Likely Reason for Ricky Starks’ AEW Absence Unveiled

Ricky Starks has been a top talent in AEW since 2020, but he’s been away from television since late March this year. With that said, the likely reason for his absence has come to light.

Starks’ last appearance on AEW television was on the March 30 episode of AEW Collision, where he competed in a tag team title tournament match alongside Big Bill against Top Flight. Since then, Starks has been notably missing from AEW programming.

While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer talked about the reasons behind Starks’ absence, noting that AEW wanted him to turn babyface, but Starks was reluctant to do so.

Meltzer shared that some AEW sources believe Starks might be headed to WWE, possibly influenced by his connection to Cody Rhodes. This belief has led to AEW not investing in Starks’ storyline for the time being. The situation remains uncertain as things continue to unfold.

“They wanted him to turn babyface. He didn’t want to turn babyface. They’re not using him,” Meltzer claimed. He then expressed his belief based on those he spoke to in AEW that there’s an opinion Starks is WWE bound. “I think that there’s a lot of people who think he’s headed to WWE because of Cody, and so they’re not investing in him right now. I think that’s basically the mindset. We’ll see what happens.”

Recently, Ricky Starks also came back to Twitter and addressed MJF and Britt Baker’s controversy. Interestingly, a current WWE employee has noted that Ricky Starks would be perfect fit for their company. Regardless of these developments, only time will tell whether Ricky Starks will return to AEW and be properly booked.

What’s your opinion on this story concerning Ricky Starks? Will he return to AEW television this year? Sound off in the comments section below!