Folks, it’s happening again. Three AEW stars—Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks—have packed their bags, left the Forbidden Door slightly ajar, and are seemingly on their way to WWE. Because let’s be honest, if you’re a wrestler and you get released, there’s only one place you’re running to: Papa H’s House of Rebooked Stars.
Ricky Starks didn’t waste any time—he was already on NXT the very next night like a guy who had a job interview before he even quit his old one. Meanwhile, Black and Miro are expected to follow soon, because WWE’s creative team is already “talking” about them. Translation: Paul Heyman is sharpening his promo pen as we speak.
Why Did They Leave? Let’s Break It Down.
According to wrestling’s Wikipedia with a Paywall, Dave Meltzer, the trio all suffered from Creative Differences, which in wrestling terms usually means:
- “I didn’t want to lose that match.”
- “I didn’t like that storyline.”
- “Tony Khan asked me what I wanted to do, I said ‘win,’ and he disagreed.”
Starks apparently balked at a feud with Big Bill, where he was gasp going to lose! AEW officials say that was enough to bench him, which, to be fair, has happened in WWE before. (Cough CM Punk Cough).
Miro? Oh, Miro was dreaming big. After pushing Tony Khan to bring in his real-life wife CJ Perry, the two came up with a dramatic, months-long storyline where Perry would turn on Andrade El Idolo at AEW Worlds End 2023. The payoff? Miro expected to be a main eventer afterward. But instead of getting the Goldberg push, he got the “Uh… we’ll get back to you on that” treatment. By August, he had enough, and he asked out.
Malakai Black? Well, his contract was almost up anyway, so he just peacefully faded into the darkness like a true House of Black member.
WWE or Bust?
With Starks already in WWE, the question is: How long until Black and Miro show up? Will they get massive pushes, or will Miro once again find himself in a “HAPPY MIRO DAY!” gimmick? Will CJ Perry actually reunite with him, or was that just a thirst trap of wrestling rumors?
Either way, one thing is certain: There’s always room on the WWE roster… if you’re Triple H’s kind of guy.