Ricky Starks sets the record straight.
On February 10, the likes of Ricky Starks, Malakai Black, and Miro were removed from the All Elite Wrestling roster page after receiving their releases from the company. The following day, Starks made his official debut on the WWE NXT brand and subsequently took on the new ring name of Ricky Saints.
Despite speculation that his WWE signing had long been planned, Starks asserts that it came together rather spontaneously.
“It was a very quick turnaround. People think that was days in advance,” Starks told Cameron Hawkins of The Ringer. “I had never spoken to WWE at all before any of that. I never got on the phone with anyone before that, blah, blah, blah. So all of that, when I say it happened so fast, it happened so fast and it never let up off the gas.”
Upon his arrival, Starks additionally revealed that he received congratulatory messages from long-time friends and current WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill as well as indie star Allie Katch. Some AEW personnel did the same, too.
Currently, Starks (as Ricky Saints) reigns as the NXT North American Champion. This comes after Starks dethroned Shawn Spears, a fellow former AEW star, on last week’s episode of WWE NXT, courtesy of a Rochambeau. Before joining WWE, Starks spent nearly five years under the AEW banner. His final 11 months in the promotion, however, were spent off of television.
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