1. Ricky Starks is signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Ricky Saints and is the reigning NXT North American Champion in his first reign.
27 Facts About Ricky Starks
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Starks is known for his time in All Elite Wrestling as Ricky Starks from 2020 to 2025, where he is a former one-time AEW World Tag Team Champion and a former one-time FTW Champion.
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Ricky Starks is known for his time with the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was the inaugural holder of the revived NWA World Television Championship.
4.
Ricky Starks idolized wrestlers including The Undertaker, The Rock, and Mankind, among many others, while growing up watching professional wrestling.
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Around the age of seventeen, Ricky Starks decided he would pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
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Since 2012, Ricky Starks became a regular talent featured across numerous promotions in the state of Texas, like Anarchy Championship Wrestling and Inspire Pro Wrestling.
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Ricky Starks appeared in a WWE backstage video on the July 29,2013 episode of Raw, where he was bullied, mocked, and slammed through a table by Ryback.
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Ricky Starks again made an appearance on the March 19,2018 episode of Raw as a US Marshal, arresting Roman Reigns, only for Ricky Starks to be attacked by Reigns.
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Ricky Starks made his debut for National Wrestling Alliance at the NWA 70th Anniversary Show on October 21,2018, competing in a four-way elimination match against Jay Bradley, Mike Parrow and Willie Mack, which Mack won.
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Ricky Starks returned on the October 15,2019 episode of Power, defeating Trevor Murdoch.
11.
On July 14,2021, on night one of Fyter Fest, Ricky Starks won the FTW World Championship from Brian Cage, winning his first championship in AEW, although the FTW title is not an officially sanctioned championship in the company.
12.
In September 2021, in addition to still being a wrestler on the show, Ricky Starks joined the Rampage commentary team, replacing Mark Henry.
13.
At Fight for the Fallen on July 27,2022, Ricky Starks issued an open challenge immediately after defeating Danhausen.
14.
The grudge match between Hobbs and Ricky Starks was set for All Out, where Hobbs defeated Ricky Starks in just over five minutes.
15.
At Winter is Coming, MJF defeated Ricky Starks to retain the AEW World Championship and winning Ricky Starks' Dynamite Diamond Ring.
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Ricky Starks competed in the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament, defeating Robinson and Powerhouse Hobbs to advance to the tournament finals.
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However, Ricky Starks acquired a manager's license in order to continue appearing in AEW and started managing Big Bill.
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At All Out, Ricky Starks lost to Danielson by technical submission after passing out from Danielson's modified submission using the strap.
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In February 2025, Ricky Starks' profile was removed from AEW's website and he was released, ending his five-year tenure with the company.
20.
On November 23,2024, Ricky Starks debuted in Game Changer Wrestling at GCW Dream On, where he cut a promo stating that "I'd I will be damned if I sit at home and let my career dwindle".
21.
Several days later, GCW announced that Ricky Starks had been pulled from all upcoming appearances.
22.
On December 29, Ricky Starks appeared in DEFY Wrestling at DEFY Blueprint to challenge DEFY World Champion Kenta for the title at DEFY Hundredth on February 7,2025, where he went on to defeat Kenta for the title.
23.
Ricky Starks has referred to his style as a "pastiche" of other wrestlers, most notably The Undertaker's selling and Shinjiro Otani.
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Dan Allanson of Pro Wrestling Torch agrees, describing Ricky Starks' in-ring style as a mix of the Undertaker and Bret Hart, while his persona is a throwback to self-confident Attitude Era stars such as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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Ricky Starks uses an Inverted powerbomb dubbed the "Rochambeau" as a finishing manoeuvre.
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Ricky Starks grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and was raised by a single mom with two siblings.
27.
Ricky Starks has spoken on a number of occasions about his frustrations that people often do not realise he is African-American, something that was a source of bullying and fights in his childhood.