Ricky Starks was a big focal point whšøen AEW Collision started in June 2023.
Stšarks 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 , Starks was askeš·d what it was like working wišth 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, āI love that idea.ā Then I would show up in the outfits that I always wore. He goes, āLove it. Thatās incredible.ā 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, āWhatās in the bag?ā I said, āI donāt know.ā āWhy do you have it?ā āI just bought it and I want people to see what I got, and what they donāt.ā He was very instrumental in that. The whole pyro thing, āWhy not just have pyro go off for ten minutes?ā I said, āOh, I never thought that. Letās do it.ā It was great working with him, especially in the Owen Hart, too," said Ricky.
Ricky was seemingly set to faą²ce 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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