star beat Y2J once earlier this year, but chose to have another match with him at the show. Starks proved that his first win wasn’t a fluke and he beat the former AEW Champion once again at Revolution.

The former FTW champion explained the reasoning behind accepting this fight in the post-show media scrum. He was asked how soon he will he try to get his rematch against MJF after tonight. Ricky Starks said that his win over Jericho puts him in front of the line for the world title:

“So I’m glad you asked that question. I think it’s important to let everybody know because there’s been speculation of why I beat somebody and then wanted to beat him again. If I did it once I can do it twice. If I beat a former AEW champion, that means that I skip the line. Now I can go back to getting my shot at the AEW championship.

That is ultimately what this whole thing has been about since day one. I am not a dumb, young kid. I know what I’m doing. Obviously, people don’t think that. So after tonight, obviously I feel like I’m in contention to be the guy next up, especially after how December went. I feel like it’s well worth it in my playground to actually go after it. And be a little bit more prepared, honestly.”

While Ricky Starks is ready to go after the world title, MJF proclaims that he doesn’t believe in dream matches. You can check out the full Revolution media scrum featuring Starks, Tony Khan and more below:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Popular AEW babyface Ricky Starks recently weighed in on the recurring comparisons he gets to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

A lifelong wrestling fan, Starks grew up on Attitude Era WWF. As a child, his wrestling heroes were The Undertaker, Mankind, and none other than The Rock himself.

This Sunday, the former FTW Champion will collide with Chris Jericho. The pair have been feuding for months, involving both jobber-turned-underdog babyface Action Andretti and the rest of ‘Y2J’s Jericho Appreciation Society crew in the process.

For Starks, the Jericho angle has served as character building after his acclaimed feud with MJF.

Turning face last year, the rising star entered a feud with longtime tag partner Powerhouse Hobbs. Along the way, Starks’ impassioned promos and theatrical mannerisms won over the AEW faithful. Revolution will likely serve as another key test in the former Team Taz standout’s gradual rise up the card.

Ricky Starks Talks “Flattering” Comparisons To The Rock

During a recent AMA for Bleacher Report, Starks was asked about the comparisons he’s often received to Dwayne Johnson. One of the most iconic stars in WWE history, The Rock’s charisma and monumental popularity propelled him into a highly lucrative film career.

For Starks, comparisons have often been made thanks to his promo delivery and passing similarities to The Rock’s late ’90s fashion sense. A question on the AMA asked for Starks’ thoughts on the comparisons, as well as if he’d like to move into Hollywood the way Johnson did.

Starks explained that he’d be very interested in a Hollywood move eventually. However, he was quick to point out that while comparisons to Johnson are flattering, he was quick to make clear he’s not trying to emulate the WWE legend.

“I definitely would [go into Hollywood]. I don’t think just because you’re transitioning to Hollywood doesn’t mean you’re trying to be like someone. The comparisons are quite flattering. I excuse the ignorance of people who insult me when comparing me to The Rock. What I don’t like is when I do something creative for my own inspo and someone just says I’m trying to steal it or be like another person. I really don’t care anymore but it is a cool comparison because it’s the highest compliment you can get. At this point, I’m cool with it and I look good.”

Ricky Starks’ rise in AEW has been gradual. His initial promise as a future star was worryingly scuppered for a spell when he broke his neck in a match with Hangman Page. In the years since, his evolving character and high-impact ring work have made him a dependable fan favorite as 2023 rolls on.

Are you looking forward to Ricky Starks’ showdown with Chris Jericho at Revolution?

Ricky Starks has made a name for himself as part of All Elite Wrestling, and now the wrestler is looking to leave his mark in the world of fashion.

Starks made his AEW debut in June 2020 answering Cody Rhodes’ TNT Championship open challenge and was signed after coming up short to the American Nightmare.

Starks has one reign as FTW Champion to his name, a win in the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale, and won last year’s AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament.

Fashion

Starks is always dressed to impress when he appears on AEW programming, and now has plans to launch his own clothing line.

On Twitter, Starks announced his clothing brand ‘Dream Palace’ and said it will be coming soon.

The former FTW Champion’s tweet got a response from Mark Henry, who expressed his support for the endeavor.

This is hardly the first time Starks has shown interest in the fashion world, as during a 2021 appearance on The Sessions with Renee Paquette, he cited Tom Ford, Alexander Wang and Gucci as his primary designers.

