Ricky Starks Opens Up About His Current Relationship With Cody Rhodes
Having true blue friends in pro wrestling can be tough to come by, but Ricky Starks found one in Cody Rhodes. The current FTW Champ sat down with Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman before he and Powerhouse Hobbs competed in a three-way Tag Title match on AEW Dynamite, and he was asked about his current relationship with Cody Rhodes. Rhodes left AEW at the turn of 2022 to make a main event level debut at WrestleMania 38 against Seth Rollins, but it was Rhodes who played a primary factor in Starks entering the All Elite fold during the height of COVID-19.
"I know a lot of people make up these rumors and ideas because I'm friends with someone that certain things happened, and it's just funny to me. It's like, 'Hey, how dare he still talk to...'. It's like, if you had a real friendship with someone, you guys would know that it doesn't matter where they go or what happens to them. Yes, him — Cody and Tony [Khan] brought me in, for sure. I still talk to Cody, I still ask him for advice. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm not a turncoat or something like that."
Starks made his AEW debut by challenging Rhodes for the TNT Championship. He came on Rhodes' radardue to the promo work he was doing on social media following his tenure in the NWA. Since then, Starks and Rhodes formed a strong relationship, so much so that he was a regular on the "Rhodes To The Top" reality show.
"It's just a genuine friend to have and somebody that actually cares and looks out for me because that's very few and far between," Starks said. "The other person in AEW is Sonjay [Dutt]. Sonjay actually looks out and is helpful with me, and sometimes you need that, man. Sometimes you're just a misunderstood person and people just don't want to bother. It's good to have these people that do care."
Starks and Hobbs ultimately lost their Tag Title match on "Dynamite," but Starks has been the FTW Champion for over a year and has had several successful title defenses with the belt.