AEW Star Credits WWE’s CM Punk For Tag Team Formation

An AEW star has credited WWE star CM Punk for coming up with the idea to form a past tag team.

In late 2023 Ricky Starks and Big Bill formed what would prove to be a successful team on AEW TV, one that brought them a 123 day run as the company’s World Tag Team Champions.

Speaking on Talk is Jericho, Bill revealed that it was CM Punk who came up with the idea to have him team with Starks, someone Bill had at that point known and been fond of for several years by that point.

Bill recalled:

“That was Punk. I was teaming with Brian Cage. We had some really cool matches and we were coming up with ideas for entrances and team names. I even went to Tony with a bunch of team names.

“In my mind, I thought this is where we were going forward and I was all in. Punk pulled me aside and said, ‘I have this idea for you and Ricky.’ I was like, ‘I’ve always liked Ricky.’

“In NXT, I beiled him outside of the ring and he took a bump on the ramp. I thought I killed him. I didn’t think he was going to do it. He did it. I’ve always liked Ricky, ever since then.

“Me and him trained with The Undertaker to get him ready for WrestleMania in New Orleans. He’s charismatic. I’m charismatic. This could work. You hear things, you don’t know. It’s either me and Brian or me and Ricky. Either is awesome. Then they put me with Ricky and I was all in.”

Bill and Starks’ last appearance as a team came on the March 30 edition of AEW Collision, which was also the last time we saw Starks on AEW TV.

Starks recently shared an update on his AEW contract status amid his ongoing absence from TV – follow this link for more information.

Transcript via Fightful

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