Wrestling with Fashion

Ricky Starks is by no means the only wrestler to set his sights on the fashion world.

In 2018, WWE Superstar Finn Balor began his own apparel line PE&K, while Chris Jericho launched his Painmaker line in 2020.

Impact Wrestling’s Al Snow also remains the co-founder of the popular “Collar X Elbow” clothing brand while Randy Orton announced the launch of his SLTHR apparel line on Instagram in 2020.

Saturday night “The Road to WrestleMania” officially kicked off with the Royal Rumble.

The men’s Royal Rumble match saw a guest spot from Booker T along with the returns of Edge and Cody Rhodes. GUNTHER also set a record for the longest time in a Royal Rumble match.

AEW Star Supporting Cody Rhodes

Rhodes made his return from injury at the 30th entrant in the rumble match. He was able to defeat GUNTHER to earn a match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

Last night, AEW star Ricky Starks tweeted that “#30 is a great number. LFG”

On Sunday evening, a photo surfaced on Starks at the Royal Rumble with Rhodes. The two wrestlers are good friends. Settle down, IWC.

In response to the photo and the Twitter jokes, Starks commented, “Damn, they brought back GTV.”

On last Wednesday’s Dynamite, Starks and Action Andretti faced “Le Sex Gods” Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara.

Ricky Starks finished 2022 strong and looks forward to keeping the momentum going in the new year. The 32-year-old from New Orleans has been feuding with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, AEW’s reigning world champion. Starks won a tournament to earn a shot at MJF at Winter is Coming. Friedman retained the title, but Starks has more than held is own on the mic and in the ring during this program.

‘Absolute’ recently spoke to Casual Conversations and discussed his goals for 2023. The main thing he’s looking for is overall satisfaction and fulfillment.

“My main goal for this year is to really carve out my own type of… I want to be so fulfilled in myself,” he said. “What I mean is, I want to be fulfilled creatively, I want to be fulfilled in the ring, on the mic.”

Starks continued by saying he wants to be spoken about in the same way as AEW’s main event players.

“I want to be fulfilled as a person, on this television show, that has stepped up and is now on another level and he should be talked with those other people on that level.”

Championship Dreams

As a former member of Team Taz, Starks previously held the FTW Championship. He just challenged for the AEW World Championship, but he’s yet to hold a sanctioned championship in the promotion. He wants to get back in the hunt for the TNT Championship currently held by Samoa Joe. “I would love to win the TNT Championship, if I don’t get to the AEW Championship first. Those are things I want to do.”

He also expressed an interest in an acting career, a path taken by many other pro wrestlers. Starks wants to be star in the entertainment world and won’t let anything get in his way.

“Stepping out of the wrestling stuff, I want to star in a TV show, I want to star in a movie,” he said. “These are things that I want, that I’m going to get, because I deserve it. I’m going to make sure that I get it. Regardless, nothing is going to stop me.” 

Wrestlers Pursuing Hollywood Careers

• “That’s Where She Wants To Go” – Becky Lynch’s Acting Career Heating Up
• MJF Having Meetings About Pursuing a Career in Acting
• The Miz Reveals Acting Advice From The Rock
• WWE Star Alexa Bliss Willing To Try Her Hand At Acting

Catch Ricky Starks’ appearance on Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic:

MJF won the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley in the main event of Full Gear. William Regal betrayed Blackpool Combat Club member Jon Moxley and slid Friedman the brass knuckles.

Max bashed Moxley over the head with them to capture the title. MJF would then betray William Regal a week later and hit him over the head with the brass knuckles as well. He is set to make his first title defense against Ricky Starks at Dynamite: Winter is Coming.

Ricky earned the match by winning the World Title Eliminator Tournament. Starks also won the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale last week and will challenge MJF for the Dynamite Diamond Ring tonight in a Winner Takes All match.

Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the AEW World Champion hyped tonight’s match and as two homegrown talent fighting for the most important title in the business.

MJF continued to reference Bryan Danielson and it appears that will be his next rivalry. Friedman used the word “fickle” in one of his recent promos and mocked Danielson for not showing up to Dynamite last week after his attacked William Regal. Danielson left with Regal in the ambulance on the November 30th edition of Dynamite. Maxwell used “fickle” once again to describe AEW fans who want to see him wrestle for the promotion more.

