Ricky Starks is quickly becoming a main event talent in AEW, growing into the top star that he was always destined to be.
Since his debut in 2020, fans have watched Absolute Ricky Starks grow in front of them, going from hated heel to beloved babyface (and back again, thanks to CM Punk)
He is growing into one of the best wrestlers in the company, holding his own against top stars like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Sting. While he may be on his way out of the company, he will surely become a huge star wherever he goes.
In this article, we’ll like the best matches of Ricky Starks career, ranking them for the story, execution and general quality of the matches in question.
Let us know what you think about the list, and what you think is Ricky Starks’ best match, in the comments section below.
5. Ricky Starks vs Chris Jericho (AEW Revolution 2022)
Ricky Starks picked up the biggest win of his career against Chris Jericho at AEW Revolution 2022.
It was a great opener for the pay per view, and saw Ricky Starks in his first major pay per view match against a top star in AEW.
The match had some fun action, with some great counters and sequences that made the most of Starks and Jericho’s skill set.
The match was rated as a four-star match by Dave Meltzer, which makes it a very good match for Starks.
4. MJF vs Ricky Starks (AEW Winter is Coming 2022)
With both the AEW Championship and Dynamite Diamond Ring on the line, MJF had his first successful title defence against Ricky Starks at AEW Winter is Coming 2022.
Despite Starks not being a main event wrestler (yet), he brought his A-game in his feud with the champion, threatening to take the AEW World Championship away at the first time of asking.
It was an entertaining match that did what it needed it. It established MJF as a world champion, and showcased Ricky Starks as a big star for the future.
This was Ricky Starks first world title fight in AEW, and gave the crowd a taste of what could in the near future for Absolute Ricky Starks.
3. Brian Cage & Ricky Starks vs. Darby Allin & Sting (AEW Revolution 2021)
Ricky Starks and Brian Cage were given the honor of working Sting’s first match in AEW (and first since his retirement from injury six years prior).
Given the unknown quality that was Sting’s neck, the match was decided to be a pre-taped cinematic match (like Matt Hardy’s “Final Deletion” match in TNA), giving them the ability to work around Sting’s deficiencies.
Ricky Starks, Brian Cage and Darby Allin did that perfectly. They took some huge bump around an abandoned building, making Sting look like an absolute hero while also protecting him from injury.
2. Swerve In Our Glory vs Young Bucks vs Team Taz (Fyter Fest 2022)
Swerve In Our Glory won the AEW Tag Team Championships at Fyter Fest 2022, but all four men in the match showered themselves in glory with this amazing match.
Ricky Starks teamed with Powerhouse Hobbs (as Team Taz) to take on Swerve and Keith Lee in a three-team battle for The Young Bucks AEW Tag Team Championships.
The match had some incredible spots and sequences between three incredible teams. It was a fast-paced match with each team given their time to shine, coming close to winning on multiple occasions.
While Ricky Starks wasn’t the star of the show, he was a key part of this match, helping it become one of the best matches of his AEW career.
1. Ricky Starks vs Bryan Danielson (AEW All Out 2023)
Ricky Starks had the best match of his career at AEW All Out 2023, wrestling Bryan Danielson in a Strap Match in Chicago.
The match came during Starks feud with CM Punk and Ricky Starks on AEW Collision, and was meant to culminate in a Real World Championship match against CM Punk.
However, after CM Punk was fired from AEW just days before, Bryan Danielson was drafted in to replace him – which was the best thing that could have happened.
The match was unlike anything else on the card. The pair fought in a bloody, hard-hitting strap match that redefined what the match type could be in AEW.
Ricky Steamboat even got involved, hitting punches and chips onto Big Bill after he tried to get involved in the finish of the match.
At the end of a bloody war, Bryan Danielson made Ricky Starks pass out by choking him with the strap in the LaBelle lock. It was the first time a Ricky Starks match was awarded a five-star rating by Dave Meltzer.
