3 AEW stars who may have had backstage issues with Ricky Starks
Former AEW star Ricky Starks recently made his debut in NXT. The 34-year-old's All Elite Wrestling run began in 2020 and ended earlier this year. He hadn't appeared in any of the company's programs since early 2024.
In a recent appearance on Busted Open, The Absolute One shockingly revealed that he did not see eye to eye with veterans in the Jacksonville-based company. He stated that they interfered in his creative business and that is what led to his departure.
"I will say this, there are some people who stuck their nose in my creative business that shouldn’t have happened. Veterans. And that’s it, I’ll leave it at that. And if they got a problem with me, they got my number. And text me about it. I think what it was is if it didn’t work for their creative, then someone had to get the boot. That’s how I see it."
We might never know who the AEW veterans are who had heat with Starks. However, speculations are in motion. Here are three AEW stars who may have had backstage issues with Ricky Starks.
#3. The leader of The Patriarchy Christian Cage
Veteran wrestling star Christian Cage is the leader of The Patriarchy faction. Furthermore, he has an opportunity to challenge for the AEW World Championship since he won the Casino Gauntlet match at All In 2024. He has won titles across various companies throughout his career and has attained legendary status over the years.
Reports suggest that he has a close relationship with many wrestlers and a strong presence backstage. It is highly unlikely that Ricky Starks had issues with him. However, Captain Charisma is Adam Copeland's best friend. Cope and the new NXT star had a fierce rivalry, which could have been the result of real-life heat. Hence, there could be a slight possibility that Cage had some creative say in this feud, and The Absolute One didn't appreciate it.
#2. Former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho
Reigning ROH World Champion Chris Jericho has been dubbed Canadian Hogan by the internet wrestling community. Fans have accused him of stealing the spotlight from younger talents and also, at times, killing their momentum. Y2J even had to deal with "please retire" chants, which is never pleasant for a professional wrestler.
Jericho has had backstage fights with multiple wrestlers in the past. While nothing of that sort has been heard of since he signed with AEW, he could be the star Starks was referring to. However, this is just a speculation and he might in fact be on good terms with the 34-year-old.
#1. WWE Hall of Famer Cope (FKA Edge)
Adam Copland and Ricky Starks most likely had issues. When they were feuding, their promos had undertones of real-life heat. Many fans even accused The Rated-R Superstar of burying The Absolute One by calling him a 'Vanilla Midget Rock Ripoff'.
On a 2024 appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the 34-year-old said that Cope's words did not hurt his character too much. However, many fans believe that Ricky was referring to the WWE Hall of Famer in his recent Busted Open appearance.