H/T: Sports Illustrated

Since making a name for himself in the NWA and finding more success in AEW, fans have compared Ricky Starks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Although there are some similarities as Starks carries himself and looks like the former WWE Champion, he is his own man. 

Starks will challenge MJF for the AEW World Title this Wednesday at Dynamite: Winter is Coming. Last week during their promo exchange on Dynamite, MJF stated that Starks was a “dollar store, Dwayne.”

For Stars, he knows who he is and opened up on the comparisons while doing an interview with ComicBook.com’s Liam Crowley.

The Comparisons

“I tell this all the time, The Rock wasn’t my favorite wrestler. He was like my number three favorite wrestler,” Starks said “That’s not to discredit The Rock from any type of talent he has, but I say that to say he wasn’t a big inspiration.”

“I always tell this: I don’t hate the comparisons,” Starks continued. “What I do hate though, is being discredited for my natural creativity in lieu of someone saying, ‘Well, you’re just literally copying The Rock,’ which isn’t true at all.”

Starks pointed to his hometown of New Orleans for how he talks and doesn’t look to Rock as a mentor but respects him for having a great business mind and everything he has done in wrestling. 

Starks added, “If some by chance, somebody thinks that I’m Rock-lite, then that’s cool.”

Ricky Starks faces the biggest challenge of his career later this week. The former FTW Champion looks to etch his name in the history books when he challenges MJF for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship at Winter is Coming.

Sparks spoke with DAZN about a number of topics, including the opportunity to work closely with CM Punk and William Regal in AEW over the past year.

Punk name-dropped Starks during one of his first promos after returning to pro wrestling. He thinks the ‘Punk thing’ really helped the way fans perceive him, but he’s a bit annoyed they never got to work together in the ring.

“It’s not to stroke my own ego, but it’s about iron sharpening iron,” he said. “I’m definitely a type of person that would be able to benefit from that in terms of just excelling in my talent.”

Starks says he learned a lot from working with Punk and Regal behind the scenes. Punk’s AEW status remains questionable at best, but Starks is still hopeful they’ll get to wrestle at some point down the line.

“I am hopeful that down the line I do get that matchup. If not, then I get it. That’s how the business is. But it would be nice (smiles). It would be nice to be able to work with somebody of that caliber because besides Sting, I’ve yet to work with someone of such a high caliber.”  

Catch Ricky Starks vs. MJF this Wednesday on TBS when AEW presents the special ‘Winter is Coming’ edition of Dynamite.

Ricky Starks had some harsh words for AEW World Champion MJF this week, but these weren’t planned in advance.

During AEW Dynamite, the two had a back and forth, with MJF borrowing from The Rock to call Starks a “roody poo candy a**.”

In response, Starks vowed to become the new AEW World Champion with some choice dialogue.

“I’m slapping that mole off your neck, I’m stomping an a**hole into you, and I’m taking that title.”

Ricky Starks.

Off Script

Starks certainly got the attention of fans with his promo this week, but it wasn’t what was originally planned.

During Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted that Starks did have a promo written down which was not used.

“I heard from multiple people yesterday that, apparently, he had a whole thing written down. It wasn’t like scripted or anything, but he had a thing written down that he was gonna do. And then he got out there and he just went off [Script.] He just went with it, and he went wild.”

Bryan Alvarez.

MJF and Starks will battle for the AEW World Championship on next week’s Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite.

The match will also be for MJF’s $150,000 Dynamite Diamond Ring.

Winter is Coming

This huge main event is just part of a stacked show that will take place next week.

The show will also feature the fourth match in the best-of-seven series between The Elite and AEW World Trios Champions Death Triangle.

The Champions currently lead over the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega by 2-1.

The House of Black will also be in action next week against opponents yet to be announced.

AEW World Champion MJF confronted Ricky Starks after he won the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale last night on AEW Dynamite.

Maxwell accused Starks of ripping off The Rock and called him a “Dollar Store Dwayne”. MJF continued with the insults and referred to Ricky as “The Pebble” and vowed to skip him back to “Billy Corgan’s NWA so he can wrestle on YouTube where he belongs”.

Ricky Starks responded with the promo of his life and insulted everything about MJF from his spray tan to his attitude. Starks became a star last night and has a chance to become the face of AEW when he battles MJF for the AEW World Championship next week at Dynamite: Winter is Coming.

