According to a report from Fightful Select, they have reached out to sources within AEW to gather information about Ricky Starks’ status. These sources claim that there is some truth to the reports that Starks has been turning down pitches to appear on screen. However, another source mentioned that the only pitch he turned down in the past few months was the idea of breaking up with Big Bill and feuding with him.
Fightful mentioned that they could not confirm whether Starks was not even listening to pitches, as this was not addressed by any of the sources they spoke with. Some individuals within AEW have criticized Starks for his reluctance to engage in business, while others involved in the storyline were hoping it would provide an opportunity for Big Bill to become a prominent heel and for Starks to portray a babyface character.
It was revealed that Starks believed that Big Bill losing a feud with him would not be beneficial for Bill. Instead, he preferred a more amicable separation between their characters. Fightful was informed that when Starks was not booked for All In last year, there were concerns about the fans’ reaction, which led to the suspension storyline. During that time, Starks was not interested in being part of a tag team and was disappointed by the lack of follow-up to his match with Bryan Danielson. Starks felt that the end of the previous summer marked a significant turning point in how he was booked, and his momentum was hindered following CM Punk’s departure.
Conflicting information regarding the communication between Starks and Khan exists within AEW. It was stated, “Internally, there appears to be conflicting information about almost everything related to Starks, depending on who you ask. We have not heard of any immediate creative plans, although this could change at any moment.”
Some individuals within AEW believe that Starks may have an interest in joining WWE, a speculation that has been widely discussed. However, his current contract status remains unclear.
Credit Source: Fightful Select
