Ricky Starks Recalls His Decision To Leave The NWA, AEW Offering Him A Contract After Match With Cody Rhodes

In a recent interview on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Ricky Starks discussed his decision to leave the NWA, signing with AEW, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Ricky Starks on making the decision to leave the NWA: “The NWA contract came up, and it was pretty much like they were gonna renew it. But the pandemic just happened and they were gonna go start doing this thing called Carnyland, which to me, I thought was corny. I thought it was the worst idea imaginable, and on top of that too, they cut my pay and I was already struggling to make ends meet. So, I said, ‘I’m done. I’m not gonna renew.’ They weren’t happy about it, but it was what it was. So, I took a chance in saying like, ‘Well, I’ll just keep busting my ass and make things and figure it out.’ Everything just works itself out. I had been through enough in life with sleeping in my car and being homeless and not being able to eat that I stopped stressing about it.”

On being signed by AEW after his match with Cody Rhodes: “There was the Dynamite where Cody came out and he announced there was gonna be an open challenge. Then he went on Twitter and said this is gonna be open to everybody. I swear to god, the next day I was at the gym, and this vision of me walking out cutting this promo on Cody before the match and having this match kept popping into my head for those few days. That Sunday, I got a call from AEW asking if I was interested in coming in and doing a match with Cody. I was like, ‘Yeah, for sure.’ I was like what the hell is going on? I get there and I didn’t have a promo live in front of him, but I wasn’t supposed to have a promo at all. I go and do some B-roll stuff on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the producer had liked it so much and pitched it to Tony [Khan]. They had the promo package, I had an entrance and a theme song. I had the match, and after the match was over, I legit thought it was a one-off…..sure enough, I get a call and he offers me a job. It was the most insane that has ever happened because it started [in my head] and then just materialized so quickly.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit the Wrestling Perspective Podcast with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.