Ricky Starks

Starks idolized wrestlers including Undertaker and Mankind among many others while growing up watching professional wrestling. Around the age of seven, Starks decided he would pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Starks made his debut in WWE as enhancement talent, jobbing to Jinder Mahal, before debuting for NWA's Velocity Pro Wrestling on October 14, 2012 at the NWA Velocity Haunted Havoc event in Austin, Texas. There he wrestled in a Triple Threat match against Jaykus Plisken and Big Ricky. Since 2012, Starks became a regular talent featured across numerous promotions in the state of Texas, like Anarchy Championship Wrestling or Inspire Pro Wrestling.

During the following years, he would have four matches for WWE as an enhancement talent, losing against WWE wrestlers like Jinder Mahal, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, Kane and The Revival, and on the July 29, 2013 edition of Raw, he appeared in a backstage video where he was bullied, mocked and slammed by Ryback.[4][5][6][7]

Starks made his debut for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) at the NWA 70th Anniversary Show on October 21, 2018, competing in a four-way elimination match against Jay Bradley, Mike Parrow and Willie Mack, which Mack won.[8] He returned on the October 15, 2019 episode of Power, defeating Trevor Murdoch.[9] At the Into the Fire pay-per-view event on December 14, Starks competed in a three-way match against Colt Cabana and Aron Stevens for the NWA National Championship, a match which Stevens won.[10] Soon after, Starks was entered into a tournament to determine the inaugural holder of the NWA World Television Championship.[11] At the Hard Times event on January 24, 2020, he defeated Eddie Kingston in the first round, Matt Cross in the second round, Tim Storm in the semi-finals and Trevor Murdoch in the finals to become the new NWA World Television Champion.[12] Starks lost the title to Zicky Dice on the March 3 episode of Power.[13] On May 18, it was announced that Starks was no longer with the NWA as his contract had expired.[14]

On the June 17 episode of Dynamite, Starks made his unannounced debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as he answered Cody's open challenge for the AEW TNT Championship in a losing effort.[15] After the match, All Elite Wrestling's CEO Tony Khan announced that Starks had signed with AEW.[16] On the June 30 episode of Dark, Starks picked up his first victory in AEW by defeating Griff Garrison while quickly establishing himself as a heel.[17] On the July 21 episode of Dark, after defeating Will Hobbs, Starks aided Brian Cage in attacking Robert Anthony and Darby Allin after their match, creating an alliance between the two.[18] The team, managed by Taz and now known as Team Taz, began feuding with Allin as they faced Allin and Jon Moxley on the July 29 episode of Dynamite where they were defeated.[19] At the All Out pay-per-view on September 5, Starks participated in the Casino Battle Royale, but he was eliminated by Allin.[20] On the September 30 episode of Dynamite, Starks was defeated by Allin in a singles match.[21] On the November 18, 2020 episode of Dynamite, Will Hobbs would join Starks, Taz and Cage's alliance after he struck Cody with Cage's FTW championship belt and then assisted them in attacking both Allin and Cody as well.[22] On the December 2, 2020 special Winter Is Coming, Starks and Hobbs, now known as Powerhouse Hobbs, would lose a tag team match to Cody and Allin.[23]