The 34-year-old hasn’t been in an AEW ring since March with Starks saying publicly that he is healthy and has “no clue” as to why he isn’t being used, turning down the narrative he turned down creative pitches. As recently as August, AEW head Tony Khan was complimentary about Starks but didn’t provide any details as to why he hasn’t been used.
Starks made a surprise appearance for Glory Pro Wrestling in St. Louis, Missouri, setting up a match for this Saturday against indie standout Kody Lane. It will be his first action since a Big Time Wrestling show in May against QT Marshall in California.
During a Glory Pro event on Sunday, Starks made a surprise entrance and gave one wrestler the roshambo. He cut a promo saying that he is not someone to pass up an opportunity of a lifetime. He turned his attention to Kody Lane, standing in the ring, and said he had unfinished business with him. Starks accepted his challenge for a match on November 24.
Starks has spent most of 2024 on the sidelines, saying in one interview that he has ‘no clue’ why he hasn’t been used on AEW television since March and has also rejected the idea that he turned down creative pitches. He has only wrestled one time since his last AEW match, defeating QT Marshall at a BTW event in May.
Prior to being taken off television, Starks had been teaming with Big Bill. After some time away, Bill was brought back to AEW TV as a member of Chris Jericho’s Learning Tree stable.
As recently as August, Tony Khan was complimentary regarding Starks but didn’t provide any details as to why he hasn’t been used.
Ricky Starks is tired of hearing reports that he’s turned down creative pitches in AEW.
On Sunday, Starks responded to a comment on X that said the reason he hasn’t been given bigger opportunities in AEW is because his “attitude when given the smaller opportunities was to pout and disagree with creative.”
Starks wrote:
“Enough is enough. Usually I don’t even speak on this but it’s tired I never turned down anything, EVER. Just Stop.”
Enough is enough. Usually I don’t even speak on this but it’s tired
Earlier this summer, our own Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there had been a plan for Starks to work a program with his former tag partner, Big Bill. However, it was not clear why the angle didn’t take place.
“At one point there was a plan to have Big Bill turn on Starks and make him a babyface but that didn’t end up happening. One report was that it was (Starks’) decision, but the only thing is that it didn’t happen,” Meltzer wrote.
Fightful would later report that a “source with direct knowledge of the situation claimed that breaking up with Big Bill and feuding was the only pitch in the last several months (Starks) rejected.”
Tony Khan praised Starks earlier this summer during an interview with CBS Sports, saying:
“I think Ricky Starks is tremendous. I’d love to get him involved and back in AEW anytime. He’s been a huge part of what we’ve done here for about four out of the five years.”
Khan would also specifically mention Starks’ role in Sting’s final in-ring run as a big contribution he has made to the company.
“We talk about five years of AEW, and maybe to me the most special part of that three-year run of Sting, what we were able to do to give him, I thought, the greatest send-off ever in wrestling and Ricky’s a huge part of that,” Khan said.
Ricky Starks is still under contract with AEW and well-regarded, according to AEW head Tony Khan during Thursday’s hour-long media call ahead of Sunday’s All In.
Khan’s answer was to a question about Starks’ status. Khan was very complimentary of Starks, but didn’t provide any details as to where he has been since March or address rumors that he declined to turn babyface in a feud with former partner Big Bill.
Khan was not asked about Ricochet signing an AEW contract despite a report breaking 15 minutes before the call.
Asked about why Dynamite didn’t air live in the UK last night or if there was an effort to do so, Khan said it’s illegal for him to do that due to his WBD rights and that WBD pays 97% of their TV revenue. He also said Triller has had some issues in the stream of the show in the past. In the future, he would like to simulcast on ITV if possible it even if it was late in the UK. They have obstacles to get there however.
Asked about the exclusive negotiating window ending with WBD and interest from other parties, Khan declined to answer but did say he has spent time with WBD’s executive team and things have never been better. He also confirmed he met with David Zaslav in Paris during the Olympics.
Khan led off the call confirming that they are looking at running an event in Australia in 2025 with more information to come. News broke last week from the Sporting News in Australia that the company was in the advancing planning stage of running a stadium show.
Other notes:
He also said the Von Erichs will be in London this weekend for All In.
Asked about where the 2026 All In will be held in the UK, Khan didn’t answer directly other than saying how much he loves London.
Asked about why All In is heading to Texas next year, Khan said he loves Texas and that new chief operating officer Kosha Irby came up with the idea.
