AEW President Tony Khan has been lenient about contracts in the past, but he seems to be utilizing harsher methods of enforcement in 2024. In response, legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette has urged the All Elite Chief to let Ricky Starks out of his contract.
Ricky Starks has been off television for most of the year. Rumors have circulated regarding the 34-year-old potentially turning down creative pitches amid speculation that he plans to sign with WWE next year. For now, Tony Khan has benched the former AEW World Tag Team Champion and even pulled him from his bookings with GCW.
Rey Fenix is in a similar situation, having just had injury time added to his contract while he sits at home. Jim Cornette addressed the issue on the latest episode of his Drive-Thru podcast. The legendary manager suggested that Tony Khan should be strict with stars who turn down creative pitches:
“If he [Tony Khan] wants to use them, and they say, ‘Well, we don’t wanna do this s**t,’ which we hear happens up and down the card to people, instead of saying okay, and they go home and they get paid, then he should say, ‘Okay, you’re going home but we’re gonna suspend you for refusing direction, and we’ll start paying you when you come back and do what we want you to do.’ That’s how he ought to hold them to their contracts. Or if they just say, ‘No, I’m going home and I’m not coming back until you find something creatively I like,’ then yeah, hold them to their contract and say, ‘No, you’re gonna godd**n do this.'” [From 34:10 to 34:54]
However, Cornette is not a fan of paying wrestlers to sit at home, and he urged the AEW president to release Starks:
“But if you don’t wanna use a guy, and not for just a few months but ‘I don’t wanna use him anymore,’ then that’s bulls**t. He’s been gone so long. Let him out of his deal so he can go somewhere else. It’s not like, you don’t want a guy leaving TV directly and going to the other side, but it’s been months.” [From 34:55 to 35:19]
Ricky Starks might be tied to AEW until next summer
The situation around Ricky Starks is murky, to say the least. The 34-year-old has only been seen once since dropping the AEW World Tag Team Championship back in February.
Reports have revealed that Tony Khan had the option to extend Ricky’s contract in the spring of this year, pushing the deal’s expiration to the spring or summer of 2025. If that’s the case, Starks could end up on the shelf for another half a year.
Ricky Starks has expressed his desire to work, and he was backstage for the first time in months at Full Gear 2024. Reports claimed that his colleagues welcomed him and even took pictures with them. However, this was before the 34-year-old was pulled from his GCW dates.
Starks is a fan favorite in AEW but has had an up-and-down tenure with the company. Whether he returns to television in the near future remains to be seen.
When using quotes from this article, please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription.
