Dustin Rhodes declares 33-year-old star is the future of AEW; the talent has been called 'the new Rock'

AEW star Dustin Rhodes has lavished a huge amount of praise on a fellow roster member, who many believe could turn into this generation's version of The Rock.

The star in question is Ricky Starks, who had an eventful 12 months at the time of writing. In July 2022 he was betrayed by his long-time partner Powerhouse Hobbs, which made him go on a journey that led him to the AEW World Champion MJF in December 2022.

So far in 2023, Starks already has two pinfall victories over former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, and is set to compete in the final of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament this Saturday against CM Punk.

During his appearance on the "Sports Guys Talking Wrestling" podcast, Dustin Rhodes admitted that he thinks Ricky Starks is the future of the business, and looks forward to seeing what he does next.

"He's a very young Superstar, and he's going to be the future, I think, and the now. He's just stepping into his own shoes. He's killing it. I'm excited to see that one." (H/T Fightful)

Who has compared Ricky Starks to The Rock?

Being compared to someone like The Rock is always going to be an honor for any young talent and a tough expectation to live up to. But it seems like Ricky Starks has thrived in it. In fact, one of the people comparing Starks to The People's Champion is Starks himself.

During an interview on the "Casual Conversations" podcast, Starks claimed that there isn't really much to the comparisons between himself and The Rock, but admitted that they can both talk trash extremely well, something that comes naturally to the FTW Champion.

Starks has previously compared his work ethic to The Rock's on social media, when he stated that you have to respect someone like Dwayne Johnson while working out in the gym.

Do you think Ricky Starks is the future of the business? Let us know in the comments section down below.