Major announcement on WWE Superstar Ricky Starks

Ricky Starks showed up in WWE on the latest edition of NXT after months of uncertainty around his status. A huge announcement has now been made regarding The Absolute's future.

Starks' five-year run with All Elite Wrestling ended earlier this week after Tony Khan let him go. The 34-year-old star's last match in AEW was in March 2024, but he has had a few matches on the independent scene.

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling recently announced that Ricky Starks would face Aaron Solo at their show on February 15, 2025. However, in a disappointing update, it has been revealed that The Absolute has been pulled from the event, likely because WWE NXT Vengeance Day 2025 will take place on the same day.

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, Ricky Starks will not be in attendance on Saturday, February 15th at the Tannery Row Ale House. However, you can still expect the same incredible evening of Georgia’s premier star studded, action packed, family friendly, independent professional wrestling that TCW Live has to offer! We will see you at the matches!" the TCW post stated.

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Veteran comments on Ricky Starks after his WWE debut

Speaking on the Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said he was surprised to see Ricky Starks appear on WWE NXT.

The veteran personality claimed the former AEW star has a "high opinion of himself" before praising him for his abilities.

"It seems like the dream for a lot of talents is to make it to WWE and call it a day. That’s not where it ends, that’s where it begins. I saw the episode of NXT last night, surprised to see Ricky Starks. Don’t know how he’s gonna do. He’s got a high opinion of himself, and he’s got a lot of abilities, there’s no doubt about that, so we’ll see how it works out for him," he said.

It will be interesting to see if Ricky Starks reaches his potential after his blockbuster move to the sports entertainment juggernaut.