Back in 2013, Ricky Starks worked a backstage segment for WWE. Appearing as an arena worker, Starks ran afoul of Ryback backstage. This led to Starks being slapped with tuna salad and then being put through a table.
Starks spoke about the experience recently on the Rewind With Besa podcast. You can read highlights of his appearance below:
How the spot took multiple takes: “That situation happened where, that was at the Laredo Energy Center. And that was the third take of somebody slapping me in my ear with tuna salad, by the way. And I think at the time they only put ‘Arena Worker,’ because you know, who cares about the name of the guy getting slammed through the table? We’re worried about the guy doing the slamming.”
Getting directed for the segment: “I should have won an Oscar for that performance. I’m telling you, I should have won an Oscar for it! I had these people come to me after the first take and say, ‘Hey, maybe that’s a little too Gone with the Wind, maybe that’s a little too much A Raisin in the Sun performance. We don’t need that, we need a little more timid, scared.’ I said, ‘Bet.'”
The segment’s aftermath: “Afterward, they [WWE] bought me a new t-shirt, Calvin Klein, they bought me new shoes because I got them dirty, and afterward the guy who slammed me he said, ‘thank you for that.’ Not to mention, four years later when I went back to Vegas for Thanksgiving, I saw that dude, his name’s Ryback, in the gym. And he was like, ‘Hey man, thank you for that. Let me give you some advice on how to make a trial coming up for WWE.'”
