Ricky Starks shows up on major show; confronts star who has real-life heat with CM Punk

The former AEW World Tag Team Champion, Ricky Starks, confronted one of CM Punk's real-life rivals. Starks showed up at a major wrestling event amid his absence from Tony Khan's promotion.

Ricky Starks has been away from AEW television since March 2024 due to undisclosed reasons. Amid his absence, the Absolute has been appearing on multiple indie wrestling shows. Starks recently made a surprise appearance at the DEFY Blueprint wrestling event, where he confronted CM Punk's real-life rival, Kenta.

Kenta (fka Hideo Itami) is a popular Japanese wrestling veteran and was a part of the WWE from 2014 to 2019. He has been beefing with Punk for years regarding the use of the GTS move, as both of them use the same finisher. Kenta also refused to have a match with Punk earlier this year, saying the GTS move is his, and they can't fight over it.

Meanwhile, Kenta might have teased a future match against AEW star Ricky Starks after their recent face-off at DEFY Blueprint.

Moreover, Ricky Starks has competed in independent wrestling promotions such as Glory Pro and BTW amid his AEW absence. He was also pulled from a GCW show after a recent controversy. Starks has also been rumored to join WWE as soon as his contract is up.

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CM Punk is set for a huge match on RAW's Netflix premiere

WWE has loaded up the first RAW episode for Netflix on January 6, 2025, with multiple major matches. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins has also been announced as one of the matches on the show, which is years in the making. The seeds for the match were planted after Punk's return last year, and the match will finally take place.

RAW's Netflix premiere will be the first time Punk and Rollins will have a showdown since 2013. It remains to be seen who comes out victorious in this personal bout.