Ricky Starks recently stepped out of character to praise CM Punk.
One of the main rivalries on Collision since the show launched in June has been the simmering tension between Ricky Starks and CM Punk. While Punk is very much the man of the here and now, Starks is seen by many as one of the cornerstones of the future of AEW.
To date, the pair have met once in the ring with Starks picking up the win and the Owen Hart Cup in the process. Unsurprisingly, a victory where Starks used the middle rope to help score a pin did little to calm things between them and they’ll now wrestle for the “real World Championship” on the August 5th episode of Collision.
Ahead of the show, Starks sat down with DAZN Wrestling to discuss the match and his respect for Punk, who he believes is a Hall of Famer in waiting.
“Punk is a future Hall of Famer. He is the last of a true superstar that we have in wrestling… Personal reasons aside, his career is pretty decorated in that regard. I don’t look at it as anything other than I’m going in there, and I’m going to give the best version of myself that I know possible.”
What Does CM Punk Think About AEW Collision?
On August 5th, AEW Collision will air at the same time as WWE SummerSlam, and fans have delighted in the head-to-head between the two. However, speaking in a recent interview, CM Punk downplayed the competition, commenting that Collision is only competing with the episode from a week earlier and not external threats.
He went on to discuss the show being a team effort as it looks to establish itself on Saturday nights.