The Ricky Starks turn on AEW Dynamite was a moment of perfection

Ricky Starks’s turn was a perfect execution for everyone involved.

There are very few things that are “perfect” in professional wrestling. In fact, fans and media personalities usually find more to complain about than anything else. But what everyone witnessed with Ricky Starks on this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite was perfect. Not only so for Starks and his future, but for each of the individuals involved in the segment from start to finish.

Danhausen

This segment started with Danhausen and his comedy antics. Starks did exactly what he should have done and dispatched the joke character quickly, getting in a little work, but dominating him as a champion should. The fans got their Danhausen pop and he remains one of the most over-gimmicks on the entire AEW roster. And perhaps the story between Danhausen and HOOK will continue, but this time the FTW title will be a central prop to the next iteration.

HOOK

The FTW championship is perfect for HOOK at this point in his career. It’s not a belt that’s expected to be defended often as it’s not on the level of any other AEW championship. But it gives HOOK the opportunity to build. Initially, it was thought that Brian Cage would be able to take that belt and do “something” with it in AEW, but it was Starks that made that championship, just as he said in that promo. Now, that power is transferred over to HOOK and all he needs to do is to continue to face challenges, these challengers can be a bit of a higher level than his initial squash matches in AEW, and that will help him grow, just as it did with Ricky Starks for the last year.

Powerhouse Hobbs

Powerhouse Hobbs immediately becomes one of the top heels in the company. The reaction he’s going to get when he appears on the screen next will be huge. Not only did he crush Starks with that shot to the back of the head, but he also demolished a team that fans wanted to see capture gold together in AEW.

The question to ask and answer is who does AEW plan to put over in this upcoming feud? Hobbs may not have the same top-star potential as Starks, but he could become a monster heel in a company that needs a few more of those character types. Can Hobbs be a singles champion in the future? That’s a question that many people are asking and this feud is one step in the right direction.

Ricky Starks

Now, let’s talk about Ricky Starks. Starks came into this week with an overflowing amount of momentum. Since stepping into AEW in 2020, it was clear he was going to be a special performer for the company. But this moment will be remembered as the match, promo, and segment that kicked off his main event run for All Elite Wrestling.

In what was less than ten minutes total, Starks was featured in a tongue-in-cheek introduction video that made viewers and fans shake their heads with a smile on their faces, once again harkening back to the days of Dwayne Johnson. Then the two matches with Danhausen and HOOK were 1:31 and 1:32 respectively, but they were enough to establish him as the mocking heel and then a babyface immediately after.

Then came that rousing promo. A promo that was laced with truth as Starks lamented about no longer waiting for his turn or being patient, that his time was now. Many people that watch AEW know his time is now, but that hadn’t fully translated to the television. And just went it seemed like he was ready to carry his partner Hobbs with him, the turn came, slamming the door shut on any immediate future as a heel. Starks was made at that moment. This was the perfect double turn, done in less than ten minutes. The future is bright for all the men involved and the elevation of Ricky Starks to the AEW World Championship should begin with this moment.