Ricky Starks opens up about backstage segment with Ryback

During an appearance on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, AEW star Ricky Starks talked about his time as a WWE extra…

“When I was brand new and getting the call, I was like, ‘This is how I get hired.’ It’s a great feeling. That’s how I learned the most. I sat up on RAW days in the crowd with William Regal while they’re testing the music, and he’ll tell me these stories and me asking questions. I’m a very observant person so sometimes I just sit back and watch everything. It was great. It was an awesome time, but for me, at a certain point, I got tired of it because I felt like there was a ceiling that I kept hitting every time I came. ‘Well, if ya’ll didn’t care for me after the 17th time, how is this 30th time going to be any different?’”

Starks said the following about his backstage segment with Ryback in 2013…

“I got slapped in the face three times. He never told me he was going to slap me, so when you see me tense up, that’s me being legit. Initially, I was trying to cry, and Michael Hayes came to me and was like, ‘You ain’t gonna cry like that in a real fight, would you?’ I said, ‘Hell nah, you’re right. I’d bow up to a motherfucker.’ I really enjoyed it, they paid for my shirt that he ripped up. I remember walking to the back, and Miz and CM Punk were like, ‘Good job on that segment.’ That was the end of it.” (quotes of courtesy of 411Mania.com)