MJF Blames Ricky Starks for Low Dynamite Rating

According to Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics, AEW Dynamite brought 840,000 viewers with a 0.29 in the key 18-49 year old demographic. Last night’s show ranked #3 in the demo behind the NBA on ESPN.

The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer noted that Spectrum cable had issues with TBS and TNT last night during the Dynamite broadcast and that negatively impacted the rating.

• 5 Opponents for AEW World Champion MJF

MJF suggested that Ricky Starks is to blame for the low rating because he was the one that took out the spectrum boxes after their segment so he could look like a star.

Ricky Starks has been added to the card for Friday’s AEW Rampage episode with the promise that fans will hear from him via a promo segment. 

This was a notable addition to the lineup as Starks has notably been absent from television as of late, with his last televised appearance being on AEW Dynamite on September 28.

Per Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestler Observer Newsletter, the reasoning behind Starks’ absence from TV has been somewhat explained.

Where Has Starks Been?

Meltzer wrote, “Ricky Starks hasn’t been in the ring for a few weeks due to something not wrestling related but he’ll be back on the show for a promo this week.”

Although no other details were given, it does clear up any speculation of Starks being injured. His return tonight is a step in the right direction for fans of Starks who wish to see him return to in-ring action.

Starks’ most recent prominent feud was with former tag partner, Powerhouse Hobbs, as Hobbs defeated Starks during AEW All Out on September 4 before their rematch during the Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage that was billed as a ‘lights out’ match where he defeated Hobbs with a Roshambo securing the pin.

Other things confirmed for Rampage include a dream match between Orange Cassidy and NJPW’s Katsuyori Shibata for the AEW All Atlantic championship.

Dr. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter vs., Madison Rayne & Skye Blue and more names for Full Gear Eliminator Tournament will be announced.

Some of the big names from All Elite Wrestling represented the company at the recent birthday bash for Snoop Dogg.

The music legend turned 51 earlier this month and had a huge party in Miami, Florida.

On Twitter, AEW’s official account shared images of TBS Champion Jade Cargill, Swerve Strickland, and Ricky Starks at the event.

Cargill, who attended in her wrestling gear, later shared a video of her giving Snoop his cake, calling it a bucket list moment.

Snoop and AEW

Snoop Dogg appeared for AEW on the January 6, 2021 edition of Dynamite, which was the company’s ‘New Year’s Smash’ special.

Appearing in the corner of Cody Rhodes for his match with Matt Sydal, the rap legend would get physical himself later on, delivering a frog-splah to Serpentico.

Rhodes would then deliver a three-count, given Snoop an unofficial victory in AEW.

Snoop was one of the four judges for season one of the Go-Big Show, which Rhodes is also a judge for.

Snoop and WWE

Snoop has appeared for AEW, but the vast majority of his wrestling appearances have come with WWE.

The rapper was the Master of Ceremonies for a women’s tag team match at WrestleMania, and later shared a kiss with Maria Kanellis, who won the match alongside Ashley Massaro.

In March 2016, Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania 32.

At WrestleMania, Snoop would perform for the entrance of his cousin Sasha Banks, who unsuccessfully competed for the WWE Women’s Championship.

All Elite Wrestling has some of the most talented wrestlers in the world today, but Ricky Starks has no intention to be a ‘pillar’ of Tony Khan’s promotion.

The concept of AEW having four pillars was first coined by MJF in an interview and references four home-grown AEW talent he believes will be headlining for the promotion one day.

AEW’s four pillars consist of MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara and Jungle Boy.

The promotion has even released a shirt, confirming the four as the ‘pillars’ and future main-eventers of All Elite Wrestling.

I Stand Alone

Ricky Starks wasn’t named by MJF as a pillar of AEW, but that’s okay with the longest-reigning FTW Champion.

When a fan addressed the concept of pillars in AEW, stating that Starks’ name should be on the list, the wrestler said that he stands alone and those terms should be left to wrestlers “enclosed by those definitions.

Headliner

Starks isn’t interested in being a pillar of AEW, and has already been working his way up the promotion’s ranks.

In a separate tweet, the former FTW Champion pointed out that he headlined this week’s AEW Rampage: Grand Slam, after not being booked for the event the prior year.

