The headlines dominating All Elite Wrestling since the media scrum following “All Out” have grown all too familiar in recent months. CM Punk took to the mic and blasted The Young Bucks, Adam Page and others. A backstage altercation erupted allegedly involving EVPs, Punk, Kenny Omega, company personnel and a dog named Larry.
Wrestling news sites around the globe were off and running with stories, speculation and drama that AEW head honcho Tony Khan and many involved hope to soon forget.
Meanwhile, there’s been one guy in AEW styling and profiling so much it would make Ric Flair blush. He’s as drama-free as drama-free can be, and he’s gliding cool so hard, success is not only a certainty, it’s absolute.
Ricky Starks avoids drama. Not because he never runs into issues with people, but because he deals with that sh*t head on.
“I just address any issues that may come up,” Starks said of avoiding one of wrestling’s oldest cliches. “I think that’s what is lacking in wrestling is communication. You have these grown men who just can’t talk to each other. If there’s a problem or an issue, I just address it, and I think that kind of wins people over. Ultimately people know where they stand with me, and vice versa. So maybe that’s why.”
There’s another reason, too.
“Also, I’m just a cool ass dude,” Starks said with a laugh. “I don’t really bother anybody.”
Starks got into wrestling as a kid watching The Undertaker, Mankind, The Rock and others in some of the most epic battles from one of wrestling’s most epic eras. The New Orleans native got his start on the independent scene a decade ago before working as enhancement talent for the WWE and eventually signing with the NWA where he captured the NWA World Television Championship.
After his contract expired, Starks admitted he didn’t have much of a plan for his future. But what he thought was a one-off match against Cody Rhodes changed all that.
“I didn’t know it was essentially my tryout on national TV,” Starks said. “That was in the pandemic era, and I didn’t think I would get signed during the pandemic. So I went into that thinking, ‘If I just impress them enough to where once this is all over, they will circle back around with me, I’ve already shown what I can do.”
Little did Starks know, Tony Khan already had his eye on what he could do, and the boss offered him a contract immediately following the match.
Starks has proven to be a fan-favorite in AEW making a natural turn from heel to babyface. He held the FTW Championship for a year and has had memorable and hard-hitting matches with Powerhouse Hobbs, Darby Allin, Sting and others. He’s also been featured on commentary, a role he never expected but one he thrives in when given the opportunity.
The 32-year-old was gearing up to take on Lance Archer in the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament when he discussed his career, working at AEW, coming back from a broken neck and the biggest challenge he faces in this Web Is Jericho exclusive.
Would you have approached your debut match in AEW any differently if you knew going in it was your tryout in front of the world? “Nah. I don’t think so. I think even without it, in my head, I had to show them what I’ve got. So even if I knew, I think the only difference is I might have been a little more nervous. But even then, once I walked out there I was fine.”
Has anyone been a mentor to you, or given you sound advice since working at AEW? “Definitely still Cody, for sure. Cody has been the guy, even though he doesn’t work there anymore. I still talk to him and get advice from him.”
Was there a particular match or moment when you realized that fans really didn’t want to boo you anymore? It seemed fans were backing you even before you officially became a babyface. “I bet you the turning moment was after I did this one match. I can’t remember who I wrestled, but afterwards Danhausen came out. It was in Atlanta I think, and I made fun of Danhausen. The crowd, in one moment they were mad, because the match wasn’t gonna happen that week. And in the next moment, they were laughing, because I did this terrible Danhausen impersonation. So that’s one of the moments that sticks out. You could go back as far as the Jay Lethal match I had in Chicago, too. But I really can’t pinpoint exactly when, if there was ever an exact time.”
Is being patient the most challenging part of your job? “Oh my God. Come on. (Laughs). Yes. Being patient and waiting is not my cup of tea. If I don’t like my situation, I just change it. I don’t wait around for someone to offer me suggestions or solutions, I make the solutions myself. So, when I come across these issues where I have to be patient, and I’m not in control in that sense, then yes, I’m like ‘This is the worst part about this whole job, is learning patience.’ If there’s one thing I hate, it’s when people say ‘Trust the process.’ I hate that. I don’t believe in that, and I don’t abide by that, because ultimately you’re just waiting for someone else to do something for you. I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself. I can change and do whatever I want and be whatever I want. But the patience is the hard part.”
‘Trust the process’ is one of those cheesy inspirational poster quotes or sports cliches. “Yeah, there’s no real thought behind it. In the same breath, you’ll say ‘Trust the process,’ and then in the other breath you’ll say ‘Well you just gotta work hard for things.’ Hold on. (Laughs) You know what I’m saying?”
