Eric Bischoff Reacts To WWE Debut Of Former AEW Star Ricky Starks

One day after news of his AEW exit emerged, Ricky Starks stunned fans when he debuted in the stands of "WWE NXT," declaring his official arrival to WWE's third brand. According to WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff, this was perhaps the most ideal way to introduce Starks, a former AEW Tag Team Champion, to the WWE Universe.

"Once that crowd recognized that they were part of the show, they realized that red light was pointing at them, they got into it," Bischoff said on "83 Weeks." "Took them a couple seconds, maybe 30, 20 seconds, and then all of a sudden everybody realized 'Holy crap, this is his entrance and I'm on TV.' That added enthusiasm and energy made Ricky a bigger star before he said a word ... To bring him down through the crowd as a surprise, it's bonus for everybody, they get to be on TV, I think it was absolutely the best way to bring Ricky in. It made it look like he was crashing the party and people love that."

Following Starks' "NXT" debut, reports indicated that he had inked a WWE contract, with "NXT" being his initial landing point. Regarding his potential WWE ring name, Starks is reportedly listed as "Ricky Starks" in WWE's internal roster right now. Still, the company could possibly alter that in the coming days.

Tomorrow, WWE will host the "NXT" Vengeance Day premium live event from Washington D.C. As of now, there is no word on whether Starks' debut will follow up with an appearance at the event.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.