Asked about returns or debuts for the Casino gauntlet match, Khan detoured and said he invented the match while at Daily’s Place and is the favorite one he created, opining maybe he should move his office down there permanently due to all the magic coming out of there.
On a brand-new Wrestling Weekly, Les Thatcher and I discuss Randy Orton talking about things being better in WWE without Vince McMahon, life in AEW being better with MJF around, and since Ricky Starks and Tony Khan both agree AEW is better with Starks than without him, why isn’t he there?
Ricky Starks doesn’t know why he hasn’t been featured on AEW programming lately.
He hasn’t wrestled since his team with Big Bill was defeated by Top Flight on the March 30 episode of AEW Collision. With his tag partner now part of a story with Chris Jericho’s Learning Tree, Starks doesn’t appear to have a program heading into Double or Nothing.
During a recent interview with WhatCulture, he was asked if there’s a chance he’ll be part of the pay-per-view later this month in Las Vegas.
“I would hope so,” Starks answered. “But I really don’t know. Every time I always predict something to go some way, it doesn’t go that way.”
“I really have no clue. It’s just a very interesting time, I feel like. I wish that I was on Dynamite, or I wish I was on Dynasty, I wish I was on these things. But I think at a certain point, just for my own sanity, I can’t go too crazy about it because the proof is in my work and in my effort that I’ve constantly given.”
Starks appeared to be injured in his match against Top Flight two months ago. He took a Pele kick from Darius Martin and the match went to the finish shortly after. Starks would later write on Instagram that he was fine and was just being precautious.
When asked about speculation that an injury is keeping him off AEW programming at the moment, Starks responded that he’s not hurt.
“I’m not hurt. Even that night, I specifically stated, ‘Hey, I’m not hurt.’ I was just being cautious about it because at the moment I didn’t know what was happening.”
“I wasn’t hurt and I was never put on an injury list or anything like that. I have no answers. People ask me all the time, I don’t know, I have no clue. That isn’t up to me. It does suck, obviously, to not be on TV but the support and people online and people who send me messages is very, very sweet and endearing and very encouraging.”
Starks also didn’t wrestle at AEW Revolution. However, he was involved in the build to Sting’s final match on the pay-per-view when he and Big Bill dropped the tag titles to Sting & Darby Allin on the February 7 Dynamite.
The Rock & Cody Rhodes angle, blading in WWE, then now and forever.
What should be done in the night one main event
More WrestleMania notes including ticket sales and secondary market
A story on the career of Chigusa Nagayo, at one time the most popular women’s wrestler who ever lived
We look at her retirement match in San Francisco
We look at her breaking into wrestling at the age of 15, getting pushed at 17, and becoming part of the greatest tag team ever in women’s wrestling at the age of 18.
The first run of the Crush Gals
Being the top singles star in women’s wrestling, the decline of ratings and Nagayo’s first retirement
Her second run with Asuka as the Crush Gals in Gaea Japan
The end of Nagayo’s career including winning Japan’s tag team of the year award at the age of 51
Lots more Ronda Rousey talk on Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Bruce Prichard, WWE, changing plans, Paul Levesque, the Holly Holm fight, concussion issues and Becky Lynch talking about McMahon
WWE policy on dating within the company put together after the Board first heard Vince McMahon allegations
Multiple Japanese companies join together for two charity shows
NCAA wrestling tournament notes
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows, including quarters, comparisons with one year ago, competition and more
Biggest show of the year at Arena Mexico
Former promotional hatred ends up with an angle
Giulia and Utami Hayashishita finish with Stardom with two PPV shows this week
Champion Carnival news
Unique gimmick match in New Japan
Dream match coming to DDT
Bret Hart raves about a new book
Tons of WrestleMania week big shows
Sabin & Shelley leaving TNA
Lots of contract news
Kenny Omega news
List of those unavailable this past week for AEW
ROH Supercard of Honor notes
Will Nigel McGuinness wrestle
Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
International ratings and streaming notes
AEW stars in foreign countries
UFC’s biggest match of the year may have a date
Conor McGregor claims he broke a Dwayne Johnson record
Dana White talks loyalty to Joe Rogan
First Bellator show since purchase
Contract status updates
New A&E TV plans with WWE
Barnett talks making deal to get Baszler on Bloodsport
Becky Lynch talks Mercdes Mone’s AEW deal
Heyman puts together Reigns special
Nick Aldis talks his situation
Bron Breakker’s college career, NFL combine numbers and what hampered him playing in the NFL even with his athletic ability
Our weekend show was done last night rather than tonight due to the Arena Mexico show and Easter. Our week in review business show with Garrett Gonzales is also up and Bryan and I will be back tomorrow night talking about the go-home Raw show.
