AEW star and current FTW champion Ricky Starks recently joined the FITAID podcast to discuss a wide range of topics, including how the Absolute One has a dream of wrestling inside the world famous Superdome in his hometown of New Orleans. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
On getting to wrestle in his hometown of New Orleans:
“It was insane. My family was there. It was in my hometown. I was getting the admiration of people. You can see me almost cry when I do my entrance. I was so moved. It’s important to be vulnerable in those situations because people can relate to it and understand there is a little more to me. I don’t let everyone see me. If you get to see me beyond the front part of this beautiful museum, you’re pretty blessed. That was great. I was literally eight minutes from my house, from where I grew up watching wrestling. It was so cool to have that moment and then the stuff that happened after. My only regret about that night is that I didn’t send them home with a promo where I talked. It’s not that I regret it, I think I didn’t want to hold up everybody. I stayed after and made sure I gave everyone a picture and an autograph. That will live in my memory bank for as long as I hope.”
How his next step will be to wrestle in the SuperDome:
“The day after, I went to my hotel and sat in the shower for a good 20 minutes. I sat there and my mom, sister, and brother all came. People I came up with were there. I don’t think people understand the feeling, to lose a hometown. Your hometown is gone after the storm [Hurricane Katrina]. To come back and have something that people are proud of. In New Orleans, they are very prideful people. To be the representation…I’m proud to be from New Orleans, to be from Louisiana. I may have an accent sometimes or say things a little funny or act a certain way. That’s me and me being part of New Orleans. It was a beautiful time. I visit a lot. I visit a lot when I feel there is bad stuff happening to me. I visit that because it’s my guard. I sat in that shower for 20 minutes, let the water drip on me and burn my skin. I was tearful because, who would have thought? Who would have guessed it? The next step is to wrestle at the Superdome. That’s the next goal. I was able to see WrestleMania at the Superdome when Taker [Undertaker] was wrestling (John) Cena and I said, ‘I’ll be here wrestling one day.'”
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)