Absent AEW Star Ricky Starks Makes Appearance At DEFY Event

Ricky Starks has been keeping busy on the indie scene while staying off AEW television.

The popular AEW star made an unexpected appearance at Defy Wrestling's Blueprint event on Sunday night, where he confronted KENTA after KENTA successfully defended his Defy Championship against Schaff. At this point, it's unclear if or when Starks and KENTA will face off, though Defy has already begun promoting its 8th Anniversary show, scheduled for February 17.

Starks, who has not been seen on AEW programming since March, has raised questions among fans as to why he's been absent from the company's storylines. Recently, he's made appearances at various independent promotions, continuing his wrestling career outside of AEW. One notable incident involved Starks being pulled from multiple upcoming GCW events. This decision came after a controversial interview in which GCW star Effy criticized AEW and the Khan family for running shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom, just weeks before GCW was set to return to the venue.

Looking ahead, Starks is booked for an upcoming match against Mike Santana at House of Glory next month, further expanding his reach on the indie circuit.