Ricky Starks on Not Being Used by AEW, His Contract, More – Ricky Starks will be sticking around for AEW a little bit longer. Much has been discussed about his status, considering AEW hasn’t used him since March. Starks is healthy and ready to be used.
Starks was backstage at AEW’s latest pay-per-view event, Full Gear, on Saturday night after making a surprise appearance at the GCW event at The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that AEW had an option year in the spring of 2024 on his deal, which they picked up. This extends Starks’ deal into the spring or summer of 2025.
It was said by those they spoke with that Starks was looking to test the open market before the deal was extended. It’s expected that once Starks is free of his AEW deal, he could be WWE-bound as the company has interest in him.
Starks appeared on today’s episode of Insight With Chris Van Vliet to discuss his status with AEW.
On not appearing for AEW in months: “I’ve been home. I’ve been healthy. Never was injured. I did have a stinger. I got a stinger in that match against Top Flight in March. I got immediately checked out, and everything was fine, but I was just concerned at the time. So that happened, and then I was just home. That’s kind of where it’s been at. I’ve just been home. It’s kind of a mindf*ck because I’m in my prime, and it sucks when you’re on such a momentum, riding the wave, doing work and doing stuff, and then to just be at home for so long, you’re kind of like, ‘Whoa.’ It kind of throws it off. No [wanting to be at home]. I am not meant to be at home. I’m not meant to be a homebody in this current phase in my life. I’m not meant to be just chilling at home and not doing the thing that I’ve been busting my ass to do for the past 13 years.”
On whether he is still under contract to AEW: “Yeah.”
On why AEW hasn’t used him: “Beats me. Beats me. I could have a thousand theories about what’s really going on. The fact of the matter is….if I don’t have a definitive answer, I can’t just make up an answer for people and just assume. Would I love to know the exact reason? For sure. Do I have speculations about why? Absolutely, but that does nothing to speak on things that I speculate, does nothing for the situation. So I think it’s just a matter of, ‘It sucks.’ You know, it’s been a very cold day here in Austin. It’s been a very cold day. It may have been cold for the past nine months, not sure. But thankfully, I have a sweater, and I’m always ready to keep the warmth going.”
On whether he is being punished: “I don’t think that. I don’t think that’s ever crossed my mind of like, ‘You’re being punished’ because that wouldn’t serve me at all to think like that. I would be depressed and angry. That wouldn’t serve me.”
Ricky Starks on Not Being Used by AEW, His Contract, More
