WWE Reportedly Couldn't Secure Rights to Ricky Starks' Name
Sean Ross Sapp reports WWE renamed Ricky Starks to Ricky Saints for NXT due to apparent issues securing clear rights to his name despite his previous WWE appearances.
WWE has renamed Ricky Starks to “Ricky Saints” for his NXT run, with new information emerging about the reasoning behind this decision.
PWInsider initially reported that WWE wanted to trademark the name for themselves, a common practice to secure full ownership of a wrestler’s identity.
Sean Ross Sapp provided additional context during a Fightful Select Q&A, revealing apparent rights issues as the actual reason for the change.
We were told that there were a number of people in WWE who were of the belief they couldn’t get the clear rights to the Ricky Starks name.
Sapp noted the unusual nature of this situation, as Starks had already used his real name before joining AEW, including during a brief WWE appearance in 2012 against Jinder Mahal on WWE TV.
The “Saints” moniker connects to Starks’ New Orleans hometown, representing the city’s French roots and football culture while maintaining the “Ricky S” sound that fans recognize.
Despite some fans preferring the original name, Starks has made an immediate impact in NXT alongside Je’Von Evans, suggesting he is settling into his WWE run regardless of the name change.
WWE has not officially commented on whether the name change is permanent or if Starks might eventually return to his original ring name.