Starks defeated his former teammate Powerhouse Hobbs in a ‘Lights Out’ match to close out the AEW Rampage: Grand Slam special.

After hitting Hobbs with some lights, Starks finished off his former tag-team partner with a Roshambo to get the pinfall victory.

Ricky Starks does not mind the comparisons to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

While speaking with The Ringer’s Cameron Hawkins, he was asked about fans comparing him to the former WWE Champion.

Starks said some fans have even suggested he is The Great One himself but thinks the comparisons are a huge compliment. He also noted that he was a big fan of The Undertaker growing up.

Ricky Starks on The Rock

“I really don’t [hate the comparison]. In fact, it’s a huge compliment to have,” Starks said. “I think there’s a misconception that I hate the comparison; I actually don’t. What I hate about the comparison sometimes is people say, ‘You steal the Rock. You try to be just like …’ And it’s like, I actually don’t.”

He continued, “The Rock was never … the Rock was no. 3 on my list of favorite wrestlers; Undertaker was no. 1. So when people try to discredit my talents because they think I’m trying to be someone else, that’s when I have an issue with it. Yesterday, I went to this event and people are like, ‘You remind me of …’ They always have to put an era of Rock on it for some reason, like ‘the Nation of Domination Rock’ or something like that. But then I get people who say, ‘You just remind me of a young Rock.’ And I go, ‘That’s really nice. That’s really cool,’ because at least that’s a connection that you have.”

Starks will face his former tag team partner Powerhouse Hobbs on Friday’s Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage.

Ricky Starks is considered a future world champion by many and so fans were left surprised over his quick loss to Will Hobbs at All Out.

Fightful Select provided some update on the situation and addressed some rumors that have been going on about the status of the AEW star.

They confirmed that the rumors of the former FTW champion being injured are not true and he is ‘healthy and good to go.’

In midst of all the backstage drama going on in AEW, some speculated that Starks might have asked for his release too. There were other rumors that said that he has signed a contract extension with the company recently but both are incorrect.

The All Out match between Ricky Starks and Will Hobbs originally had more time allotted to it. There is no word on why it was cut short. The current working plan is for Hobbs to get a push after his victory.

• Ricky Starks Hates AEW’s Backstage Drama Overshadowing What’s on TV

Ricky Starks won the FTW championship by dethroning Brian Cage in July 2021. He defended the title a number of times in the following year before dropping it to Hook in July this year at Fight For The Fallen.

During a post-match interview with Tony Schiavone, fellow Team Taz member Will Hobbs snapped and attacked Starks. The two have been feuding ever since.

Ricky Starks is sick and tired of backstage drama overshadowing AEW storylines.

Starks appeared on the iHeartRadio’s latest Battleground Podcast to hype his match against Powerhouse Hobbs this Sunday at AEW All Out. The former FTW Champion says he’s got revenge on his mind. He sees this as a big test for himself and a big indicator about how much further he’s going to go.

He believes he was the face of Team Taz because, “no one else was going to step up, but someone had to.” Hobbs has a strong presence and is actually very intelligent and caring, which is what made them a good team. There was a genuine friendship there. Unfortunately, people get greedy. They get paranoid.

Starks says paranoia is one of the worst things in wrestling. You see it from the top of the card all the way down to the bottom. Sometimes, these issues get leaked due to the media and distract from the stories they’re trying to tell on television.

Enough of the Drama

Ricky Starks was asked about the backstage environment in AEW. He says the dynamics have changed dramatically since the early days.

“The locker room has definitely changed,” he said. “Where we were once really really close, we’ve expanded that. We’re still close, we just have more people in the family now. More people that sit at the table.”

“I definitely think that the drama of the backstage stuff, while it does pique interest of people online & whatnot, I f***ing hate it. The reason I hate it is because it kind of overshadows some of the stuff that happens on TV and for that, I’d rather not be involved with it.”

Starks said certain people in AEW have “loose lips” and leak things to the media. He also warned that you can’t believe everything you read online, yet people do.

“But we have people backstage who have loose lips and that’s what happens. Now, we have created the scenario where we just have all the rumors and speculation. ‘Cause that’s all it is. I promise you what you read is not necessarily true.”

You can listen to Ricky Starks’ appearance on the Battleground Podcast below. Please credit SEScoops with a link to this article if you use any of the transcribed quotes.

