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Ricky Starks – “I Speak From The Heart”

Ricky Starks

Ricky Starks spoke about going off-script during his highly praised promo segment with MJF on AEW Dynamite.

On the December 7th episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF confronted Ricky Starks moments after Starks won the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal, earning himself a shot at the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF had scathing words for his foe, calling him a “Dollar Store Dwayne” before saying that he should head back to NWA to “wrestle on YouTube where you belong.”

While many of MJF’s foes may have trouble going toe to toe on the microphone with the AEW World Champion, Ricky Starks proved himself more than capable of a response. He lambasted MJF for his clothes, for his uneven spray tan, and for refusing to embrace the fans that so desperately want to cheer him. He made a jab about how he’s shown up to meet and greets, a reference to the fan event MJF no-showed prior to AEW Double or Nothing in May.

Speaking to the New York Post, Ricky Starks revealed that he went off-script for the promo, deciding to speak from his heart.

“I just said, ‘f—k it’ and I winged it and just spoke from my heart of what I feel. Obviously, you can hear it in my voice. Like, ‘Hey I’m dead serious about wrestling. I’m dead serious about who I am and what my worth is.’”

Continuing, Ricky Starks said that taking the gamble was a test of his belief in his own talent when it comes to squaring up to someone so well known for microphone skills.

“This is another example of how crazy I am. I knew in that moment that I had to win against him and yet for some reason, I decided to just wing it. I decided to take a gamble and say, ‘Alright bro, if you believe so strongly in your talent, just test yourself and see.’”

According to Starks, the resulting promo was “completely left field” of what he’d written prior to the show, originally planning to lean heavily into MJF’s behavior and how it affects the company. Starks also mentioned that he didn’t expect the promo to be so well-received by the fans, as this was just another situation where he had to speak passionately.

“Even if this was a star-making performance in other people’s eyes, to me this was another situation – the third time now if you look at my AEW career – where I’ve gone out there and I’ve passionately spoke. In an industry and in a company where there are so many cornballs and disingenuous people who are all about taglines and trying to push merch, I go out there and speak from the heart and I speak what I feel.”