"He's leaving" - Tony Khan doesn’t want to get “buried” for AEW star’s potential departure, says veteran

According to a wrestling veteran, Tony Khan wants to avoid getting "buried" over the potential departure of an AEW star. The talent in question is none other than Ricky Starks.

The Absolute has been missing from the squared circle at AEW since March of this year. During a recent interview, All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan commented on Starks' absence, showering praise on the former FTW Champion and stating his interest in bringing him back to TV "anytime."

On a recent episode of the Keepin' it 100 OFFICIAL podcast, Konnan and Disco Inferno discussed Khan's remarks about Ricky Starks and his current status in AEW. Disco claimed that the President of All Elite Wrestling responded in the manner that he did because he knows that the Louisiana-native will be departing from the promotion, bringing up how vocal Starks has been regarding his booking in the company.

"I didn't think he realized what he was saying because I think he knows Ricky's leaving. Because he's been very vocal," said Disco Inferno. [2:37 - 2:44]

Konnan chimed in by questioning Khan's decision of not presenting Starks consistently on All Elite Wrestling programming despite supposedly liking the latter's work. He compared the recent handling of the former AEW World Tag Team Champion to that of Wardlow, whose recent booking has also been questionable according to many. Konnan also claimed that TK praised Starks despite not putting him on television because he did not want to face criticism for losing another prominent talent like he lost Jade Cargill to WWE.

"Plus my thing is, if you like him so much, then why haven't you used him. I mean, the guy hasn't been around forever. Same thing with Wardlow, bro. What a massive failure they did with him, as over as you can be, and now, he means absolutely nothing... Maybe, you know, like you said, he's leaving, and he doesn't want to get buried for letting another good talent go, like Jade [Cargill] and other people like that. So, why did you stop using him, you know what I'm saying, if you like him so much?" Konnan said. [2:45 - 3:22]

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Matt Morgan thinks AEW's Ricky Starks should sign with WWE

A number of pro-wrestling veterans clearly hold Ricky Starks in high regard as a talent. That includes former TNA and WWE star Matt Morgan, who recently suggested that the 34-year-old star should sign with the sports entertainment juggernaut currently helmed creatively by Triple H.

During a recent episode of Gigantic Pop, The Blueprint extended several compliments to Starks, applauding him for continuously improving his work - in the ring and on the microphone - and for presenting himself in the fashion of a top star. Morgan went on to state his hope that WWE signs Ricky Starks, claiming that the Stamford-based promotion would grant him opportunities that AEW does not.

"I do think he could thrive there. I do because he works his b**t off and he's shown us every opportunity they give him, he improves moving forward, right? The more mic time you give him, he gets better than the time he was out there before, right? In the ring, he gets better than the time you saw him previously. So, that's what kind of talent he is. I think he's charismatic as hell and he thinks he's a star. He treats himself like a star, right? That's half the battle. I think he could be good for WWE. I really really do and I hope they get him. I really do. And for his sake, because I think he can do so much more than what AEW lets him do," Morgan said.

It remains to be seen if and when Ricky Starks will make his return to All Elite Wrestling and if he indeed makes a move to WWE in the coming days.

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