When Ricky Starks made his WWE debut on NXT, it turned heads around the wrestling world, including in his old company, AEW.

That's right. Taking to Busted Open Radio to talk about his appearance, ex-Woman's Champion Thunder Rosa noted she was shocked to see him go but wishes him well, as he deserves a chance to showcase his talents.

“I was on the phone with someone, and they were like, ‘Oh my god, Ricky is on TV on NXT, ‘ and I said, ‘Wait what?!' I was completely surprised, completely surprised. It took me completely by surprise,” Rosa noted via WrestleTalk.

“He's one of the hungriest individuals I've ever met. Intellectually, physically, in his career, he's extremely passionate about everything he does. His promos, the way that he carries himself, he takes that very to heart. From NWA and everything that happened in the pandemic when we were making absolutely zero money, he got a great opportunity coming to AEW, doing something that he did in NWA, which was to put himself over with his charisma, his abilities on the microphone, and his abilities in the ring. And he worked extremely hard to get to the top at AEW.”

While Rosa was surprised by the move, she isn't alone, as another AEW on-screen talent took to their media outlet of choice to discuss his move shortly after NXT went off the air.

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Jim Ross is also impressed by Ricky Starks from his time in AEW

Turning attention from a former AEW Woman's Champion to a certified Hall of Fame announcer, Jim Ross reflected on Starks' move to NXT on his Grilling JR podcast, noting that he appreciated his time working with the former Tag Team Champion and wishes him well with his future endeavors.

“Well, he's a high motor guy. I don't know if he'll be the next Shawn Michaels at his size, but he has a unique future. He's got a big personality. So hopefully, he'll do well and lives his dream,” Ross said via WrestleTalk.

“It seems like the dream for a lot of talents is to make it to WWE and call it a day. That's not where it ends; that's where it begins. I saw the episode of NXT last night. Surprised to see Ricky Starks. Don't know how he's gonna do. He's got a high opinion of himself, and he's got a lot of abilities, there's no doubt about that, so we'll see how it works out for him. It's never easy to get over, and hopefully, he can get over and stay over as a top star. Remains to be seen, so we'll see how it goes.”

Will Starks get himself over in NXT? Yes, one could argue he already is just by jumping to the promotion. But will he stay there? That remains to be seen, as outside of Cody Rhodes, there really aren't that many former AEW stars who have found profound success in NXT or WWE in the Triple H era.