Matt Hardy Addresses Ricky Starks Not Being Used In AEW

AEW fans have been patiently waiting for the return of "Absolute" Ricky Starks. Named by ESPN as the Breakout wrestler of the year for 2022, Starks is a former FTW Champion, a former AEW World Tag Team Champion, and winner of the 2023 Men's Owen Hart Cup but has not competed in an AEW ring since March of this year and has been blocked by AEW for other appearances. Former AEW star Matt Hardy addressed Starks' AEW utilization and lack thereof on "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy."

"I can't speak into the reasoning they're not using him because I don't know those details obviously, but I can say I grew to like Ricky Starks so much, I love some Ricky Starks," Hardy said. "We had a greeting, he would always hit me he said, 'What's up RN?' That's what he would call me every time I ran into him and that kind of became our thing back and forth and I'll leave that to your imagination what that might be."

AEW has developed an issue with signing wrestlers but then failing to utilize them in a proper role or at all. With Starks now seemingly in this category despite being extremely talented and charismatic as Hardy said, the 15-time world tag team champion commented on wrestlers who are under contract but do not do much.

"In theory, if you signed a contract, you have made an agreement to do that time, so it is what it is," Hardy remarked. "I think after the Ethan Page deal where he'd asked for his release and he was granted his release and then he shows up at '[WWE] NXT' and then he becomes a hit at 'NXT,' I don't think that's going to happen anytime in the near future for AEW."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.