David Starr

[5.0] "His behind the scenes actions kick-started the Speaking Out movement, which led to a lot of abusive behaviour being called out. That will ultimately be his legacy as a professional wrestler. During this time in the ring, he was a very capable and oftentimes good wrestler, but it's extremely hard to go back and enjoy his work for what it was due to the type of person Starr was. He has since retired and has very little chance of coming back to wrestling."

[6.0] "If he wasn't such a horrible person, there's no doubt in my mind that he would've become one of the largest names the industry had outside of the WWE. So much wasted potential from such a phenomenal worker who chose to piss it all away. Truly tragic. His unionization movement could've changed the industry forever if he didn't destroy his reputation at its peak. Great worker who could've easily changed the world of wrestling for other wrestlers but his own demons killed all momentum he had for both himself and his movement."

[5.0] "David Starr was one of the biggest independent stars in the world at one point. I genuinely believe that had the allegations not come out, he could have been as big and popular as a Will Ospreay type. He was beyond talented in both wrestling and promo ability, but yeah... It is very difficult for me to give him a higher rating due to the horrible human being he has been outed as being, but I was a massive fan of him for a long time who thought a lot of his matches were incredible. Of course his best work was opposite WALTER and Jordan Devlin, but his whole career was packed with quality that came burning down in a blaze of...whatever the opposite of glory is."

"Before the allegations against him came to light, I actually quite enjoyed the work of David Starr, as he regularly had one of the better matches on any shows that I attended or watched. However, as much as one tries to separate the art from the artist, I've yet to achieve such a thing when it comes to Starr. Every time I look at or think about him I just think about what he was accused of and I can't look past it. Maybe in time I'll be able to go back and appreciate the work, but for now I don't want anything to do with him. I'll refrain from leaving an actual rating at this time as I honestly don't know what would be appropriate"

[6.0] "As a wrestler, as David Starr, he is one of the best I have ever seen. His character is very unique and one that possibly cannot be duplicated again (not just because of his real life actions) due to the way he tells a story in that character. As a human being, as Max Barsky, he can go straight to hell. It pisses me off that people can be this stupid and awful. His actions just made all of his masterpieces feel like another piece in a wasted island."

[0.0] "A horrible wrestling personality. Loud, righteous and condescending on social media, until he got called out for his actual behaviour and tried to backtrack. He was a more than competent in ring wrestler and Im hesitant to be so hard on him, but just can not find it in me to support someone like this"

[3.0] "The worst of wrestling. Loud and aggressive on Twitter about how things should be. But quietly perpetuating the dark side of wrestling on the side. Just brutal. Was a fine wrestler at one point, but not as good as he thinks he was."

[5.0] "not a bad wrestler anf he have a good mic skill too, but somehow isnt my type of wrestler i gonna like"

[10.0] "What else is there to say about David Starr, from being the weaker aspect of a tag team and the Jewish guy who got harassed by assholes at CZW, to the best independent wrestler in the world, absolutely no one comes close to David Starr. Even though everyone and their mum knows how batshit amazing he is, it's a crying shame that OTT (my home promotion) was the only major indie promotion to put their heavyweight title on him, despite being booked consistently in Progress, RevPro and WXW. It's so refreshing to see a wrestler as brutally honest as Starr, calling out the bullshit wherever he sees it, even to his own detriment. This is clearly a man who cares more for the well-being of the business overall rather than his own career, just look at his controversial (and good) decision to attempt to unionise wrestling. He knew that doing that would pretty much blacklist him from most major wrestling promotions (if he already hadn't been), and yet he still did it, he's got that much faith in the indie scene. While the emergence of AEW and WWE's subsequent attempts to hoard all the indie talent for as long as possible (without actually using them) has caused noticeable damage to the indie scene, it's still thriving, and Starr is one of the main reasons for that. I could also mention his matches with WALTER, Jordan Devlin and, to a lesser degree, Timothy Thatcher in OTT and how they've showcased his amazing ring work, with his third match with Devlin at Fifth Anniversary being the best match I have ever seen. His matches in OTT have also displayed his phenomenal character work, largely in his video packages produced by Shaun Ryan. While Starr is amazing everywhere he goes, OTT has brought out the best in him, and I can't wait until the rest of the wrestling world realises it. *Edit* Unfortunate that these allegations have come out against him, wishing all the best to his victims and hope he sorts his life out."

