Ricky Starks Comments On Possibility Of Injuring AEW EVPs In The Ring

The Young Bucks have been a staple of AEW since its birth in 2019, both as in-ring competitors and as Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) of the company. As as result, it would be natural if some of their fellow AEW stars might be wary about potentially injuring wrestlers who are technically also their bosses.

"I think that's a conflict of interest, don't you think?" AEW star Ricky Starks joked when asked about the possibility in an exclusive interview with Wrestling Inc. "What if I do [hurt them]? What's going to happen? Charge it to the game ... If that causes some type of strife backstage, then so be it, but I don't think that would happen with the Bucks."

The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega once made up the list of EVPs in the company when AEW began, with Tony Khan in the CEO role. However, Omega has not been traveling with the company since November due to injuries, and Rhodes is now with WWE. That just leaves the Bucks, who were, until last night's "AEW Dynamite," the reigning AEW World Tag Team Champions. Starks had the chance, along with his Team Taz tag team partner Powerhouse Hobbs to win the belts in a three-way tag team match, but the titles were ultimately won by the team of Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee.

This marked the second triple threat tag team match for the championships that Team Taz has been a part of and lost. Is Starks champing at the bit for a regular two-on-two title opportunity?

"Me personally, a normal tag match would have been sufficient enough," Starks said. "But I do like the fact that the pot was sweetened ... It's not about necessarily the tag titles. I'm gonna be straight up with you, it's not about that in the grand scheme of things. It's the cherry on top, but what it really is about is the respect ... We deserve the same respect of these people that come in here, from wherever they came from, just get handed to them. Two guys that held down AEW during the pandemic, we should be in the same conversation."

Starks is referring to Lee and Strickland, who have both made their debuts in AEW in 2022 after being released from WWE in late 2021.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Wrestling Inc. with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.