AEW’s Ricky Starks on ‘Not Being Impressed’ with Chris Jericho, The Rock Comp, More

AEW’s Ricky Starks on ‘Not Being Impressed’ with Chris Jericho, The Rock Comp, More

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All Elite Wrestling has many former WWE and WCW stars working for the promotion, but the roster is mostly made up of AEW originals and people who have been working on the indie scene and internationally for years.

Ricky Starks is one of those stars who has been in this business for over a decade, but his talents weren’t seen by a national TV audience until he debuted on the June 17, 2020, episode of Dynamite to answer one of Cody Rhodes’ open challenges for the TNT Championship.

The 33-year-old instantly stood out to fans and quickly found a home for himself in AEW as a member of Team Taz alongside Brian Cage and Taz’s son, Hook.

Since branching out on his own, Starks has become a popular babyface who seems destined to be one of the company’s top stars.

We had a chance to speak with the New Orleans native about a number of topics including his feud with The Jericho Appreciation Society, working with Team Taz, career aspirations and much more.

The Jericho Appreciation Society

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For the past several weeks, Starks has been engaged in a feud with Chris Jericho and his stable, The Jericho Appreciation Society. After scoring a victory over The Wizard, Starks has had to deal with the rest of his crew.

Following a disappointing loss at the end of a three-opponent gauntlet, Starks was able to get a measure of revenge by defeating Daniel Garcia on Friday’s Rampage. Now, he is looking to take down the leader of JAS once and for all.

“Well, I think, for me, it’s a matter of not just beating Chris, but I really just want to prove a point here, a point that I would refuse to be embarrassed,” Starks said. “And I refuse to just be done with something just because of one victory against Jericho. On top of that, the more that I beat JAS, the more that I can really show the weak points of the entire group itself.

“I am actually really focused on making sure that I outsmart Chris, at all costs. So I think getting a second chance at that type of redemption is what I’m looking forward to.”

While Jericho has already earned himself the title of a living legend among most fans, Stroke Daddy is not necessarily one of his adoring admirers.

“I’m not impressed. I don’t see anything that everyone else sees. Maybe, actually, you know, I see a little bit of it, but not enough to impress me. And, in the great words of Shania Twain, ‘That don’t impress me much.'”

Working with Team Taz

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Starks came into AEW as one of the contenders for Cody Rhodes’ TNT Championship when he was holding an open challenge on June 17, 2020, but after he was signed to a deal, he quickly found himself working alongside Taz.

The group also included Cage and eventually Taz’s son, Hook. They all have vastly different styles and personalities, but the group somehow found a way to work together. The 32-year-old spoke about his experience with the stable and how they clicked.

“Well, there’s a lot of patience involved,” Starks said. “A lot of growing pains. I definitely think working with those guys was more of a situation of finding the groove and seeing how well you mesh with other people and really figuring out your own type of personality and style. And especially for me being in a team which on the surface, people really didn’t think was a good fit.

“I made sure to prove to everybody that, ‘Hey, I deserve to be in this group. I fit in there with this group. And I’m also a new take on what you think the FTW mentality is all about.’ So going from that, I think, really helped with carving out and really making sure that my personality could stand out.”

Influences

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Ever since he arrived on the scene in AEW, Starks has stood out for his charisma and style. At times, he has been compared to past stars, but he is trying to be the first Ricky Starks, not the next Rock.

While he is not trying to emulate anyone in particular, there are certainly people who drew him into this business.

“The Undertaker definitely got me into pro wrestling. He’s one of my favorite wrestlers,” Starks said. “But there isn’t anyone in particular that I had tried to emulate myself out there. Really, what you see is what you get. I’m a very lively and sarcastic and charismatic person outside of the ring.

“And if I had to give any type of credit, this is what I say in almost all my interviews, is that it’s the people of New Orleans that you really see come to life when I’m on screen, not necessarily a wrestler, so to speak. So I pull my inspirations outside of the wrestling world because that’s what I’m most familiar with. And that’s what I grew up with. And that’s the most authentic version I can provide.

“Being genuine and authentic is a big thing to me. So that’s really where I pulled those things from. But Undertaker was the first guy to really draw me into wrestling. And that was when I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is what I want to do.’ And then, of course, my second-favorite wrestler was Mankind. And third, The Rock.”

While he is not trying to copy somebody else’s demeanor, Starks still recognizes that fans are trying to compliment him when making comparisons to people like Dwayne Johnson.

“It’s a flattering thing to read and hear people say, ‘Oh, he’s like a young Rock.’ Or things of that nature. But I can’t change someone’s opinion on if they think I’m trying to emulate somebody or not. That is what it is. People are always gonna make comparisons to something in life. And one day, those comparisons stop.”

Goals and Aspirations

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The great thing about pro wrestling is that in many ways, it is all forms of entertainment rolled into one. It incorporates physical combat, music, theatrics, comedy, drama and spectacle into one wacky package we tune in to watch every week.

For Starks, he has a lot of goals left in pro wrestling, but he also aspires to do more outside the ring when the opportunity arises.

“I definitely want to get into acting and try my hand in the entertainment world,” Starks said. “TV shows, movies, that sort of thing. There’s a good crossover for me to take advantage of. But beyond that, in wrestling itself, definitely trying to main-event as much as possible and become a world champion.

“And I think that’s all doable within two years. Anything that I’ve set out for myself. And with that, being the face of a company is also a great thing to have, because there’s a lot of trust that they instill in you in that regard. So those are the main ones. I’m not big at putting all my goals out there just because you got to gotta leave a little something for yourself.”

Quick Questions

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Whenever we interview an AEW star, we like to throw a series of questions at them quickly on a variety of topics.

Who would you pick as a mixed tag team partner in AEW?

I choose Jade [Cargill]. She’s over 50-0. No one can whup her ass. I’m gonna just go straight to the top on that one.

What is your favorite entrance theme of all time?

You know what? I really liked The Four Horsemen’s from WCW. You know who is another good one? Shawn Spears’ entrance is great.

What is your favorite workout album right now?

I don’t really listen to just an album. But I listen to a lot of Sade. Recently I was listening to Lil Uzi. Just something to get me hyped up. Some Kendrick Lamar as well.

What would you pick as your last meal?

I would do a chicken parmesan meal with a slice of King Cake. Actually a King Cake from Gambino’s in New Orleans. That’s what I would do.

What is your drink of choice?

I really like tequila with a splash of tonic water and a lime. And that’s it. Some people scoff at that, but I just like to taste tequila.

Do you like Absolut Vodka?

I’ve had it before. It’s not bad. I don’t really drink vodka all the time, but I definitely have had it before and it is good.

Movie Review

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We always end our AEW interviews with a movie review. Starks found himself with some free time while on the Jericho Cruise recently, so he talked about a film he watched starring B.J. Novak from The Office.

“I saw this movie called Vengeance,” Starks said. “Which is about, I guess this guy being a podcaster going to a small town and the death of this girl I guess he had a one-night stand with or something like that. I watched it on the cruise.

“I thought it was very entertaining in the sense of it wasn’t your traditional, like, comedy or drama. It had small nuances to it. But for what it was worth, I thought it was enjoyable. I wouldn’t watch it again. But I definitely would recommend a first-time watch.”

Starks can be seen every week on AEW programming. Follow Ricky on Twitter @starkmanjones and you can follow Chris Mueller @BR_Doctor.