Report: Ricky Starks Has Asked For His AEW Release

For almost a year, Ricky Starks has been nowhere to be found on AEW TV, last appearing on an episode the March 30 episode of "AEW Collision." Naturally, this has led to plenty of speculation and questions regarding Starks' status with the promotion, with AEW owner Tony Khan dodging questions about him along the way.

Now, it appears the situation could be coming to a head. Taking to X on Wednesday morning, Sportskeeda's Chris Featherstone reported that Starks has asked for his release from AEW, citing his lack of use and "frustration over the AEW creative process." Featherstone further claimed that Starks hadn't turned down any creative ideas during his AEW absence, and that, as of this time, he remained with AEW and hadn't had his release granted.

If the information is true, it would mean a messy end between AEW and a talent many considered to be one of the promotion's brightest young stars. Starks first appeared in AEW back in June 2020 as an unsigned talent, challenging Cody Rhodes for the AEW TNT Championship. Though he lost, Starks' performance was so impressive that he was immediately offered an AEW contract, and signed soon after.

In the years since, Starks would continue to have success, joining Team Taz and eventually becoming the FTW World Championship. After the group disbanded, Starks continued rising up the ranks, challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship in December 2022, and having notable programs with CM Punk and Bryan Danielson in the fall of 2023. He would later form a tag team with Big Bill, defeating FTR to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships on October 7, 2023. The duo would drop the titles to Sting and Darby Allin in February 2024, in Starks' second to last AEW match to date.

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