Billie Starkz | |
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Birth name | Lillian Bridget |
Born | [1] New Albany, Indiana, U.S. | December 8, 2004
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) |
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Trained by |
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Debut | October 13, 2018[1] |
Lillian Bridget (born December 8, 2004) is an American professional wrestler known under her ring name Billie Starkz. As of 2024,[update] she is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). She is the current and inaugural ROH Women's World Television Champion in her first reign. She has also wrestled in numerous promotions such as Game Changer Wrestling, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, and Major League Wrestling.
Starkz began training in wrestling at age 13 in Jeffersonville, Indiana,[2] making her professional wrestling debut in October 2018.[3][4] According to a 2023 story by local TV station WDRB, during her first weeks at Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky in 2019, "a caring teacher pulled her into the hall to ask questions about her parents and home life" because she showed up with bumps and bruises resulting from wrestling.[2]
In 2020, she began working for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) and on October 10 of that year, she competed in a 30-person battle royal at Joey Janela's Spring Break 4.[5]
On June 25, 2022, Starkz won the H2O Hybrid Championship.[6] On November 12, at BLP Slamilton, Starkz defeated Calvin Tankman to win the BLP Heavyweight Championship.[7][8]
On the December 27, 2022, episode of AEW Dark, Starkz made her debut, losing to Red Velvet.[9][10] On April 7, 2023, at Battle of the Belts VI, Jade Cargill defeated Starkz to retain the AEW TBS Championship.[11] Four days later, it was reported that Starkz had been signed by AEW.[12][13]
On June 25 at Forbidden Door, Starkz competed in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament, losing to Athena in the quarterfinals of the tournament.[14]
On the February 28, 2023, episode of MLW Underground Wrestling, Starkz made her MLW debut, defeating Kayla Kassidy.[15][16] On the March 21 episode of Underground Wrestling, she faced Taya Valkyrie for the MLW Women's Featherweight Championship but lost the match.[17] Starkz then faced B3cca twice at SuperFight[18] and War Chamber, both in a winning effort.[19]
On the March 9, 2023, episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling, Starkz made her ROH debut where she lost to Trish Adora.[20][21] Two weeks later, she had her first win in ROH when she defeated Miranda Alize.[22]
In late 2023, Starkz along with Lexy Nair became 'minions' to ROH Women's World Champion Athena. On the November 23 episode of ROH Honor Club TV, Starkz and Athena lost to Ronda Rousey and Marina Shafir.[23] On the following episode of ROH Wrestling, Starkz defeated Shafir in a one-on-one match, with Starkz proceeded to attack Shafir after the match. Athena and Nair come out and feigned announcing that Starkz had graduated from 'minion training'. Athena then announced that only Nair was the valedictorian. Starkz then got upset and attacked Athena. Starkz then met Tony Khan backstage and requested a championship match with Athena, which Khan accepted. The match was then made for Final Battle.[24] At the event, Starkz was unsuccessful at winning the ROH Women's Championship from Athena.[25]
In December 2023, Starkz was confirmed to be in the tournament to crown the inaugural ROH Women's World Television Champion.[26] She defeated Robyn Renegade in first round, Diamante in the quarterfinals and Mercedes Martinez in the semifinals to advance to the final at Supercard of Honor.[27][28][29] At the event on April 5, 2024, Starkz defeated Queen Aminata to become the inaugural ROH Women's World Television Champion by feigning an injury and choking out Aminata, turning heel in the process.[30]
Shortly before her 2023 graduation from Atherton High School in Louisville, she had maintained a 4.0 grade point average while taking several honors courses, despite her frequent travel for wrestling shows.[2]