Ricky Starks looks back on a frustrating time.
Ricky Starks was set to face CM Punk at AEW All Out. However, before the show, Punk's contract was terminated after he got into a backstage incident with Jack Perry at AEW All In. Tony Khan then addressed Punk's termination at the AEW Collision taping on September 2, and Starks had a promo on the show.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Ricky Starks discussed his promo following the announcement that Punk had been fired.
"Before I went out, I was nervous, but I guess I didn’t really realize what was about to happen. I was so frustrated in such a beautiful and organic way. The day before, Tony comes out and announces that Punk is gone. I actually opened that show with a promo. Watch the promo. Very good, and you can kind of tell what’s happening. I was so frustrated about things happening the way they have. I’ll never forget someone telling me, ‘Just be grateful that you even have a job.’ I’ll never forget feeling like, ‘How dare you.’ Don’t tell me to be grateful for something that I’ve worked very hard for. That saying, ‘I know that you’re hungry for a dinner. Here is a half-eaten loaf of bread. Let me take that back. Here are the crumbs.’ Fuck you. Don’t tell me to be grateful for something. You don’t live my life and understand the things I’ve gone through to get in this moment. It really set me off. When it came to Sunday, I was looking forward to it, but I didn’t realize what laid ahead of me and what I was going to be capable of what I was doing. Bryan had that injury too and we had to deal with that," Starks said.
Punk returned to WWE at WWE Survivor Series 2023.
Starks previously reflected on working with CM Punk and said that he had no issue with him. Check out his comments here.
Starks has been absent from AEW programming since March. Click here to see what he had to say about his absence.
Fightful Select reported an update about Ricky Starks' contract status.
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