A top AEW star disclosed that former World Champion Bryan Danielson was not impressed with him before their major match last year. Bryan thought the star couldn’t bear the punishment.
The AEW star in question is Ricky Starks. The Absolute One has not been seen on TV for the past eight months now. Nonetheless, he was perhaps in the best phase of his career last year during his feud with CM Punk. Punk’s contract with AEW was terminated right before his match against Starks at All Out 2023.
As Ricky Starks had no opponent for All Out, Bryan Danielson filled the spot despite his injuries. The match was set to be a Strap Match but Starks revealed that Bryan thought he was not tough enough before their match.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Starks disclosed that Bryan wanted to test him as he thought he was just a soft, pretty boy.
“When that first leather strap hit me, the sound echoed through the arena. Then Bryan starts tagging me in the face with the strap and goes, ‘Are you going to take it? Are you a man?’ I think Bryan thought I was soft, a pretty boy who couldn’t handle the punishment. He wanted to test me, and honestly, I love that. I think I passed that test with flying colors.” [H/T Ringside News]
AEW star on what Bryan Danielson said after their match
Ricky Starks and Bryan Danielson produced a great strap match at All Out 2023 despite a rushed booking. Starks also disclosed during the Chris Van Vliet interview that Danielson gave him some words of wisdom after their incredible match.
“He yelled at me in the best way possible. He said, ‘You’ve been thrown obstacle after obstacle, and every single time, you’ve knocked it out of the park. If anyone doubted you, you’ve proven them wrong tonight. That’s a main event.’” [H/T Ringside News]
Moreover, the feud between Starks and Danielson continued with Bryan getting three consecutive wins over the star.
However, since the contest, a lot of things have changed in AEW, with Danielson retiring from the squared circle and Starks currently absent from television and reportedly wanting out of his contract.
