Top star rejects AEW's pitch for return; belief he's WWE-bound - Reports

AEW has been heating up with several major storylines heading into All In 2024, but one of its top stars is currently still missing from television. There is seemingly a belief that Ricky Starks will head to WWE once his current contract is up.

Ricky Starks has had an up-and-down tenure in All Elite Wrestling. The 34-year-old got his start in the company against Cody Rhodes back in 2020, and while he's won championships and received his fair share of the spotlight, inconsistent booking has led to his momentum stalling out multiple times.

Starks has been missing from television for several months now. Reports have emerged of the former NWA star turning down pitches and generating heat with higher-ups in AEW. On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer claimed that the company wanted to turn him into a babyface, but he declined:

"They wanted him to turn babyface. He didn't want to turn babyface. They're not using him," Meltzer said.

Dave Meltzer further expressed his belief that Starks is expected to head to WWE once his current deal is up:

"I think that there's a lot of people who think he's headed to WWE because of Cody, and so they're not investing in him right now. I think that's basically the mindset. We'll see what happens." [H/T: WrestlingInc]

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AEW's MJF believes Ricky Starks is underrated

Ricky Starks' most recent run saw him stand atop the tag team division alongside Big Bill. The two ultimately lost their AEW Tag Team Championship to Darby Allin and Sting in February of this year before falling to Top Flight in the tournament to crown new champions on March 30.

Starks has been off television since then, having reportedly turned down a breakup angle that would have set him against Big Bill. Despite his disagreements with the creative team, however, MJF still thinks the 34-year-old is underrated.

Speaking with The Wrestling Classic last month, the reigning AEW American Champion called Starks a "phenom."

"I'll wrestle Ricky Starks any day of the week. I think he's one of the most underrated talents probably ever, like he's a f*****g phenom. I say that with a wink and a nod because he's the biggest Undertaker mark in the world," MJF said.

Many fans have expressed their hope that Ricky Starks will return to television as a singles competitor, but whether that happens with AEW or WWE remains to be seen.