'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ricky Starks has been one of the stars on the AEW roster who may be on his way out of the promotion, as he has not been utilized by the promotion much recently. There has been no direct reason revealed for this, which has caused an uproar from many.
The Absolute One has not been seen since March as he and Big Bill who were tag team partners at the time were vying to become the tag team champions following Sting's retirement. He has not been dealing with any major injury of any sort or something serious that would keep him on the shelf.
This has led to reports and speculation that Ricky Starks may just be waiting for his contract to expire, in hopes of leaving to sign with WWE or another major promotion. However, he is a valued star and someone AEW should look to keep. Here are some ways the promotion can book Starks to convince him to stay.
Trending
A female WWE star said her life is in danger. Details HERE
#1. Build a faction around him
During his last run in AEW, Ricky Starks worked as a heel, and he was feuding with several big names on the roster, including CM Punk and Bryan Danielson. His aligning himself with Big Bill just pushed him further to the top, and the two were even able to claim championship gold.
Building a faction around him will once more provide him with some backup in his conquest to head to the top. As someone who was recognized as being great, both in-ring and on the mic, he'll be an excellent leader for an up-and-coming faction.
Two names come to mind seeing as they have seemingly hinted at becoming heels and forming a group of their own, Lio Rush and Action Andretti. Putting Starks as their leader, and having a team full of hungry stars may be a recipe for success. This could be the start of something interesting.
#2. Push him to the title scene
Ricky Starks has a decent list of accolades so far in his time with AEW. He has held the FTW and world tag team titles and is a winner of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament. However, he has yet to capture one of the main singles titles that the promotion has to offer.
AEW could put him back in the title scene, and one champion who has yet to find his next challenger is TNT Champion Daniel Garcia. With Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita currently preoccupied with challenges of their own, Garcia is the perfect choice for a feud with Starks.
He could be the heel in this feud, and someone who could get in DG's head. They could go with building a long-term feud and having Ricky dethrone Garcia after a few back-and-forth exchanges between them.
#3. Give him more creative freedom
Creative freedom is something that most wrestlers aspire to have, as they'll be able to push themselves to be in programs, segments, or feuds in which they see themselves thriving.
Giving Ricky Starks the green light may convince him to continue staying with the promotion. There were previous reports that he wasn't on the same page as them with his booking, and giving him a bit more freedom may be just what they need to convince him to stay.
Seeing how Starks thrived in several feuds he was in last year, there is no shortage of possibilities for him, should he be given a chance to throw out ideas for himself.
#4. Ricky Starks could end up being a hero in the war against Jon Moxley and the Death Riders
One of the major ongoing storylines in AEW is Jon Moxley and the Death Riders' takeover of the company. Several stars have tried to take them down, but none have been successful so far as they are in position of both the world championship and the trios' titles.
As of now, Hangman Adam Page, Orange Cassidy, and Jay White are all gunning to take him down and become the world champion. But they have at times forgotten their main goal, and Mox could escape as world champion.
Should this be the case, Ricky Starks could surprisingly come out as the hero in this story, and the next to take up arms and feud with Jon Moxley. This interesting swerve would surely change the landscape of the promotion, as everything would be unpredictable from that point on.
Ricky Starks has been one of the stars in the last few years who fans have grown fond of, whether in his work as a babyface or as a heel. Seeing how there have been many who want to see him on TV again, AEW should go with that and try to find a way for them to keep him on their side.