AEW wrestler Ricky Starks didn’t hold back during an interaction with a fan at this week’s edition of Dynamite.

Competing in a three-way match this week, Starks faced Jungle Boy and Swerve Strickland in a match the latter won.

During one spot, Starks misses the majority of a stomp onto Strickland from the apron, and a fan responds saying “you missed him.”

The irate Starks fired back, saying “yeah, and your daddy should’ve missed you when he came you punk ass b*tch.”

Ricky Starks in AEW

Starks made his debut for AEW in June 2020, and immediately made an impression upon his arrival.

Unsuccessfully challenging for the TNT Championship, held at the time by Cody Rhodes, Starks was signed to a deal by Tony Khan shortly after.

At July 2021’s Fyter Fest, Starks would capture the FTW Championship from Brian Cage, marking his first title in AEW, though it is not an officially sanctioned title.

Starks has had seven successful title defenses since winning the title, against the likes of Cage, Strickland, Matt Sydal, and others.

Since September 2021, Starks has also worked as part of the commentary team for AEW Rampage, replacing Mark Henry.

• Ricky Starks Outlines his Goal for the FTW Championship (March 2022)

Ricky Starks is the current FTW Champion but what exactly is his goal with the title?

Starks has made several successful FTW Title defenses. It’s a piece of hardware created by Taz in his ECW days. The “Human Suplex Machine” passed the title down to Brian Cage before turning on him. Starks then defeated Cage to capture the gold.

Ricky Starks On Plans For FTW Championship

Ricky Starks made an appearance on Busted Open Radio and he went into detail on the pressure of making sure he does Taz justice with his title reign.

“You know what, ever since I actually won the title, it’s been a very big goal of mine to – I don’t wanna say revamp, but make it a lot more important than what the previous champion was doing with it. And so, obviously, Taz is very protective of the FTW Championship because there’s a big history and it’s a part – it’s a huge part of him.

“So, not only do I have the pressure of making sure I retain the championship, but I also have the pressure of making sure that I do right by Taz. And represent that championship as best as I can to my ability. And I think we’ve gotten to a point him and I, where he can trust me, that I will not do wrong by him when it comes to the FTW Title.”

Starks’ next title defense will be against newly-signed AEW talent Swerve Strickland. The two will share the ring on the March 25 episode of Rampage.

H/T Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

Since announcing his return to professional wrestling this past August with AEW, CM Punk has worked with several young stars. Rather than jumping right into the main event scene, the former world champion has been sharing the spotlight with both new faces and legends.

Speaking with ESPN’s SportsNation, Punk revealed which young AEW stars have impressed him the most and who he sees as future main event stars.

“There’s so many honestly,” CM Punk said when reflecting the roster (h/t Wrestling Inc.). “There’s so many guys. I think the future of AEW is in such good hands. Most of the younger guys that we have that we’re going to wind up spotlighting in the next five years or so are in their early 20’s. Britt Baker, Hook. I mean, everyone seems to love Hook and the guy’s had one match. I just think we take our time with our talents.

“AEW as a whole is still a baby. Two years old. And we’re going to be moving to TBS in the new year. That’s a big step. And just taking time and fostering the new talent instead of just kind of throwing them out there and having a sink or swim attitude, I think helps. Daniel Garcia is a guy that I think is phenomenal. Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks. I’ll forget so many people if I name them. I just think that the future is very, very bright.”

• CM Punk Explains His Slow Start In AEW

Punk also explained why he has chosen to work with young talent like Darby Allin, Hobbs, Garcia, and others.

“I think I could use my name, whatever value that has, and kind of highlight some of the guys while knocking off some ring rust and moving myself up the ladder. So for storyline purposes, it makes sense to me. And I always remember guys helping me and they were few and far between. I think more people should help more people and I’m just trying to do my best to do that.”

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Before becoming an AEW star, Ricky Starks spent a good amount of time in the independent circuit working for various promotions. He also worked for WWE numerous times as an enhancement talent.

The FTW World Champion recently had an interview with Brandon Walker of Rasslin. Among other things, he also told the story of one such time when he was called in to work as an extra on Raw.

Starks played the role of a US Marshall sent in to arrest the tribal chief. He detailed how things went and what Roman Reigns told him after the segment:

“I went there, talked to Roman, put these cuffs on and they were really tight. He goes, ‘I can’t do anything while I have my hands cuffed, so, sorry ahead of time.’

