Ricky Starks made a surprising entrance into the pro wrestling scene on Tuesday night, appearing on WWE NXT just hours after his release from All Elite Wrestling. Among those taken aback by his arrival was superstar Roxanne Perez. The two-time NXT Women’s Champion, who is vying for a historic third title reign at NXT Vengeance Day this Saturday, expressed her excitement about Starks joining the brand. In a recent interview, Perez revealed that she has known Starks since she was 15 years old, having crossed paths frequently in Texas.
“I didn’t even know he was going to be there. I didn’t see him walk out into the crowd; I saw it on the TV screen like everyone else, and it made me so happy because he’s awesome. He’s such a great person, and I think he deserves everything,” she shared.
Starks had not appeared in AEW since March and had made a few appearances in promotions like Game Changer Wrestling, House of Glory, and DEFY. The crowd erupted in cheers when he made his entrance, stating, “It’s obvious you know who I am. If NXT is the future of professional wrestling, well guess what? You need an absolute superstar of the future. If this is the hottest brand, well you need the hottest free agent right now, baby.”
Perez expressed hope that Starks’ debut on NXT could lead to a collaboration between them. “To see him here now and hopefully maybe get to work with him, that’s going to be awesome,” she said.
Perez is set to compete in a fatal four-way match for the NXT Women’s Championship against current champion Giulia, Bayley, and Cora Jade at Vengeance Day, scheduled for Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET in Washington, D.C.
