Ricky Starks’s rant, without any storyline context, at start of Collision was sparked by frustration with his match with Punk being changed to Danielson

Ricky Starks wasn’t told of the alternate plan to face Bryan Danielson tonight at All Out instead of C.M. Punk until shortly before Collision. That is believed to be the reason he went on an odd rant without any storyline context at the start of Collision.

Although we weren’t told ahead of time who Punk’s replacement was going to be, we reported on Friday that AEW creative was confident the replacement would ultimately be more beneficial for Starks in the long-run than what was planned with Punk. Apparently Starks didn’t feel that way as Starks expressed context-free frustration in a rant at the start of Collision about having to overcome odds time after time that led to fans cheering him despite being positioned in the storyline as a heel whom Tony Schiavone was acting disgusted by at the start of the interview segment for attacking a 70-year old man.

Starks was, at least at times, tight with Punk. It makes sense he’d feel a sense of loss that those plans weren’t taking place. Getting to face Danielson instead seemed like a suitable substitution, if not an upgrade, all things considered.

Schiavone stood mid-ring and discussed Starks challenging Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat to a strap match at All Out. There was a faint “C.M. Punk” chant when Schiavone began speaking. Starks made his entrance, accompanied by Big Bill. Schiavone asked Starks if he’s “out of his freakin’ mind” by challenging a 70 year old man to a strap match. Starks yanked the mic away from Schiavone.

Starks said he finds himself back at square one. “It seems every time I climb a hill, I get dragged back down,” he said. “It seems every time they throw an obstacle my way, I overcome it and I get better. I am so tired of having to start over, but I do it because I show up and I deliver every single time. No matter how many people try to suck the life out of me, it doesn’t work.” He said you cannot put a lid on a boiling pot because he will overflow. He received scattered cheers.

Starks looked down at Bill at ringside and said that he overcame addiction and he stands there at ringside now, so he believes in him. More cheering from fans. He said he believes in himself. Fans chanted “Bill! Bill!” Starks said he’s tired and frustrated and there’s a lot he wanted to say and he wanted to cry but he’s being a man about it, so he’ll do what he needs to do.

At this point, most fans had no idea he was venting about a booking change since it wasn’t explained on air and ran contradictory to the storyline they had been privy to watching on TV up to that point.

Starks then said he sat at home and watched All In from his living room couch. He angrily asked if there wasn’t time for him. He said it was because he whipped Ricky Steamboat. He said he won’t let another moment slip through his hands, which is why he was challenging Steamboat to a strap match at All Out. He said he hopes Steamboat will see things from his perspective some day and understands why he did what he did. He said he wanted Steamboat to answer him. Steamboat’s music played.

Steamboat marched to the ring with a stern look and a contract folder in hand. He paced and started: “You know something, ladies and gentleman, yes, I’m talking to you,” he said as he turned to Starks. He said Starks strapped him like a little dog with his own belt.

He said he heard “on the social media” that he wants to have a strap match “with the Dragon.” He said Starks can talk a good game and he can perform in the ring when he really wants to, but he’s got a contract in hand. He said he went to AEW legal and said, “Let’s do it old school, draw up a contract, your name, the Dragon name on here, sign it, and make sure the pen talks and not the mouth.”

Schiavone opened the contract which said: “AEW Sanctioned – No DQ Strap Match – Ricky Starks vs. The Dragon.” Starks said, “Let’s do it!” He told Starks to let his mouth be the pen and sign it. Starks signed it with enthusiasm. Steamboat showed off Starks’s signature. He said everybody knows him as The Dragon, but “they also know this guy.” (He left off “…as the American Dragon.”)

Danielson’s music played and he came out with his arms extended. Fans cheered and chanted “Yes!” Starks stood slack-jawed at being tricked. Danielson then signed the contract “The Dragon.” Fans chanted “You f—ed up!” Schiavone said they have themselves a strap match for All Out now. Starks said, “If this is the bed that I lay in, I’m going to make sure I’m really comfortable.” Steamboat said he got the strap match he wanted. Danielson stared at him and smiled as the segment ended.

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(Wade Keller is the editor, publisher, and founder of Pro Wrestling Torch and PWTorch.com. He has covered pro wrestling since 1987. He studied journalism and economics in college, interned at a major market broadcast news station (KMSP in Minneapolis/St. Paul), worked at KFAN radio for two years in the 1990s, hosted the “Ultimate Insiders” DVD series with international distribution, hosted the “Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast” on Podcast One and now on Spreaker, and has been a guest on the Steve Austin Podcast dozens of times as an analyst (nobody has been a guest with Austin more times). He has broken major pro wrestling stories in five separate decades and has interviewed some of pro wrestling’s most influential names in their longest insider interviews including Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Lou Thesz, Jesse Ventura, Jon Moxley, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, Bill Watts, Paul Heyman, Jim Cornette, Goldberg, Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, The Rock, Kevin Nash, and over 100 others including more than a dozen ex-WWE creative team members. He was inducted into the Tragos/Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 for “Excellence in Wresting on Professional Wrestling” in a class with Beth Phoenix, B.Brian Blair, Greg Wojciechowski, Jim Londos, and Matt Lindland. He continues to cover pro wrestling here at PWTorch.com and on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast.)