Ricky Starks said all was good after his injury scare last night. As noted on last night’s show, backstage the belief was that he suffered a stinger, not a concussion. Starks & Big Bill were originally to win the match and face FTR, but they went right to a finish and it probably should have been stopped sooner with the injury scare. Starks said it was precautionary.
In Google searches for this week, nothing from boxing, MMA, or wrestling made the top 20 all week. The debut of the UFL, of which Dwayne Johnson is part-owner, was No. 12 yesterday with 100,000 searches. The league opened up yesterday, which is a combination of four teams from the XFL and four teams from the USFL merging and the other teams from both leagues being dropped.
Raw will have very tough competition tomorrow. Iowa with Caitlan Clark, the biggest name in women’s basketball, faces LSU at 7:15 p.m. The Iowa game last week hurt the Raw overall number. Luckily it’ll only probably go against maybe the first hour and change, but the second women’s game, Connecticut vs. USC is also big. Raw will do fine, Rock is advertised and Roman Reigns will be there, but the game is real heavy competition, far more than the NBA would be. I still expect very good numbers. The first hour going against the Iowa game will be commercial-free.
Raw at the Barclays Center is officially sold out as of today. WrestleTix lists 13,345 tickets out. It was obvious it would be since all the shows are selling out, it’s the New York market, and would have been even without The Rock on the show.
Rob Kaman, the Dutch kickboxing and Muay Thai legend, passed away today at the age of 63. Kaman was considered the best of the heavyweights in the 80s, before the days of K-1, and was known as the greatest low kick specialist of his era. He did a pro wrestling match in RINGS in the early days of that promotion. He also did several action movies.
We want to send our best to Tony Schiavone who worked last night on what was a horrible day for him due to the death of his dog. Best also to Jerry Lawler who is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
Dennis Knight, the former Mideon, noted that when going in for surgery, doctors found a shredded appendix and a hernia and his blood sugar skyrocketed. He said that he spent eight days in the hospital and almost died. He had stomach pain that he thought was a bowel obstruction and went in for surgery, and they found worse.
As noted earlier, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, the 2021 gold medalist in wrestling and one of the most dominant women wrestlers in the world, had her first match last night in Melbourne, FL, on the NXT show beating Breanna Covington. Internally we’ve heard nothing but good about her for months.
We talked on the show extensively about the Arena Mexico El Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show that featured Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Matt Sydal, and Willow Nightingale of AEW. The crowd heat was incredible. It wasn’t just for the main event but up and down the show, really every match except maybe the minis mask match. Regarding the CMLL YouTube subscription page, as Bryan Alvarez noted, it is $35 a month which is very high. It should be noted that there is a $9 per month tier where you get the Friday night big shows on a two-week delay. So the show would be available at that price in two weeks.
We’re looking for reports on these shows
WWE Smackdown from Uncasville, CT with the dark matches
WWE last night in Manchester, NH
We’re looking for results, finishes, and highlights to [email protected]. We are doing a poll for those who did see the Arena Mexico show on Friday, thumbs up, down, or middle, best and worst match to [email protected]
On A&E tonight, the Rivals show at 8 p.m. is Miz vs. Daniel Bryan and the 9 p.m. biography is on Roman Reigns, which is the one put together by Paul Heyman. Dark Side of the Ring on Tuesday looks to have a very interesting piece on Harley Race.
Miu Watanabe beat Miyu Yamashita to win the Princess of Princess title at Sumo Hall in Tokyo earlier today on the big Tokyo Joshi Pro show. Several people told us this was a women’s match of the year candidate. I haven’t seen it yet.
Yuma Anzai won the Triple Crown from Katsuhiko Nakajima yesterday at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo at 24 years old. The result was a huge upset. Jun & Rei Saito regained the world tag titles they had never lost over Suwama & Hideki Suzuki. They lost due to an injury and Suwama & Suzuki ended up as champions. Hikaru Sato & Dan Tamura won the All-Asa tag titles from Atsushi Onita & To-y in a current blast match.
Stardom also had two title switches due to talent leaving for Rossy Ogawa’s group. The main event saw Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira win the Goddesses of Stardom tag titles over Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani with Utami losing since she’s leaving. With Mirai leaving, Syuri & Mirai & Ami Sohrei lost the Artist of Stardom belts to Maika & Mina Shirakawa & Xena.
