WWE was reportedly planning Ricky Starks’ debut before his departure from AEW earlier this week. On Monday, PWInsider reported that Starks had left AEW and was free to perform elsewhere.
The following night on NXT, Starks surprised fans by making an unexpected appearance. He cut a promo but was not recognized by name, leading to speculation that WWE and Starks had either not agreed on terms to use his name or were in the process of deciding on a new one.
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer, WWE had originally planned for Starks to debut at a major NXT event later this year. However, those plans were accelerated as soon as he became available.
Meltzer wrote, “Even before his release, WWE had plans for Starks to debut in NXT at a major event later this year, but sped up the process as soon as he was available.”
It has been confirmed that Starks has been added to WWE’s internal roster under his current ring name. However, there is still a possibility that his identity could change.
Despite his talent and strong fan support, Starks struggled to reach the main event scene in AEW before being sidelined for nearly a year.