I went to grand him and he [double axe handles me].” recalled Ricky Starks, “We get to the corner and he starts stomping the shit out of me. He’s a really great guy because afterward he apologized,”

• Ricky Starks: AEW Welcomes New Talent But Don’t Get Selfish

The current champion made his pro wrestling debut in 2012. He officially signed with AEW in June 2020, after a two-year-long stint with NWA.

He made several other appearances for WWE apart from this and wrestled matches against people like Jinder Mahal and Kane. You can check out the Raw appearance from 2018 Stark discussed in the video below:

AEW star Brian Cage has shared his thoughts on working with Team Taz and his time as the FTW champion. The Machine appeared on Dynamite Download this week and discussed his feud with his former faction.

Cage says he’s ready to move on from the rivalry and admits that he didn’t love working with Taz when he was a member of the group. When asked by host Sean Downey if he felt misused during his time with Team Taz, Cage gave his honest opinion.

“…I’ve said it to you, I was like look Taz you don’t really care about me. You don’t really care about how I’m being looked at or represented,” said Cage. He continued, “You just care about how it makes you look. You just trying to live vicariously through me and that’s why you gave me the FTW title.”

Brian Cage Rivalry with Team Taz

Cage made his AEW debut on May 23, 2020, at AEW Double or Nothing after winning the Casino Ladder match with Taz as his manager. On July 8, 2020, Taz gave Cage the FTW Championship, which Taz made famous. However, Cage felt he didn’t need it.

“…The FTW title too, which I never asked for Obviously. It was just gifted to me,” said Cage. While being appreciative, he also shared he was indifferent to being the FTW champion.

“…We never really did that much with it. It was cool, I was indifferent on the whole thing. And obviously how it all ended, how I lost it and, everything else it exactly doesn’t sit well with me,” said, Cage.

Cage lost the FTW championship to Ricky Starks this year on the July 14th episode of AEW Dynamite. Team Taz turned on Cage, which led to him feuding with the group. During their time together, Cage shared that his issues with Taz affected other members of the group.

He shared that he and Taz would critique each other, which led to disagreements. “…I don’t want to say we were butting heads, but it wasn’t working out and then it kind of fell through with everyone else,” said Cage.

While he didn’t have issues with Will Hobbs or Hook, he admitted that disagreements with Taz led to issues with Starks. “…I didn’t really butt that many heads with Will or Hook actually. It was more with Ricky trying to steal the spotlight and Taz kind of trying to live vicariously through me said,” Cage.

What’s Next for Cage

The feud with Team Taz seemed to have ended at AEW Rampage on October 8th. Starks defeated Cage in a rematch for the FTW Championship. While Cage is ready to move on from the feud, he doesn’t know what AEW has planned for him. He also made a case for him being the number one contender for the AEW World Championship, if Adam Page defeats Kenny Omega at Full Gear.

Regardless of AEW’s plans, Cage is looking forward to a fresh start after dealing with Team Taz.

Ricky Starks says that AEW always has room for talent but he has a piece of advice.

It’s no secret that AEW has become the place to be for many wrestlers. That’s because while WWE remains the most popular American wrestling company, AEW provides an alternative. The promotion has grown substantially in just two years.

We’ve seen big names such as CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole make their AEW debuts. Despite this, it appears AEW’s homegrown haven’t been negatively impacted.

Starks, who considers himself a homegrown AEW talent, told Denise Salcedo for Instinct Culture that AEW will keep leaving the door open for wrestlers. There is one rule that AEW hopefuls must follow, however.

“Don’t get it twisted, the people that were here originally built all of this. Just like any type of building piece, we had that, then we had them come in, then we have the young guys that are moving up now being the stars they were being built up for. It’s just so many cool parts. I think it’s cool to have someone like Punk, Bryan, and Adam Cole because iron sharpens iron and we cannot get better if we just wrestle the same 50 guys that we did the past ten years. So, I am a fan of it. I am really excited for it. The more the merrier as long as they come to work, and wanna help out and not be selfish.”

Ricky Starks recently made his return to the ring on the Oct. 8 edition of Rampage. While he had been on camera the past few months, Starks hadn’t been in the ring for a while. Starks recently told Salcedo he’d been cleared since July but AEW allowed him to have more time to fully heal.