It has been reported that WWE may be interested in signing a former AEW Champion.
In recent years, WWE’s developmental brand NXT has become a landing spot for former AEW talent, with several stars making significant impacts on the show. Now, it appears that another AEW standout may be on NXT’s radar.
According to reports from Fightful Select, there is “significant interest” within WWE in bringing Ricky Starks to NXT once his AEW contract expires. The exact end date of Starks’ current deal has been a topic of speculation for months, with conflicting reports suggesting various timeframes.
AEW President Tony Khan previously refuted rumours that Starks’ contract was ending in March, stating that the wrestler remains under contract “for a while.” However, new speculation arose when reports circulated that Starks’ deal may have expired in July, though this remains unconfirmed.
Starks has had a notable run in AEW despite some fans arguing he hasn’t reached his full potential. His accomplishments include a year-long reign as FTW Champion from 2021 to 2022, challenging for the AEW World Championship, securing back-to-back victories over Chris Jericho, defeating CM Punk, winning the 2023 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and capturing the AEW Tag Team Championships in October 2023.
However, Starks’ absence from AEW television since March 30th has fuelled rumours about his future with the company. If he were to join NXT, he would follow in the footsteps of other former AEW talents who have found success in NXT. Brian Pillman Jr. reinvented himself as Lexis King, Shawn Spears maintained his AEW persona and Ethan Page currently holds the NXT Championship.
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