PARKS’S TAKE: With Ricky Starks in NXT already, what about other former AEW wrestlers Miro and Malakai Black?

After sitting idle on the sidelines for some time, the likes of Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks were finally released by AEW last week. All were rumored at one point or another to have interest in heading to WWE, which is in part why it seemed Tony Khan was happy to pay them a hefty salary to sit at home instead of letting them go to the competition. Now that they are free agents, it’s worth diving into what value they could bring to WWE, if indeed that is their final destination.

Ricky Starks already debuted on NXT, and was treated like a big deal. He had his contract signing on Tuesday night, where he was christened Ricky Saints. In addition to that segment, he was also involved in a number of others backstage segments, including confrontations with numerous NXT wrestlers. While the women’s division in NXT has seen an influx of top talent over the last several months, the men’s division had stagnated somewhat. The addition of Starks should inject a breath of fresh air and it’s clear he’s going to be positioned near the top of the depth chart right away. The energy he brought to the show on Tuesday was palpable.

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Paul Levesque has long been a fan of Malakai Black, dating back to his NXT days. Black was a victim of timing when he was released while Vince McMahon was in charge and before Levesque took over. Black’s whole dark motif seems to fit what Levesque favors in many of his on-screen characters. It seems like a matter of when, not if, he returns to WWE. The interesting question is whether he’ll re-debut before or after WrestleMania. With so much already being set for the big show, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was held off until afterward. I could see him coming in and feuding with Judgment Day’s top lieutenants; will Black assemble a group of his own, as so many in WWE have done of late?

The biggest question mark of the group is Miro. There has been reporting that he has interests outside of wrestling, specifically acting, so does he have a desire to return to the ring imminently? I could see him coming back to WWE and feuding with the likes of Bron Breakker or someone else at that level. I don’t think WWE would see him like Black in terms of upward mobility, but rather slotting in as an upper mid-carder and perhaps secondary title challenger. Will that be enough of a hook for Miro, coming back to WWE and being stationed basically in the same slot he was when he left? Time will tell.