Dwayne Johnson has left a rich legacy in pro wrestling. While he no longer wrestlers actively, his style still rules the roost. The Rock had it all. Electrifying moves inside the ring, coupled with entertaining mic skills. Not to forget, he had a unique dressing sense, which evolved as he progressed through the ranks. Needless to say, The Great One influenced several wrestlers who came after him. While most will take a comparison with him as a compliment, a 33-year-old AEW star had a different take. He once detailed why it’s not flattering for him during a chat.
Ricky Starks opens up about his comparisons with Dwayne Johnson
Ricky Starks has been an AEW mainstay ever since his debut in 2020. To his credit, Starks does resemble a bit like a young Dwayne Johnson. And this didn’t evade the fans’ notice. Soon, the comparisons started, and when asked Starks had his own take on the matter.
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Speaking to Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2022, the 33-year-old said, “Well, the only thing that bothers me is when people try to say that I’m actually actively copying The Rock with the way I dress and all this other dumb s**t. It does pi** me off because I’ve never gone into wrestling trying to copy The Rock.”
Addressing the likeness in his promos with The Great One, he said, “I’ve never studied The Rock’s promos to do exactly how he does. Everything I do, it comes from my head. It comes from how I feel and how I want to look. So when I hear people say that and discredit my originality, it does bother me a bit.”
Meanwhile, a WWE legend fanned the comparisons after he recently praised Starks and bestowed a massive compliment on him.
Chris Jericho shares his thoughts on Ricky Stark’s future
The WWE Universe is familiar with Chris Jericho’s name. The AEW star is a 6x WWE world champion and plied his trade for many years in Vince McMahon’s company before jumping ship to the AEW.
The veteran wrestler frequently interacts with and grooms young wrestlers in his current promotion. He had some encouraging words for Starks, drawing parallels with The Rock. “When you first stand in the ring with The Rock, you talk about a generational talent, that’s a different level. The thing with Ricky is, I’ve seen glimpses of that, which is great,” he said during an appearance on the Busted Open podcast.
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Jericho has seen Johnson up close and knows what it’s like to be in the ring with the 51-year-old. He has also been in the ring with Starks. So, for an experienced wrestler to draw such a comparison can only boost Starks’ confidence. However, fans would want the 33-year-old to create his own legacy and not repeat what they have already witnessed from another wrestler.
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His well-wishers would also want him to be in contention for the title race, which he has lost out recently, according to wrestling legend Konnan. So, what are your thoughts on Ricky Starks’ take on his comparisons with Dwayne Johnson? Let us know in the comments.
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