Ricky Starks and Adam Copeland engaged in a memorable verbal clash during the October 14, 2023, installment of AEW Collision.

The episode featured a heated exchange between the two athletes on the prominent Saturday night show, where Starks initiated the confrontation by cautioning Copeland against glaring at him "with his bug eyes."

In retaliation, Copeland quickly responded with a spontaneous comeback, labeling Starks a "vanilla midget" and accusing him of mimicking WWE icon The Rock's persona.

During a recent guest spot on the Hold The Mayo podcast, "Absolute" Ricky Starks reflected on the verbal sparring.

Starks shared his thoughts, stating, “You know how it is. It’s like, at this point in my career, I’m contemplating how to steer it [smiles]. It was a spontaneous remark from me, but I didn’t see it as a big deal. The aftermath made me realize, it’s like when you’re joking around with friends, and you can tell they’re a bit offended? If you rewatch the moment, you’ll notice I’m wearing my sunglasses, and I just said, ‘okay,’ [shrugs shoulders]. My reaction showed that I was taken aback, but then I just moved on. I’m too laid-back for that stuff. It’s just how it goes.”

He elaborated further, “Believe me, his comeback didn’t overwhelm me. He didn’t ‘eat me up.’ If anything, his attempt at an insult made him look foolish. I regret not having a sharper retort at the moment. I later thought, ‘Hey, man, I’m actually black. So, your point misses the mark. My apologies.’ It was quite amusing.”