Ricky Starks has lashed out against the backstage issues currently dominating AEW, claiming they’re overshadowing the action in the ring.
After reports surfaced CM Punk’s real-life heat with ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and Eddie Kingston’s secret suspension following an altercation with Sammy Guevara – to name a few – Starks gave his thoughts on AEW’s backstage environment on the Battleground Podcast.
Ricky Starks debuted against Cody Rhodes on 17th June 2020 on an episode of Dynamite and claims that since then, “the locker room has definitely changed,” citing the increased number of talent as one of the key ways in which the locker room has changed.
With regards to the reported drama itself, he said:
“I definitely think that the drama of the backstage stuff, while it does pique the interest of people online, I f*cking hate it. The reason I hate it is because it kind of overshadows some of the stuff that happens on TV. For that, I’d rather not be involved with it, but you have people backstage who have loose lips, that’s what happens, and now we’ve created a scenario where we have all the rumours and speculation because that’s all it is. I promise you, what you read is not necessarily true,”
The particular on-screen storyline that concerns Starks at the moment is his current feud with former Team Taz teammate Powerhouse Hobbs.
The former friends are scheduled to meet for the first time ever in a match scheduled for All Out. The event headlined by the AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and CM Punk will take place in Chicago on September 4th.
H/t to Fightful for the transcription.