Ricky Starks explains why he decided to leave NWA.
Last month, the former NWA Television Champion shocked many when he confirmed his release from the company. The young star was just starting to make a name for himself in NWA, with Starks seemingly primed for a run at the top when his match with NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis ended in a draw during season two.
Speaking to WrestleZone, Starks spoke about his departure from the promotion and his decision had nothing to do with pay or creative differences, as Starks simply wanted get out of his comfort zone:
“Honestly man, these past few days and seeing what’s been posted, videos and all that, I think I made the best decision I’ve could’ve made. Here’s the thing – if you get comfortable, you don’t move forward sometimes. I wouldn’t say I got comfortable cause I was still trying to get more out of it, but it was too familiar for me so I wanted to get out of it.
I understand the aspect of this. I understand, I wasn’t fired, I wasn’t furloughed. I consciously made the effort not to. NWA wanted to, we just mutually couldn’t agree on stuff. I get the aspect of it, but if I’m not taking a risk, then what am I really doing? It’s exciting, yes, and it’s scary, yes but I have been by myself and had to work so hard just by myself in anything that I’ve done that all I have is myself and my support of myself,"
Starks joined the promotion back in 2019 and won the NWA World Television title at the company’s Hard Times pay-per-view. Still, Starks wanted to push himself further and take a big risk outside the world of NWA. The former NWA star knows it’s a gamble to leave the company at this point and time; however, he feels that the reward will be worth the risk:
“I have to constantly push myself and that’s how I’ve gotten to the place where I’m at. And if I don’t believe in myself to make a decision like that, then I’m really wasting my time, I’m wasting your time, I’m wasting everybody’s time. So I made the decision. I’ve slept on it, made the decision, I understand what’s at risk here and sure, I may have to struggle a bit, but the reward and the payoff is worth that to me.
And honestly at the end of this day, when I wake up and when I go to sleep, there’s one person I see in the mirror and there’s only one person I have to justify anything to and that’s myself. And I don’t have to expect Dick, Tom or Jane to understand why I did what I did… It was very difficult, obviously, but looking at it now, I’m glad I did it and I sit in that, proud that I did that. And who knows? We don’t know what happens next. Things can change at a whim."