Maiki defends the World of Stardom title against Megan Bayne on Thursday at the Stardom show at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Seira defends the High Speed belt against Saki Kashima and Ram Kaochow. Stephanie Vaquer & Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid face Kamitani & AZM & Camron Branae. Syuri & Konami vs. Willow Nightingale & Saki. Shirakawa & Mariah May & Xia Brookside face Mayu Iwatani & Tam Nakano & Momo Kohgo.
Shirakawa & Maika & Seira face Kamitani & Nakano & AZM on the ROH Supercard of Honor show from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia as well, which also has Eddie Kingston vs. Mark Briscoe and Athena vs. Hikaru Shida.
In a UFL game this morning with San Antonio vs.DC, the quarterback was mic’d and the first play he called was “diamond cutter.” The announcers immediately brought up Diamond Dallas Page (thanks to Barry Werner)
There was a weird UFC fight yesterday. Chris Weidman had won the first two rounds against Bruno Silva. There were eye pokes by Weidman in the second round and Silva couldn’t see and Weidman was landing punches so it was stopped and at first, Weidman was declared the winner via ref stoppage. The commission decided after seeing the footage that because the eye pokes caused the finish, they would overrule the ref stoppage score the fight up to that point and had the judges score the second round. Weidman was up 20-18 on all three cards and ruled the winner. Silva is planning to appeal, saying that it should be a no contest. The eye pokes were ruled accidental by the referee. But yes, I think in that situation it should be a no contest as well.
A first-ever Nic Nemeth over Ultimo Dragon match took place in Indianapolis last night with Nemeth winning.
WWE Speed will debut on Wednesday on X at Noon Eastern time.
Countdown to WrestleMania will air from 5-7 p.m. on Peacock.
Brett Lauderdale of GCW talked about WWE/Bloodsport, returning to Japan, Hammerstein Ballroom & more, FITE+, international tours & OVW with John Poz and Lavie Margolin of PWPonderings. It will also be released soon by Creative Control Network in podcast format.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a story on ECW. (thanks to Chuck Langerman)
Ricky Starks said he was ‘all good’ following an injury scare on AEW Collision.
On Instagram shortly after Saturday’s show, Starks wrote that he was checked out and that everything was fine.
“I’m all good, everything checked out fine,” he wrote. “Was being precautious.”
Collision saw Starks and Big Bill wrestling Top Flight in an AEW Tag Team tournament quarterfinal when Starks took a pele kick to the back of the head by Darius Martin. Starks was then rolled up by Darius and didn’t kick out, but the referee didn’t count to three and allowed the match to continue. Darius then hit an assisted tornado DDT on Starks for the win.
After the match, the referee and a nearby trainer checked on Starks, who remained on the ground.
With the win, Top Flight now advance to the next round of the AEW Tag Team title tournament. They will meet FTR, who defeated The Infantry on Saturday to also advance to the semifinals. The Young Bucks will take on Best Friends (Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta) on AEW Dynamite to determine the first spot in the finals, which takes place at AEW Dynasty on April 21.
Two members of the Blackpool Combat Club will team with Katsuyori Shibata in trios action on this Saturday’s AEW Collision.
Shibata will tag up with Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli to take on The Righteous & Lance Archer as part of the action in London, Ontario, Canada.
This comes after the events of the March 16th Collision when Dutch and Vincent attacked Castagnoli during his match with Archer. Shibata, who had faced Danielson earlier in the night, ran out to make the save with a chair.
In another new addition, former AEW Tag Team Champions Big Bill & Ricky Starks will take on Top Flight in the quarterfinals of the AEW Tag Team title tournament. The winners will face the winners of FTR vs. The Infantry which is also taking place Saturday.
Kyle O’Reilly will look to make it 2-0 in his return to action as he faces an opponent that was not named.
The additions join the previously-announced “Cope Open” challenge from new TNT Champion Adam Copeland.
Here’s the current card:
Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Katsuyori Shibata vs. The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch) & Lance Archer
AEW Tag Team title tournament quarterfinal: Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin) vs. Ricky Starks & Big Bill
AEW Tag Team title tournament quarterfinal: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. The Infantry (Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo)
TNT Champion Adam Copeland defends the title in a Cope Open challenge
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including more on Vince McMahon and Janel Grant, Shawn Michaels’ reaction when asked at the NXT press conference, Vengeance Day line-up, thoughts on Dynamite and who should win the Sting & Darby title match next week, and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
AEW Tag Team Champion Ricky Starks will take on Sammy Guevara on Wednesday’s Homecoming edition of Dynamite.
