Why Ricky Starks Debuted On WWE NXT Instead Of The Main Roster Revealed

The revolution was televised when Ricky Starks made his surprise debut on WWE NXT, mere days after his exit from All Elite Wrestling.

Starks’ departure from AEW was no surprise as communication between the two sides had seemingly all but evaporated over the past year, with many expecting Starks to jump ship to WWE when he was legally able to. As to why ‘Absolute’ has gone to NXT rather than the main roster, a report from Fightful Select suggests it was due to timing, with the majority of WWE creative in place for the upcoming WrestleMania 41 in April, with NXT believed to be a more ‘fluid’ creative space for Starks to be able to slot in at the current moment.

The deal for Starks to come into WWE was done quickly, with his exit from AEW only publicly confirmed on February 10 - one day before his NXT debut. The report does state that news about impending AEW releases started circulating on February 7.

Going forward it is seemingly unknown if Ricky Starks will be known as Ricky Starks on NXT, with it notable that neither Starks nor commentary referred to the former FTW Champion by name. The crowd did chant his name throughout his debut segment, with Starks acknowledging the chants.

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