Popular Star Says AEW Collision Feud Has Given Him Renewed Sense Of Himself

AEW

A popular star says AEW Collision feud has given him a renewed sense of himself.

On the July 15 edition of AEW Collision, Ricky Starks defeated CM Punk to win the 2023 Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Finals.

To gain the victory, Starks used the ropes, signalling a heel turn for the ever popular star. Since then, he has continued his rivalry with the former two-time AEW World Champion.

The two men are now set to face each other with Punk’s Real World Championship on the line on the August 5 edition of AEW Collision. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will also serve as special outside official for the bout.

Speaking to Alicia Atout, Starks discussed his program with CM Punk and how it has given him a renewed sense of substance. He said:

“It’s been really good for me I feel like (Starks said about working with CM Punk on Collision). I have a renewed sense of myself and I have a renewed sense of, you know, something of substance type thing and I remember back then when he had all these — he was facing (Powerhouse) Hobbs and all these other people and I was like, ‘Damn, what about me?’”

“I did feel some type of way because in my mind, it is great to wrestle somebody with that type of experience.”

“I don’t think people realize Punk is one of the few guys that have gone from the independents of the old, went through the transition of WWE and that whole system.”

“Then went into the other transition of when it was really corporate WWE and now he’s here. He’s one of the very few.”

“Him, Bryan (Danielson), people like that-that have gone through that system and they know. They’ve seen all those different phases of wrestling.”

Starks continued on to explain that working with Punk feels like iron sharpening iron, saying:

“So it’s great to have just because iron sharpens iron and I think being in there with Punk obviously makes me a better person because in my head, there’s a lot of pressure that I put on myself to step up the plate so to speak.”

“As they say on the internet, it’s sink or swim and I’ve been swimming quite a bit. So, it’s great, it really is and these are things that are needed. It’s cool to wrestle someone that’s on the same level as me, but I really don’t want that.”

“I want to wrestle someone that is way better than me, that is beyond my years, you know what I’m saying? And I feel like everybody should strive for that.”

“I want to wrestle someone that definitely could eat my lunch. I would love that. I would want to be on the mic against someone that could destroy me. Let’s do it, let’s see how that goes.”

Ricky Starks is not only the 2023 Owen Hart Cup winner, but he is also a former FTW Champion as well.

Transcription via POST Wrestling

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• aew collision
• cm punk
• ricky starks
• AEW

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