All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has faced hurdles in leveraging its star-studded roster due to the allocation of multiple hours of mainstream television programming each week.
In recent times, the cries from fans to see Ricky Starks back in action have intensified. Starks has been missing from AEW shows for an extended period of time.
The last time the audience saw Starks in the ring was during the episode of AEW Collision on March 30, and his appearance was cut short due to a sudden injury mishap, mandating a swift change in the expected match result.
Since that unfortunate incident, Starks has publicly affirmed he is now fit and does not understand why AEW is yet to re-induct him into their programs. AEW’s President, Tony Khan has also publicly declared his intentions to reintroduce Starks to their television programs.
Recent updates from Fightful imply there’s more to Stark’s situation with AEW. Apparently, insiders within the organization indicate that Starks has disregarded particular storyline propositions, even though reports vary.
Certain sources suggest that Starks has only nixed a single storyline proposal in the recent past, while how many other suggestions he rebuffed, and to what extent, is still uncertain.
Reportedly, there was considerable worry around Starks’ fan base reaction when he did not appear in AEW All In 2023. This concern accelerated the development of a suspension narrative.
Furthermore, Starks was reportedly unwilling to participate in a tag team match and expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of a follow-up for his duel with Bryan Danielson. Starks saw the end of last summer as a crucial juncture in his AEW journey, pointing to a drop in his momentum following CM Punk’s exit.
Within AEW, there has been criticism about Starks’ approach towards possible narratives. While some people within the company are disheartened by his unwillingness to participate in proposed creative storylines, others involved in the narrative creation saw these as opportunities to spotlight different characters.
Later reports suggest there is an in-house disagreement within AEW about communication efforts between Starks and management.
Furthermore, there are varying reports coming out regarding Starks’ future plans. There is talk that WWE might be on his radar, however, the details regarding his existing contractual obligations with AEW remain undisclosed.