The Undertaker Caught Off Guard by Ricky Starks’ 2/11 WWE NXT Debut

The February 11 episode of NXT will be remembered as one of the most memorable episodes of the show as Ricky Starks made his shocking debut during the event. Following Starks’ electric debut, The Undertaker has admitted he was caught off guard by Starks’ appearance.

While speaking on Busted Open Radio, The Undertaker reacted to Starks’ debut and stated that they have known each other for years. They first met in 2015 when The Undertaker was training for his match against Shane McMahon.

The Deadman noted that Starks was always at the gym, quiet and respectful, but ready to help whenever needed. Over time, they started talking, and Starks told him he wanted to become a wrestler.

Later, when Michelle McCool was getting ready for a surprise return at the Royal Rumble, Starks helped train her. The Undertaker was caught off guard by Starks’ NXT debut since it had been over a year since they last talked. He described Starks as a good, hardworking, and respectful person and remembered how they first met while he was training for WrestleMania.

“So I’m training at this gym. I notice this kid is there every day. Doesn’t say anything, really respectful. As the training went along and we needed different spotters and different help, he was always right there.

“Finally we struck up a conversation, and he told me that he was trying to break into the business. I kinda talked to him about different things. And he actually, one of the Rumbles that Michelle was a surprise guest in, she wanted to get in the ring, and he came down and trained with her.

I’ve seen him a few times here and there, and I’ve always had great conversations with him. He’s such a good kid, such a respectful kid. Yeah so that debut caught me completely off guard – I hadn’t seen him in probably a year, year-and-a-half maybe, and then I just looked up and saw him there. But yeah, that’s how we met. We met in a gym when I was getting ready for Shane at WrestleMania.”

Fightful Select has reported that WWE not acknowledging Ricky Starks’ name was intentional and that the deal came together fast. Nonetheless, we will have to wait and see whether Starks will find great success in NXT now that he has debuted in WWE, as fans feel the sky is truly the limit for the Absolute One.

What do you think about Ricky Starks’ surprise debut in NXT? How do you see his future shaping up in WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments below!