"Having fallen out of watching wrestling for a few years and coming back to see things like David Starr accused of sexual assault in the interim is really shocking stuff. Joey Ryan, I figure people should've checked on that sooner than later, but Starr totally surprises me. Before I stopped following wrestling for a while, I always found Starr reliable to have a pretty good match anywhere on a card and a pretty good promo, despite one of the most generic looks a guy can have. His work in Europe was much better than his work in the States, for whatever reason, and his chemistry with WALTER was off the charts good. There doesn't seem to be a good compromise for his current situation in terms of a rating, so I won't put one in officially. As a pro wrestler, 8/10, but as a person I can't respect anybody that doesn't respect consent. He can stay gone."

[0.0] "He was a dreadful worker and insufferable presence on the indies even before Speaking Out, but everything he's done in the ring has been recontextualised since then. It's a shame since he was the main advocate for a very necessary union in wrestling, hopefully someone greater will take over that role in the near future."

[9.0] "What an absolutely wonderful talent. One of the best talkers in wrestling over the last few years. His wrestling skills are very unique. It's almost a mix of technical, amateur, strong style, and indie moves. His wrestling skill is very diverse and can work as a face or a heel. He's a great mix of comedy and creativity. He knows how to tell a story. He's practically mastered long term storytelling already. His work over the last 2 years is nothing short of terrific. Such as his trio with Devlin, WALTER and Sabre Jr. I don't know where he'll end up. I know he loves the indies but he can be a top star in just about any company. Big things to come for Starr. Edit: I originally wrote this review in June of 2020, so here's my update. As a wrestler, David Starr was a 9/10. As a person, Max Barsky is a 0/10 if what he's accused of is true. Changing my opinion of him as a performer or his matches isn't fair, but i hope to never see him step foot in a wrestling ring again."

[0.0] "Look. David Starr was a fantastic performer and a man who acted like he was genuinely trying to make change in the pro wrestling industry. In reality, Max Barsky is a sexual predator who has severely messed up the lives of multiple women. You can be the best dang wrestler in the game, but if you are a predator or have done something vile like what he did, you get a 0. But he did make a change in the industry, and now scum like him, Joey Ryan, Travis Banks, etc. are being forced out and that is going to help make wrestling better, something Starr said he wanted too do. Quite poetic."

[4.0] "To say David Starr was a bad wrestler is a disservice. He wasn't my cup of tea and as a result I feel I missed something that everyone else saw. In my opinion he was an extremely niche wrestler who shone brightly due to a depleted independent scene. Recent allegations pretty much mean he's done for. Not really going to miss him."

[0.0] "I feel like I got stabbed in the back. Starr seemed like such a good dude and he is one hell of a wrestler, but all the 5 stars matches in the world can't make me forgive him for what he has done. At least he finally started a mouvement that will (hopefully) change the world of pro wrestling, just not the way he was trying to... It's a very sad end to his carrer, but a necessary one, it's just so disapointing to find out what kind of person he really was."

[0.0] "you can be an hell of a performer but if you are a sexual predator... just fuck you. he was even one of my favourites"

[10.0] "David Starr is an incredible wrestler, he is great in the ring, he is very charismatic, and he is also very good at promos, he can adapt to various styles, and he can also work very well as a face or as a heel."

[9.0] "There's nothing you can't like about David Starr. His in-ring skills are amazing, his promos are next level and the things that he can do with matches and storylines are unparalleled. Whilst some disagree with him bringing politics into wrestling, I personally think that it is important to do so. I have never been so enthralled with the prospect of someone becoming a world champion such as Starr, because of his passion for what he believes in. If you can find a David Starr match, watch it."

[10.0] "I originally didn't leave a comment on this because I thought everything that needed to be said had already been said about Starr, and likely if you have watched one of his matches and bothered to check his page, you already agree with my rating. And you thought I was building up to something but actually it was nothing! You have been fooled! David Starr is incredible and you have been decieved! Haha!"

