Ricky Starks defeats Brian Cage at the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) match at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, Texas on July 14, 2021. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
Ricky Starks (Richard Starks) is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current FTW World Champion in his first reign. He is also known for his time with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he was the inaugural winner of the revived NWA World Television Championship. On the June 17 episode of Dynamite, Starks made his unannounced debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as he answered Cody's open challenge for the AEW TNT Championship in a losing effort.
After the match, All Elite Wrestling's CEO Tony Khan announced that Starks had signed with AEW. On the June 30 episode of Dark, Starks picked up his first victory in AEW by defeating Griff Garrison while quickly establishing himself as a heel. On the July 21 episode of Dark, after defeating Will Hobbs, Starks aided Brian Cage in attacking Robert Anthony and Darby Allin after their match, creating an alliance between the two. The team, managed by Taz and now known as Team Taz, began feuding with Allin as they faced Allin and Jon Moxley on the July 29 episode of Dynamite where they were defeated.
At the All Out pay-per-view on September 5, Starks participated in the Casino Battle Royale, but he was eliminated by Allin. On the September 30 episode of Dynamite, Starks was defeated by Allin in a singles match. On the November 18, 2020 episode of Dynamite, Will Hobbs would join Starks, Taz and Cage's alliance after he struck Cody with Cage's FTW championship belt and then assisted them in attacking both Allin and Cody as well. On the December 2, 2020 special Winter Is Coming, Starks and Hobbs, now known as Powerhouse Hobbs, would lose a tag team match to Cody and Allin, after which Sting made his AEW debut and ran Team Taz off after a post-match attack. On the January 20 edition of Dynamite, it was announced that Starks and Brian Cage would be facing Allin and Sting in a street fight at Revolution. On July 14, 2021, at night one of Fyter Fest, Starks won the FTW World Championship from Brian Cage, winning his first championship in AEW.
Brian Cage (Brian Christopher Button) is a professional wrestler and bodybuilder signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is a former FTW Champion. Button was hired by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2008 and was assigned to their farm territory Florida Championship Wrestling, where he worked as Kris Logan. He left the promotion the following year and began working in the American independent circuit, most notably Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as Brian Cage-Taylor. In 2014, Button was hired to appear in El Rey Network television series Lucha Underground, where he performed as Cage. Since Lucha Underground was created by Mexican promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, he appeared on several AAA shows. Also, Cage appeared on AAA's American partner Impact Wrestling where he is a former Impact World Champion and a former Impact X Division Champion.
All Elite Wrestling was founded by CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan, AEW is a new professional wrestling league headlined by Cody & Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Chris Jericho, Sting, Hangman Page and Jon Moxley. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a roster of world-class talent that is injecting new spirit, freshness and energy to the industry.
AEW began airing its weekly show on TNT. The show, “AEW DYNAMITE,” is Wednesday’s top wrestling show and attracts the youngest wrestling audience on television. AEW’s multi-platform content also includes “AEW DARK,” a weekly pro-wrestling YouTube series, “Being the Elite,” a weekly behind-the-scenes YouTube series, and “AEW Unrestricted,” a weekly podcast series.
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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