Tommy Dreamer Details How Former AEW Star Ricky Starks Will Grow In WWE

After the news broke that Ricky Starks had parted ways with AEW after a prolonged absence from TV, fans assumed he'd be WWE-bound but the "Absolute Star" surprised everyone when he made his debut this week already, during "WWEnNXT." Now that Starks is seemingly in WWE, Tommy Dreamer firmly believes that he'll be reaching new heights, especially as he learns to work the style of the promotion.

"He's gonna learn different aspects of the industry, there's going to be accountability, and there's going to be progress in your career," Dreamer said during an episode of "Busted Open Radio." The veteran then hit back at critics who take issue with WWE sometimes making bigger stars of former AEW names by explaining that the wrestling industry has always worked this way. "Hulk Hogan, Hulkamania, all that stuff? It wasn't found in WWE, it was found in AWA and then when he got hot, (...) he got taken by WWE; the rest is history."

Dreamer continued to make his case by also pointing out how the same thing happened with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who many hardcore fans know struggled to find a gimmick before becoming the biggest star of the Attitude Era. "Steve Austin is a great example of — back then — how you went forward in the wrestling industry," he added. "Same with The Undertaker. Starts off World Class, Memphis, does all these things." However, Dreamer admitted that not every person who went to WWE made it big, like Dusty Rhodes, Terry Taylor, and more recently, Jordynne Grace.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.