WWE Star Unhappy With Ricky Starks Comparisons To The Rock

One WWE star is not too impressed with the comparisons being made between The Rock and NXT’s newest signing Ricky Starks.

Tony Khan recently wielded the axe on the AEW roster as he let three stars go. Malakai Black, Ricky Starks, and Miro have all left the company and are free to sign elsewhere. And it seems one of them has made the most of that immediately.

Ricky Starks has now debuted in WWE as he shocked fans on the February 11 edition of NXT. Starks debuting in NXT means he follows the likes of Shawn Spears, Ethan Page, and Lexis King in leaving AEW to join the brand. Former AEW Tag Team Champion Penta debuted on the WWE main roster when he joined the company in early 2025.

Ricky Starks Is Not The Rock’s Son

For a large part of his career, Ricky Starks has been compared to WWE icon The Rock, including in one infamous exchange in an AEW ring with Adam Copeland. One WWE signing might not have realised the comparisons as Tatyanna Dumas noted in the comments of a social media post celebrating that Starks had arrived in NXT:

idk if it’s me, but! If you told me “He’s The Rock’s Son.” — I’d believe it 😂

NXT General Manager Ava was quick to respond, perhaps reminding the new WWE talent that The Rock already has a child who is part of the company. Ava channelled her father with a one-emoji response that represented her disdain as well as one of The Rock’s trademarks – the People’s Eyebrow.

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It seems Ava will have some time with WWE’s newest signing as there’s a major reason Ricky Starks will be with NXT for the foreseeable future.