AEW star Ricky Starks has been absent from TV appearances for months, sparking speculation among fans about his potential departure from the promotion. He appeared on AEW television since March 2024.
In March, Starks competed in a tag team title tournament match with Big Bill against Top Flight. After this match, Starks has not been featured on AEW programming. Since then, Starks wrestled two matches outside of AEW. The first match took place in May 2024 at BWT Welcome to Paradise, where he defeated QT Marshall.
The second match occurred recently at Glory Pro WrestlePocalypse on November 24, where Starks lost to A1 Zero Gravity Champion Kody Lane. Starks’ appearances outside of AEW led fans to speculate whether he had become a free agent. However, a few weeks ago, Starks confirmed that he is still under contract with AEW.
Starks surprised fans with an appearance at a GCW event on Saturday, November 23, where he claimed AEW had “frozen him out.” During the appearance, Starks set up a future match against Jimmy Lloyd in GCW.
Starks was originally scheduled for upcoming GCW appearances in December and January, but the promotion recently announced that he would no longer appear at several events. Recent reports have clarified the situation, revealing why Starks was pulled from his upcoming GCW bookings.
What happened: The real reason Ricky Starks was pulled from GCW
Fightful Select reports have addressed Ricky Starks contract situation and why he was pulled from GCW appearances. It was reported that AEW picked up his option last spring, extending his contract through 2025. The same day, Starks discussed his AEW absence in an interview with Chris Van Vliet.
According to GCW sources, AEW pulled Starks from all planned GCW appearances after November 26. The decision was reportedly linked to comments made by Effy about Tony Khan’s father, Shahid Khan. While some within AEW considered the GCW appearance part of a storyline, it was confirmed that it was not.
It will be interesting to see what is next for Ricky Starks now that he’s been pulled from his upcoming GCW appearances. Many wonder if he will come back to AEW.
