In June, a rumor began circulating that claimed Ricky Starks caused trouble in Calgary, Alberta, Canada after he won the AEW Owen Hart Memorial Foundation Tournament in 2023.
The rumor claimed that Starks got drunk, started a fight, and was arrested.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Starks was talking about his future, when he commented on the rumor.
"I've never strayed away from working hard, and I will be damned if I have anyone put that into question. That is insane. I have worked tremendously hard, tirelessly hard, since 2020 in AEW, and even before AEW I worked hard. Even at NWA. There is no one at NWA that would tell you I was a lazy worker. Ask Nick Aldis. Ask Billy Corgan. Ask Eddie Kingston. Ask LA Knight. You'll never find it. It's unheard of. If anyone ever says that I'm difficult to deal with or that I'm lazy or that I'm an alcoholic and got arrested [laughs]. It's all lies," he said.
Starks continued, shedding more light on the rumor, "It didn't happen, but I will say that I sound like a total badass. I beat up a cop and got arrested, and was able to wrestle the following year. There's been a few crazy stories, and they all come from a place of trying to tear me down. There are people in the industry, and people outside of the industry too, that are, so to speak, just pussies."
Starks wrestled in Canada eight months after the alleged incident would have occurred.
Fightful Select reported about the alleged incident in June, "Regarding the rumors of an incident in Calgary, numerous AEW sources in the company deny ever having heard it, and AEW didn't comment in an official capacity."
Starks has not wrestled on AEW TV since March 2024.
Elsewhere during the interview, Starks addressed his absence from AEW TV. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit and link to the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
