Star released from AEW last year has message for Ricky Starks after WWE signing

Ricky Starks recently made his WWE debut, following on the heels of his AEW exit. The Absolute One has now received a congratulatory message from another former All Elite name - Jose The Assistant - who was released by the promotion last year.

Starks had been missing from action in All Elite Wrestling since he and Big Bill were eliminated from last year's World Tag Team Title tournament in March. He continued to be on hiatus despite not being injured, and rumors suggested that the former FTW Champion was likely WWE-bound after his contract expired.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Louisiana native was "free and clear" to perform elsewhere, indicating that his time in AEW had come to an end. Starks wasted little time showing up on WWE programming, making his debut last week on NXT. The 34-year-old star signed his contract with the developmental brand live on television this Tuesday and had a confrontation with former NXT Champion Ethan Page, who was once All Elite himself.

Now, another ex-AEW star, Jose The Assistant, has taken to X/Twitter to congratulate Ricky Starks (now going by Ricky Saints) for his WWE arrival and signing. The 39-year-old manager was released by the Jacksonville-based promotion in April last year.

"You should always be happy for the success of friends and co-workers. People make career choices, and choosing to bet on yourself is never easy, but can have huge rewards. Congratulations to @starkmanjones, the revolution will finally be televisied. [person dancing emoji] #WWENXT #WWE," wrote Jose.

Check out Jose The Assistant's tweet below:

Saints already has a match at NXT next week, as he will team up with Je'Von Evans to face Ethan Page and Wes Lee.

Vince Russo on former AEW star Ricky Starks' WWE signing

The WWE Universe was ecstatic over the recent debut of former AEW World Tag Team Champion Ricky Starks. Interestingly, former wrestling writer Vince Russo, speaking on BroDown on Backstage Pass last week, shared the view that Stroke Daddy may not have the star power to appeal to casual fans, stating:

"Ricky Starks is over with that bubble. He's not a casual fan draw. I mean, he's just not. So, okay in the bubble, it's a big deal. But you've already got those people in the bubble... So, you know, everyone we're talking about, they're not a Cena or Batista or a Rock. They're not mainstream. They're never going to, you know, appeal to casual fans."

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Ricky Saints in WWE.