Backstage News On Why WWE Sources Think Former AEW Star Ricky Starks Changed His Name

Fans are still getting used to saying "Ricky Saints," the new moniker of former AEW World Tag Team Champion Ricky Starks. While other former AEW talent like Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, and Cody Rhodes have all kept their names in the transition to WWE, Saints has not, which has been a curiosity to many.

According to Fightful Select, WWE seemingly couldn't secure the proper rights to the Ricky Starks name, despite the fact that Saints used it well before his tenure in AEW. There is no word on the specific reason, likely involving Saints's time in AEW.

Saints joined AEW in 2020, which led to five stop-and-start years with the company. While Saints won the FTW Championship and even held the AEW Tag Titles alongside Big Bill, Saints sat out much of the end of his contract with AEW, frustrated at his lack of forward momentum in the company. Saints cut a scathing promo on AEW before he left the company, leading to him being pulled from GCW events for the foreseeable future. Saints managed to wrestle in Defy Wrestling, winning the Defy Championship just days before his WWE debut in February. He has since vacated the Defy Championship.

Saints isn't the only former-AEW talent to debut recently, as fellow former tag champion Penta debuted in WWE in January, immediately joining the "Raw" brand. His brother, Rey Fenix is likely to join him soon, as the former AEW International Champion has been removed from the AEW roster page and released from the company.