Ricky Starks: AEW’s Underrated Phenom Waiting in the Wings
In the bustling global of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where new talents emerge and mounted stars retain to shine, one call seems to be lingering within the shadows—Ricky Starks. With a tenure of four years in AEW, Starks has carved out a popularity as a dynamic and promising wrestler. However, for fans of the cutting-edge AEW product, his absence considering past due March has been a subject of a whole lot speculation and issue.
Starks’ disappearance from the AEW ring has left many fanatics scratching their heads. Despite AEW proprietor Tony Khan expressing in early June his desire to see Starks back on AEW indicates, the proficient wrestler stays conspicuously absent from television. Khan, who additionally serves because the booker for AEW, said his eagerness to reintroduce Starks to the roster, but no clean motives have been supplied for Starks’ prolonged hiatus.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF), a former AEW World Champion and one in every of Starks’ past warring parties, these days weighed in on Starks’ repute in an interview with Casual Conversations with The Classic. MJF did now not mince phrases in expressing his admiration for Starks, notwithstanding their on-display rivalry.
“I’ll wrestle Ricky Starks any day of the week. I think he’s one of the most underrated talents probably ever, like he’s a f*****g phenom,” MJF remarked. “I say that with a wink and a nod because he’s the biggest Undertaker mark in the world.”
MJF’s comments, though peppered with his usual bravado and facetiousness, underline a significant point: Ricky Starks is a talent whose potential is recognized even by his fiercest competitors. MJF continued, “He tried to go toe-to-toe with me on the microphone, I ate him up, I chewed him up, I spit him out. I mean it was pretty embarrassing, and I wrestled him I think I beat him in 30 seconds, but like I’d be willing to give the kid another shot because again underrated talent.”
Despite the playful jabs, MJF’s recognition of Starks’ talent is a testament to the latter’s capabilities in the ring. Such praise from a former AEW World Champion is not easily earned, and it highlights the frustration felt by fans and Starks himself over his absence.
In mid-May, Starks opened up about his situation, expressing his own frustration and confusion. “I was never put on an injury list or anything like that. I have no answers,” Starks revealed. “People ask me all the time, ‘Well, why aren’t you…’ I don’t know. I have no clue. That isn’t up to me. It does suck, obviously, to not be on TV, but the support in people online and people sending me messages is very, very sweet and endearing, and very encouraging, from that standpoint.”
Starks’ career in AEW has been marked by means of terrific achievements. He is a former AEW Tag Team Champion along Big Bill, has held the FTW Championship, and clinched the Owen Hart Foundation Cup in 2023. These accolades underscore his prowess and ability, making his endured absence all of the more perplexing and irritating for lovers and the wrestler himself.
The wrestling network has usually been vocal and passionate, and the outpouring of aid for Starks is a mirrored image of his effect at the fans. The mystery surrounding his absence best adds to the narrative of an undervalued talent looking forward to his momen to shine once more.
As AEW continues to evolve and grow, the question on many minds is clear: When will Ricky Starks return to the ring? The anticipation builds with each passing week, as fans await the return of a wrestler they believe still has so much more to offer. In the words of MJF, Starks is “underrated” and a “phenom,” and his eventual comeback could very well be the spark that reignites his career and cements his place among AEW’s elite.
