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After news broke that Ricky Starks was apparently done with AEW, it did not take him long to show up on WWE programming. During the latest episode of NXT, the former AEW star showed up to the surprise of fans and cut a promo.
It is unclear why Starks joined the NXT roster and not the main roster and what plans WWE Creative has for him. Ricky Starks was consistently one of the AEW stars who were linked with a WWE even before he departed from Tony Khan's company.
Upon his move to WWE, he is set to reunite with superstars he considers close friends.
In this article, we take a look at four of them:
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#4. CM Punk was a mentor to Ricky Starks in AEW
The Best in the World and Ricky Starks spent time together in AEW and had a feud that led to a couple of matches.
Punk and Starks had a great relationship outside the ring, with The Best in the World becoming Starks' mentor and helping him elevate his in-ring performance.
The former AEW star revealed that he has a great relationship with CM Punk and took a shot at those who called out Punk for his AEW stint, stating that he didn't care about others' opinions on Punk.
#3. Cody Rhodes was the one that brought him to AEW
The American Nightmare was the one to discover him when the latest addition to WWE was competing in NWA. Starks showed up in AEW back in 2020 and went after Cody Rhodes for the AEW World Championship.
Fast forward to today, the two are still friends, and Starks has revealed that he gets in touch with the Undisputed WWE Champion very often. He has also praised Cody Rhodes, calling him his friend and naming him as one of the few people who care about him in the wrestling business.
#2. Jade Cargill has called Ricky Starks her best friend
The former Women's Tag Team Champion has revealed that Ricky Starks is her best friend in the wrestling business and is happy that the two will now reunite in WWE.
Jade Cargill has opened up about her relationship with Starks, saying that the two have been training together very often while they spend time together away from the squared circle, maintaining a great relationship.
Cargill is currently out with an injury, but with Starks now on NXT, she could show up there to reunite with her best friend. The SmackDown Superstar has also praised the former AEW star for his work ethic and considers him a great addition to the WWE roster.
#1. Bayley is one of Starks' closest friends
Bayley and Ricky Starks have been friends for more than a decade. They first met back in 2014 and used to travel together and train together when Starks was tag team partner of Bayley's ex-fiance Aaron Solow.
Even after Solow and Baley's break-up, the former AEW star kept his friendship with The Role Model and has referred to her as one of his 'closest friends.'
Starks has also opened up about how much the former Women's Champion has helped him improve as a wrestler and a human being. The two reunited on NXT since Bayley was part of Tuesday's show as she continues her feud with Roxanne Perez.
