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Losing The FTW Title Turned Ricky Starks Into One Of AEW's Top Babyfaces

Posted: Jul 31st 2022 By: Shawn S. Lealos - TheSportster.com

Ricky Starks' incredible promo after losing the FTW Championship has turned him into an instant AEW fan favorite.

When Danhausen challenged Ricky Starks for the FTW Championship last week, fans wondered if this could lead Taz's son, Hook, to betray his dad's stable and go after the title himself.

That is exactly what happened this week on AEW Dynamite. After Starks easily beat Danhausen, he made another open challenge for anyone to come and fight him for the FTW Championship. Taz, who was on commentary, said it was a mistake, and then Hook came down. After bragging that Ricky Starks surpassed the record for the longest FTW title reign ever, Taz saw what was coming. Hook made quick work of Starks and won the title his father created. It was the best thing that could have happened for Starks' career.

Ricky Starks Begins An AEW Babyface Turn

After the match ended, Ricky Starks showed good sportsmanship when he fist-bumped Hook. He then stood in the ring with Tony Schiavone for a post-match interview while his Team Taz partner, Powerhouse Hobbs, stood behind him. That is when Starks cut the best promo of his career. While Starks had shown his skills on the mic before, he never cut a fiery promo like he did after his loss. He talked about how no one could have taken the FTW title and made people care about it again. This was accurate, as Brian Cage held it before him and never did much to elevate the title. When Hook beat Starks, the crowd went nuts, showing how much Starks did to make the belt mean something.

Starks then said that no one gave him a chance, and that people kept telling him it wasn't time for him yet. However, he said it was his time last month and last year, and he would not wait anymore. That is when his friend, Powerhouse Hobbs, blasted him in the back of the neck and left him lying. It was the babyface turn that Starks needed, and thanks to several reasons, it will elevate him into the biggest babyface on the roster in short time.

Ricky Starks Was Overdue For His Babyface Run

Ricky Starks was right in his promo. He has been waiting for a long time for his chance. When Starks showed up in AEW and pushed Cody Rhodes to the limit in a TNT Championship match, he proved he could hang with the best in the company. However, Starks hurt his neck, and as his appearance on Rhodes to the Top showed, it affected his confidence. However, Cody and Tony Khan had faith and kept him on television through his injury rehab, and he worked hard on his promo skills while announcing some matches. When it was time to come back, he was ready to lead Team Taz and became a charismatic heel.

What Starks proved here was that he could pull in the fans and lead them where he wanted them to go. While not at the level of an MJF, Starks has charisma for miles and has become a major star as he grown in the company. The fans have been cheering him more lately, and they even alternated chants when he fought names like Darby Allin, Swerve Strickland, and Keith Lee. Fans made the noise and AEW pulled the trigger.

In the promo, after losing his FTW title, he said he is not waiting anymore. The fans are ready to embrace Ricky Starks, and he is ready to become the next big babyface in AEW, stepping into a role that men like Darby Allin and Jungle Boy held before him. The good news is he is different enough from both of them that he should find enormous success on his own now that he has moved on from the FTW title, and he can set his sights on the top titles AEW has to offer.