Ricky Starks Doesn't Care If AEW Fans Hate Him For Going To WWE Royal Rumble

"Absolute" Ricky Starks has become one of the hottest stars in AEW. Currently feuding with wrestling legend Chris Jericho, Starks is finally starting to live up to the potential that so many people saw in him. One of those people is former AEW executive vice president and 2023 Royal Rumble winner, Cody Rhodes.

Starks was recently seen backstage at WWE, supporting Rhodes during his Royal Rumble win. He spoke with Stephanie Chase about this, telling her, "It was important to me because that's my friend." Starks and Rhodes have a long history together, going back even before AEW. He explained that Rhodes gave him advice back when he was an extra on "WWE Smackdown." He kept contact with him throughout the indies before finally making his way into AEW through Rhodes' TNT Championship Open Challenge.

The "Absolute" superstar was very blunt about any criticism that he may have gotten about being seen backstage at the rival promotion's show. Asking that this quote be relayed verbatim, Starks told Chase, "I don't [care] if there's some tribalism from the fans. I don't care if someone from my company or over there thinks it's a bad look. I don't [care]. That is my friend, and one thing about me is I'm going to genuinely be a friend no matter what. And if you ride for me, I'm gonna ride for you. So it's important that I go there and see a guy who is ultimately on the biggest chapter of his career. It was important for him to be there because I would want the same damn thing, someone to come and just support me that way."