Where is Ricky Starks?
That’s the question fans and critics have been asking since the former AEW World Tag Team Champion randomly disappeared after his match against Top Flight on March 30, 2024. The AEW star himself has stated on several occasions that he was healthy and fought back against several rumors that claimed he was rejecting creative ideas.
Many suspect that Tony Khan is purposely keeping him out of the spotlight since the AEW boss feels that Starks is WWE bound. While Khan has never confirmed his intentions on why Starks is stuck at home collecting a paycheck, the man himself sat down with Chris Van Vilet and explained his current status.
Starks makes it clear that he’s healthy enough to return and feels that it’s a “mindf**k” that he hasn’t been brought onto AEW Television:
"March was my last match. 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.
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 doing not the thing that I’ve been busting my ass to do for the past 13 years.”
So when it comes down to why Starks isn’t being used, the AEW star is in the dark like everyone else besides Tony Khan:
“Beats me. I could have 1,000 theories about what’s really going on. The fact of the matter is that 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, it’s been a very cold day here in Austin. It’s been a very cold day. 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.”
Chris also asked if Starks saw his time away as punishment. The AEW star stated that it hasn’t even crossed his mind because that wouldn’t serve him at all. The Ricky Starks situation is certainly a messy one, but hopefully, the former AEW World Tag Team Champion makes his return soon.