WWE May Give Ricky Starks A New Name

Ricky Starks wasted no time making an impact in WWE, debuting on NXT just one day after receiving his release from AEW. The former AEW World Tag Team Champion shocked fans by appearing through the crowd and declaring himself the “absolute superstar of the future.” However, one detail stood out—commentary and WWE’s social media team never actually referred to him by name during the broadcast.

According to WalkwayFight.com, this omission was due to how quickly the deal came together. Starks’ WWE signing happened so fast that there wasn’t even time to produce merchandise for him. Additionally, with Starks previously filing to trademark his in-ring name through his company, Dream Palace LLC, there’s now speculation that WWE may rebrand him under a new name.

WWE’s Approach to Superstar Names

WWE has a long-standing preference for owning their talents’ ring names, ensuring exclusivity if they leave the company. However, there have been exceptions in recent years. Stars like Ethan Page and Jade Cargill have kept their AEW names, while others—such as Brian Pillman Jr. (now Lexis King) and Bea Priestley (now Blair Davenport)—underwent rebranding.

Given Starks’ established reputation, it would be surprising if WWE opted to change his name. However, history suggests it’s still a possibility. Whether he remains Ricky Starks or adopts a new persona, one thing is clear—his NXT arrival has already turned heads, and fans will be eager to see what’s next.

Stay tuned for updates as more details emerge about Starks’ WWE future.