AEW’s Tony Khan officially announced the new match for Dynamite in a social media post on Friday. Later Friday on Rampage, Guevara & Chris Jericho cut a promo for the match.
Guevara & Jericho are next in line to challenge Starks & Big Bill for the AEW World Tag Team titles. Jericho & Kenny Omega won a guaranteed title shot as The Golden Jets, but Omega has been sidelined while suffering from diverticulitis, and Jericho has granted Guevara the shot in Omega’s place.
Starks vs. Guevara is one of two matches official for Dynamite Homecoming at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Sting & Darby Allin vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Konosuke Takeshita of The Don Callis Family is also set for the show.
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe will also make an appearance at Homecoming.
The updated Dynamite Homecoming lineup for Wednesday, January 10:
Sting & Darby Allin vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Konosuke Takeshita
Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho will challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at Worlds End on December 30.
As announced during this week’s Dynamite, Omega & Jericho of The Golden Jets will challenge Ricky Starks & Big Bill for the AEW Tag Team titles at the Worlds End pay-per-view set for Saturday, December 30.
Video was played of the backstage attack angle from post-Full Gear where Starks and Bill laid out Jericho. Jericho and Omega then called out Starks and Bill and issued the challenge for Worlds End, which Starks was quick to accept.
In the back-and-forth promo segment on Dynamite, Jericho compared Starks to Enzo Amore, and suggested comedy tag team names for Starks & Bill, while Starks brought up defeating Jericho twice earlier this year.
In addition to the Tag Team title match, an AEW World title defense, plus the finals of the Continental Classic are also set for Worlds End.
The current lineup:
AEW Worlds End, Saturday, December 30, on pay-per-view —
AEW World Champion MJF defends against Samoa Joe
AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks & Big Bill defend against The Golden Jets (Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega)
New details have emerged regarding FTR dropping the AEW Tag Team Championships to Ricky Starks & Big Bill.
FTR lost the titles on the October 7 episode of Collision in a match that went under five minutes. Cash Wheeler was chokeslammed through an announce table by Bill in the early going and did not return to the match after. It was originally thought this was done to cover for Wheeler being injured, as people in the company were told he was dealing with broken ribs.
In an update to this story from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer writes that while Wheeler is banged up, that was not the reason for FTR dropping the titles or the quick match on Collision.
“This was an angle pitched by Dax Harwood. There were those in the company told Cash Wheeler was injured with broken ribs and that was the reason for it,” Meltzer wrote. “We’re told he is banged up, enough to where he was X-rayed but we were told the X-rays showed no broken ribs and he doesn’t need time off and could have done a full match.”
“The idea of the pitch is to do a match where Wheeler was injured and Harwood had to face both men and got blown out without getting much offense in. The idea of dropping the titles and doing it in such a one-sided way to put over Bill & Starks strong and to do something significant to try and help the Collision show,” Meltzer continued.
Prior to title change, AEW had seemingly set up up the next Young Bucks vs. FTR match, as the Bucks won a number one contender’s match at WrestleDream. The original plan was for that match to take place either at Full Gear in Los Angeles or the tapings from Ontario, California the week before.
Starks and Bill said in a post-match promo that FTR will not get a rematch for the belts. However, Meltzer writes that a rematch will likely take place on either the October 28 or November 4 shows.
Ricky Starks and Big Bill are the new AEW Tag Team Champions.
Starks and Bill defeated FTR in the open of Saturday’s Collision. The story of the match had Big Bill chokeslam Cash Wheeler through a table, putting him out of the match. That allowed Starks to tag in and spear Dax Harwood to win the titles for the first time.
After replays were shown, Wheeler was shown being helped to the back, still recovering from the table spot.
FTR had held the titles for over 180 days, defeating The Gunns back on the April 5 edition of Dynamite. They had recently successfully defended the Tag Team titles against The Young Bucks at All In back in August, and more recently at AEW WrestleDream last weekend, defeating Aussie Open.
On the Saturday before WrestleDream, Starks won an all-star eight man tag team match, pinning FTR. A match for the Tag Team titles was then set for this week’s show. Along with the win on Saturday, Starks also picked up a win at WrestleDream, defeating Wheeler Yuta.
