Ricky Starks could make the jump from AEW to WWE

Ricky Starks hasn't been seen since appearing on the March 30 episode of "AEW Collision." That appearance was a tag-team match with Big Bill, where they faced off against, and lost to, Top Flight. 

After the match, there were rumors that Starks had suffered an injury. However, he has since refuted those rumors, confirming that he's 100% healthy. 

"To ease anyone’s mind, I’m not injured," Starks posted on X back in May. "Never was. Pick another narrative pleaseeeee."

Starks has all but been forgotten by the wider AEW fanbase. He is rarely mentioned on the company's programming and has been removed from all storylines. 

According to a recent episode of "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer confirmed that AEW is expecting Starks to make the jump to WWE once his contract expires. 

"They wanted him to turn babyface. He didn't want to turn babyface. They're not using him," Meltzer said. "I think that there's a lot of people who think he's headed to WWE because of Cody, and so they're not investing in him right now. I think that's basically the mindset. We'll see what happens."

Starks has a close relationship with Cody Rhodes. He has been seen at WWE events supporting his friend. A move to wrestling top-tier promotion would make sense for Starks, especially if he can find himself in a hot storyline that could help get him over with the fanbase. 

Furthermore, WWE's aging roster needs an injection of fresh young talent. Starks has all the skills to climb the ranks in the company and potentially provide a new heel to build around long-term.

Multiple former AEW stars are finding success in WWE at present. Rhodes is clearly the most successful. However, Shawn Spears and Ethan Page are both growing in popularity on NXT, while Jade Cargill has been a hit within SmackDown's women's division. 

Jumping to WWE doesn't guarantee success. But, considering Starks is completely out of AEW's current planning, he doesn't really have much to lose.