"Already becoming a WWE shill," "He's too fragile" - Fans erupt after Ricky Starks calls out AEW stars for backstage issue

Ricky Starks joined WWE last week. Following that, he recently addressed what led to his fallout with Tony Khan's AEW.

The AEW President had sidelined the 34-year-old star since March 2024. Despite not being actively used, he wasn't released from the company until earlier this month. The former AEW star didn't waste any time and quickly signed with WWE. He made his NXT debut on the February 11 edition of the show.

The Absolute One was the latest guest on the Busted Open podcast, where he disclosed that he had to part ways with AEW because the veterans in the company (he didn't name any) started to poke their noses in his business.

Wrestling fans didn't appreciate the former AEW star bad-mouthing the promotion after joining its rival company. They took to X (fka Twitter) to express their dissatisfaction.

"Ricky already becoming a WWE shill," said a fan.

"People were afraid to work with him. He's too fragile for the AEW style," stated this one.

"Already bad-mouthing AEW to get in the good graces of WWE," wrote another.

Some fans pointed fingers at Chris Jericho and Cope, implying that they were the ones who caused Ricky Starks to drift away from AEW.

"It was Jericho. Thank you, Learning Tree!!" read a tweet.

"I mean, it's definitely Edge Adam Copeland, right?" another wrote.

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What is Ricky Starks' new name in WWE?

When Ricky Starks arrived in WWE last week, the company didn't mention his name anywhere. He officially signed a contract with the promotion on this week's developmental show. After he signed the contract, the camera zoomed in on it, showing fans his new name in WWE: Ricky Saints.

Saints' debut match for the Stamford-based promotion was also announced on the show. He is set to team up with Je'Von Evans to take on Wes Lee and Ethan Page.