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Ricky Starks still isn’t sure why he’s not on AEW television right now.
Starks hasn’t competed in AEW since losing a tag team title tournament match to Top Flight on the March 30 episode of Collision. Fans have speculated about his status since then, wondering when he’ll be back on TV. AEW’s Tony Khan has gone on record saying Starks was a great champion for AEW, and would love to have him back in the mix.
So, what’s keeping him off of AEW programming?
“Beats me. I could have 1,000 theories about what’s really going on,” Starks told Chris Van Vliet on Insight. “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.”
Ricky Starks says he’s not injured
Some have speculated that injuries have kept Ricky Starks sidelined, but he says that’s not the case. He did admit to having a “stinger” after the Top Flight match, but he got checked out and was deemed fine to compete.
“March was my last match. I’ve been home, I’ve been healthy. Never was injured. I did have a stinger,” Starks noted. “[It happened] 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.”
Starks was asked by Van Vliet if he thinks his absence is a punishment. Starks said that’s never crossed his mind, and that thought wouldn’t do him any favors. He did thank fans for their support, once again noting that he’d love a definitive answer about his AEW absence, but chooses to maintain a positive attitude about it all.
“All I know is this, regardless, I’m always gonna end up better than my situation,” Starks said. “I’m always gonna end up better than the circumstances that I’m currently in. That’s just how it works for me. I can’t lose.”
Starks recently confirmed he is still under contract with AEW. Fightful (via Fightful Select) reports that Starks’ contract runs into 2025 due to an option year being picked up in 2024.
