Ricky Starks was a big focal point when AEW Collision started in June 2023.
Starks won the 2023 Owen Hart Foundation Memorial Tournament, defeating CM Punk in the finals, and then feuded with Punk throughout the first months of Collision. Starks faced Punk for the Real AEW World Title in a match refereed by Ricky Steamboat on the August 5, 2023 episode of AEW Collision.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Starks was asked what it was like working with Punk.
"It was awesome. Punk was really instrumental in how I was presented. Mind you, I had all these ideas. I had the idea of filming walking into the arena with your bags, like how they do it on WWE. I had gotten that idea from the NBA walk ins when they are showing off their outfits. I wanted to do something like that. I was always pushing for that. I remember telling Punk that and he was like, ‘I love that idea.’ Then I would show up in the outfits that I always wore. He goes, ‘Love it. That’s incredible.’ I already know what I want to look like. I know who I am and I know where I want to go. I just need the other person to get on board with that. Punk was very instrumental in all of that. I went out on a promo with a Louis Vuitton bag. Before the promo they were like, ‘What’s in the bag?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Why do you have it?’ ‘I just bought it and I want people to see what I got, and what they don’t.’ He was very instrumental in that. The whole pyro thing, ‘Why not just have pyro go off for ten minutes?’ I said, ‘Oh, I never thought that. Let’s do it.’ It was great working with him, especially in the Owen Hart, too," said Ricky.
Ricky was seemingly set to face Punk at AEW All Out 2023, but Punk was fired the night before the event.
Elsewhere during the interview, Starks commented on opening AEW Collision moments after it was announced that Punk had been fired. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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