The constant swapping of talents has been a norm between WWE and AEW. While Jade Cargill carries the strongest testament to this trend in the recent past, Becky Lynch is standing on the verge of the reverse side with rife speculation of an impending AEW debut. Apart from the alpha females, another standout star Ricky Starks might also be the carrier of the drift, jumping ship to the Stamford-based company following an imminent AEW removal. But does that notion make sense, given how Tony Khan perceives his high rank in the division? Let’s dig deeper into the escapade.

The contract situation of the 34-year-old is mired in doubt. Some reports state that he could enter free agency soon. While no official word on that situation arose, Tony Khan kept the door open for a seamless comeback through his flattering stance.

Tony Khan wants to get Ricky Starks “involved back” in AEW amid rumors of his WWE signing

Tony Khan has constantly caught strays for under-utilizing several talents throughout their tenure. Ricky Starks finds himself mysteriously sidelined following his last match alongside Big Bill on the March 30th episode of AEW Collision. Starks had earned his stripes in the promotion with his stellar charisma and in-ring abilities.

In his singles run, ‘Absolute’ used to be on the center stage of Collison and was primed to butt heads with CM Punk in the main event of AEW All Out 2023 before the latter got himself fired. His momentum reached an all-time high as a tag team act alongside Bill, but that, too, came to a screeching halt after they dropped the gold to Darby Allin and Sting in February. Also, Khan hasn’t sown the seeds for the future involving the tag team duo.

Now, despite inflicting all these creative backlogs and a lack of push, the AEW head honcho unhesitantly sang the praise of the 34-year-old. ”The great matches he’s had with so many opponents up and down the card since he arrived here and I think Ricky Starks is tremendous. I would love to get him involved back in AEW at any time. He’s been a huge part of what we have done here for about four and five years and tons of respect for Rico”. Khan elucidated during his recent catch-up with SHAK Wrestling.

Moving ahead, it seems Starks will be better off in WWE than AEW despite his former recruiter’s gushing words.

Pastures seem greener on the other side for Starks as he mulls over WWE switch
Ricky Starks is a perfect fit for WWE for more than one reason. He has shown what he’s capable of even in the limited periphery of AEW. The former FTW Championship has even garnered comparisons with The Rock because of his impressive promo skill and ineluctable charisma. What he needs right now is a solid push that Triple H can very well provide him with.

Also, Starks has a great bond with a few WWE stars, including Cody Rhodes, with whom he was spotted backstage at Royal Rumble last year. He is also friends with former AEW peer CM Punk and, unlike most of the stars, sees no wrong in Punk’s way of public dealing. This is not it. Starks is also not foreign to the WWE ring at all as worked as an enhancement talent in the past.

It will be fascinating to see if Triple H progresses with the notion of bringing the leftover AEW talent to the foray, leading up to a stronger main roster setup. What’s your take on Tony Khan praising Rickey Starks’ talent amidst contract controversy? Let us know in the comments.