In a previous interview, you said that you were 7 years old when you knew you wanted to be a professional wrestler. Who were you watching at that time and who have been some of your biggest influences in terms of getting into the business? “I also said that Undertaker is one of my favorite wrestlers. And, Undertaker, I wouldn’t say he’s the one that got me into it. The show got me into it. But ‘Taker was one of the guys that stood out. And Mankind and The Rock, those three were like my dudes. And I can’t tell you why I was drawn to them. Years later, I got to sit down with ‘Taker and spar with ‘Taker and pick his brain on my match and things like that. That was such a crazy full circle thing to happen. I definitely would look at him as an influence in that, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I like his style. I like the way he thinks. And that’s what I want to strive for in my own way.”
Where did you get the nickname, “Absolute” Ricky Starks. “I was trying to come up with some nicknames just for T-shirt branding purposes. I was going through my head in terms of ‘What are some good monikers that aren’t cheesy and aren’t predictable?’ I came across this Vodka bottle that was sitting in the kitchen of my apartment at the time. I said, ‘Absolute Ricky Starks.’ I looked up the definition of it, and I thought, ’Yeah, this is me. There’s no one else. I’m definitive — one of one.’ I just rolled with it from there. I’ve grown to like it. There was a certain point where I wasn’t really using it when I was on the independents, just because I didn’t want to be a cornball. But then as I got a little bit older I realized, ‘That’s a cool badass nickname. I’m gonna keep it.’”
You have a lot more style than the average professional wrestler. Where does that come from? “Really that comes from my inherent need to always look good and feel good. People think the stuff that I wear on TV is not the stuff I wear in real life, which is not true. I wear all of that. I just like the expressive nature of style and fashion. I remember in my head, looking at the landscape and thinking, ‘Well there’s not a lot of people that really dress up here.’ I do remember, and I make a joke about this, because I’m half serious and half not. When I came to AEW, people weren’t really dressing up. Cody dressed up. But after I started dressing up, you kind of see the turn there. I’m not saying I’m an influence, but I’m a fashion influence for sure.”
You’ve been very good on commentary, too. What’s your approach when you’re sitting in the booth? “One thing is for sure that I did not come into wrestling to be a commentator. So I think I know my role in that sense. I’m a guest commentator, so to speak. Trying to put myself in the shoe of a Taz or Excalibur and work like them shoulder to shoulder, that doesn’t work for me. My role is I’m the wrestler. This is what I trained to do. They were wrestlers, too, but they’ve moved on to the commentator roles, but they’ve excelled at that. In my head, I was like, ‘I’m not gonna try to be a Gordon Solie on my first day.’ I’m going to allow myself to be as open with people that are listening and open when it comes to criticism and to provide an insight that’s kind of different. One, a comedic insight. And two, an insight from a wrestling standpoint. Have you ever watched wrestling with someone? And they’re asking a bunch of questions? And it’s like, ‘Just watch it.’ That’s how I envision myself as a commentator. Asking, ‘Why did they do that?’ Or, ‘Well they definitely cheated there, we’re not gonna say anything about that?’ That type of stuff.”
You suffered a pretty serious injury in April of 2021. How scary was that for you? “It’s not something I really like to touch back on. It was rough, because I didn’t know was was gonna happen to my career. And the worst thing I ever want to feel like is my career was taken away by the hands of someone else. For those who don’t know, I had broke my neck in a match, and I was out for a good three months. That was due to me doing hardcore physical therapy like twice a week. The thought of losing it really scared me bad. There was a period where I didn’t know what was going to happen. I really felt like I fell back a bit, especially at AEW, and ever since then I’ve been trying to play catch up. And it’s not a good feeling to have. But, that’s why I work so hard. I bust my ass to get the things that I want. It was a small setback for sure, but I’m good now.”
“Full Gear” is this weekend, and you have World Title Eliminator Tournament match against Lance Archer on Friday’s episode of “Rampage”. Anything you can divulge? “Last week I wasn’t cleared due to the attack by Archer. This week, it’s perfect. This is my first real chance at being a No. 1 contender, and I don’t think that’s been any secret. I also don’t think it’s been any secret that there’s been a ground swell for me especially within the wrestling community. I had the same thought process when I came in and had my match against Cody — I’m not gonna waste this opportunity. The match with Cody, I’m not leaving without them knowing who I am. In this situation, I’m not leaving without them knowing who I am and without me advancing. So if there’s any spoiler alert, that’s it. I’m going to beat Archer and I’m going to beat whoever is next, and then I’m going to win the finals. This will be the start of, as I call it, the Starks Season. And I say that a lot, and it doesn’t really pan out the way I want (laughs). But this one’s it.”
