Former AEW star Ricky Starks made his highly anticipated WWE NXT debut during the second hour of this week’s show, delivering a bold promo that set the tone for his arrival.
Starks declared that if NXT represents the future of wrestling, then it needs a superstar of the future. He went on to say that if NXT is considered WWE’s top developmental brand, then it requires the highest free agent, vowing to turn the place upside down. Interestingly, neither Starks nor the announcers mentioned his name—a deliberate move by WWE.
According to Fightful Select, WWE anticipated the crowd would chant his name, and the decision to omit it was intentional. However, the specific reasoning behind this remains unclear.
Reports also indicate that AEW talent releases had been rumored to take place last Friday, but they were ultimately delayed until this week. Starks was among the names long considered for release.
His move to WWE came together quickly. As of December, there was no known direct communication from WWE to Starks, but sources believed he was destined to sign once he became available.
Additionally, Fightful noted: “Those we spoke to on the main roster said that they believe the majority of creative heading into WrestleMania is planned, and NXT would be much more fluid working him into the fold.”
Word of Starks’ NXT debut began circulating around the WWE Performance Center roughly 30 minutes before the show aired.
