Tony Khan Provides Update On Ricky Starks' AEW Contract Status Ahead Of All In

The AEW contract status of Ricky Starks has been met with a myriad of speculation in recent months, with some believing it already expired earlier this year. AEW President Tony Khan has since set the record straight, however, confirming that the former FTW Champion is still under contract with the company.

"Ricky's been a great star in AEW," Khan said on the AEW All In media call. "He's been a champion here and has had great matches here. I think very highly of Ricky. He's somebody that has been here for several years, and he's under contract in AEW. He's a well-regarded wrestler here in AEW."

Starks last wrestled for AEW on the March 30 episode of "AEW Collision." There, he and Big Bill lost to Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) in the quarterfinals of a tag team tournament in which the winners would be crowned as the new AEW World Tag Team Champions. This tournament was ultimately won by The Young Bucks, who are now slated to defend the titles against FTR and The Acclaimed at AEW All In this weekend. Reports later noted that Big Bill and Starks were meant to defeat Top Flight in their respective match, but an injury scare to Starks resulted in a mid-match audible being called.

When previously asked about his AEW television absence, Starks stated that he had "no clue" when he'd back on AEW programming. A month later, Khan indicated that he was keen on getting Starks back into the AEW fold "anytime."  

Despite the uncertainty of when or if he will return to AEW television, Starks has reportedly attracted the attention of WWE, so much so that they are considering bringing him into the "WWE NXT" brand once his AEW contract eventually expires.