At the 2023 Royal Rumble event, Cody Rhodes made a surprise return to WWE, which many fans had anticipated, but the attendance of Ricky Starks was unexpected.
Following the event, a photo of Cody Rhodes and Ricky Starks at the event was leaked, despite efforts to keep it private. In a conversation with Swerve Strickland on the Swerve City Podcast, Starks mentioned his backstage appearance and expressed his intention to potentially sue the venue for the photo leak.
Despite the incident, Rhodes and Starks remain close friends, but it’s likely that Starks will avoid future WWE events. As a prominent performer for AEW, Starks could attract attention from WWE, and Rhodes would welcome him backstage.
“What y’all do care about is where I go in my off time and what other pay-per-views I show up at. So leave me alone, alright? You got to have real friends. Support real friends. The picture is great. It’s so good. I look so jacked like I’m about to rob a bank. The First 48, that’s what it was.
I’m in the process of maybe suing Alamodome and getting some money out of it because how crazy is that? How are you a security guard, and you go, you know what I got? Rewind the tape. Let me show you right quick. Let me show you right quick.”
The future for Starks remains uncertain, but his talent is undeniable, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he caught the eye of WWE in the future.