[9.0] "We live in the days of an American-centric monoculture and the war right now is between WWE and AEW. With WWE attempting to overturn successful territories with regional brands like NXT:UK, this will only grow more extreme. The UK had a number of "successful in their own right" stars, most of whom have floundered since being hoovered up by WWE's developmental. While I have no animus towards any wrestling promotion, I think it's important to acknowledge and understand that a performer can succeed without the likes of WWE or even ROH. Since around 2016, Starr has been a rising star, particularly in the European independents. He's been accumulating top tier/"World" championships in the likes of OTT, IPW:UK, CZW, Defiant in addition to finding himself in prominent positions in wXw, Progress, PWG, RPW, AAW and others. He is out of sight for the casual fan, perhaps even the dedicated fan, but he has been having excellent matches with excellent opponents (Walter, PAC, Mark Haskins) and telling complex and emotional stories to rabid regional audiences. Starr deserves credit for his ring work and his title success, he deserves credit for igniting the passions of people in different international promotions simultaneously without being on your television or Network app. We need to look back on the territory stars of decades gone by and we need to be wary that we don't let WWE control the narrative forever because they'll have you celebrating The Sandman and forgetting Jerry Lynn. David Starr may well continue to spend his career winning titles all across the UK independents and he may never go to NXT, NJPW, AEW, Impact or ROH but we shouldn't forget the successes of people who chose or needed to find a way to succeed outside of our existing subscriptions."

[10.0] "The man is one impressive star that will not stop shining. Amazing matches or bonker amazing storytelling or even with both! David Starr is on the way to the very tippy top."

[10.0] "Possibly the best Independent/Unsigned wrestler in the world. His Charisma is unmatched by anyone at the current time, and puts on some of the greatest, most athletic matches I? ve seen in recent time. Starr is a Star himself in the making and is truly a treat for anyone to witness. I haven? t seen someone who excels this well in both their brand and skills in a very long time besides Jericho. Starr is in fact your favourite wrestlers favourite wrestler"

[10.0] "Very simply, David Starr is awesome. The guy not only has the solid Amateur Wrestling background that qualifies him as a Shooter - But he also has the mic skills, character development and showmanship that has turned him into a memorable part of every show he works. Since turning heel in OTT, he has become my favourite part of their events, and he usually works 1 of the 2-3 best matches on the card, if not the best. A very methodical, technical wrestler, with a unique move set, and is a great storyteller."

[10.0] "Starr is the present and the future. He is the perfect mix of comedy, talen and heart. The 2018 was a great year for him 2019 maybe the best year of his career, he is most popular every day. I sorry for Starr haters cause you are going to hear much more about him"

[8.0] "Starr definitely has the future his hands, he just needs to continue on rolling. After his run in CZW as one half of the Juicy Product, Starr is finally getting the attention he deserves and needs to use this attention to catapult himself into stardom."

[10.0] "One of my absolute favorites. He first caught my attention with a couple of really good promos on CZW’s YouTube channel last year and shortly after I got a chance to see him wrestle on their Best of the Best show. Since then I’ve been a huge fan, loving his appearances in WXW, Progress, RPW, CZW and Beyond. A true talent."

[7.0] "I don't watch much American wrestling besides PWG, but from the little I've seen of David Starr, the guy is hella talented and charismatic as fuck. Also a down to earth to talk to, he's always been nice to me."

[9.0] "David Starr has made himself quite the starr. He is a very charismatic and very good technically. I don't think he has reached his peak yet because he keep on improving."

[7.0] "He is growing as a preformer. He is becoming very good as an entreteiner and with is age, he migth become a top name in the Indy scene very fast."

[9.0] "I really like him as a wrestler and I think that those 6's are a little bit too low for him. Sure he sometimes rely on highspots, but he is still learning and maybe someday he will become the next big thing. But for now, he is a great wrestler for his age and experience."

[6.0] "David Starr thinks he's a bigger "Starr" than he is. He performs well in the ring and has a very nice look. But he relies heavily on high spots, and it seems he may not have the size to get over without them. His tag team "The Juicy Product" has seen unmatched success around the northeast/Midwest, and for that he managed to make the PWI Top 500 this year (2014)."