Ricky Starks Set for January Independent Event Amid AEW Absence

Ricky Starks is stepping back into the indie wrestling scene with a booking for House of Glory’s “Final Warning” event on January 25 in New York City. The announcement comes as Starks remains noticeably absent from AEW programming and after being pulled from several Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) dates.

Starks, who hasn’t appeared on AEW television since March, is slated to make his House of Glory debut at the Queens-based event. The show, streaming live on TrillerTV+ at 6 p.m. ET, is already generating excitement for indie fans eager to see the charismatic star back in action.

This move follows controversy surrounding Starks’ removal from GCW’s “Highest in the Room 3” and other scheduled events. Reports indicate that AEW opted to pull him from the GCW shows after Effy made critical remarks about AEW President Tony Khan and his father, Shad Khan, on a podcast. While the fallout left Starks out of the GCW spotlight, he’s now finding a new avenue to connect with fans on the independent circuit.

Starks was initially announced for several GCW events, including matches in Los Angeles, Seattle, and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. His absence from these shows raised eyebrows, but House of Glory’s booking is seen as a fresh opportunity for the rising star to shine outside of AEW’s ecosystem.

Fans of Starks have been vocal about his limited appearances in AEW, and this latest move has sparked questions about his future with the company. Whether his indie bookings will become a regular occurrence remains to be seen, but for now, all eyes are on his highly anticipated House of Glory debut.