Ricky Starks was presented as a game-changer upon his surprise NXT debut this week. While many are already seeing the former AEW talent as a future superstar, wrestling veteran Jim Ross is taking a more patient approach.
The AEW personality talked about things like the recent WWE releases, signing The Big Show to WWE and more on the latest episode of his podcast.
Speaking about Starks\' NXT debut only a day after his AEW release, Ross claimed that he has a unique opportunity ahead. He mentioned that Ricky has a big personality but cautioned talents who think signing with WWE as their end goal:
Well, he\'s a high-motor guy. I don’t know if he’ll be the next Shawn Michaels at his size, but he has a unique future. He’s got a big personality, so hopefully, he’ll do well and live his dream. It seems like the dream for a lot of talents is to make it to WWE and call it a day. That’s not where it ends, that’s where it begins.\
He\'s Got A Lot Of Abilities: Jim Ross
Ricky Starks ended his 5-year run with Tony Khan\'s promotion when he was let go earlier this month. While originally considered a future main eventer for the company, the former FTW champion had spent most of 2024 on the shelf with all kind of rumors about his status.
Speaking about his move from AEW to NXT, Jim Ross claimed that the 34-year-old \'has a high opinion\' of himself. Whether he\'s able to live up to the hype or not, is yet to be seen:
\"So, I saw the episode of NXT last night [and was] surprised to see Ricky Starks. [I] don’t know how he’s going to do. He’s got a high opinion of himself, and he’s got a lot of abilities. There’s no doubt about that. So we’ll see how it works out for him. It’s never easy to get over, and hopefully, he can get over and stay over as a top star. It remains to be seen. Let’s see how it goes.
While the former champion was presented as a star upon his debut, WWE avoided mentioning his name on TV. You can check out the potential reason behind this caution here.
