billie starkz blames her mom for getting her into punk

“Record Exchange” is a series of conversations between see/saw and a fellow punk enthusiast. Each person brings two songs to discuss. The latest installment is a chat with Billie Starkz, the 19-year-old wrestler signed with All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor. 

Speaking from her home in Orlando, Billie Starkz had been up for hours painting bubble guns and wrestling gear for her entrance at Supercard of Honor 2024. Starkz used to walk out with a giant beat-up mascot head to Blink-182 on the indies. Now she’s headlining pay-per-views for Tony Khan’s Ring of Honor. Right now, she’s cramming as much crafting time she can fit into the window before flying out to Philadelphia the next morning. “I've been gone the full week between the indies and AEW, so I don't even know what my house looks like anymore,” she says. 

Starkz was the inaugural Ring of Honor Women’s Television Champion, and while she lost the title in Philly the day after we spoke in July, she’s made a name as a show stealer in ROH. Days after she turned 19 late last year, she had a classic world title match with her on-screen mentor. “That first pay-per-view match with Athena, I knew while it was happening: ‘Oh, that was a moment.’” 

Having started wrestling at 13, she was indoctrinated into pop punk music from a younger age. “My mom was the reason I got into a lot of punk. A lot of my childhood, that's what she would listen to, so I was just dragged in by association.” Her mom’s bands were Blink-182 and Weezer. Starkz starts each day with a playlist that currently features Blink, the Wrecks, Billie Eilish, and of course, Chappell Roan.

Billie’s pick: The Wrecks’ “Favorite Liar”

This is a song I found in high school and I actually used it for one of my final projects high school year—I made a video of all the fun things I did in high school, a mix of like wrestling and hanging out with friends, so it definitely holds a special place in my heart because of that. I literally got introduced to the song in a theater room after school and they were like, “Hey let's listen to music!” This was somebody's pitch and I fell in love with it and it got added to my playlist that day. 

It was a senior that I met freshman year. He graduated and did his own thing after that but I remember him my freshman year being like the cool theater kid. I did three years of theater and one year of stagecraft. I just remember I got to be fight director for one of the plays. I can’t remember the name of the play for the life of me. I just remember being able to do the fight scene and getting to throw somebody off the stage. It was great. 

I feel like it's one of those car ride playlist songs when you’ve been driving for 12 hours and this is in the last couple hours and picks you up. When I was still in high school, it was like if you had a Sunday show, “We're driving all the way home to get you back for school!”

How did you stay awake at school?

I was very lucky that I had parents that would drive for me so I could sleep on the ride home, but a lot of times even in class, I got my work done so fast. I was just one of those people, I would always finish first, like, “This is easy, OK I’m done, I’m gonna take a nap now.” And none of my teachers questioned it because it’s like I’m pulling up the school, let me rest, knock this crap out, and I’m heading home. [laughs]

see/saw’s pick: Itchy & the Nits’ “Parasites”

I love the album cover alone with just their heads popping out of flowers. I honestly enjoy it—I wouldn't listen to it in car rides, but if I’m doing work around the house, I will put stuff on like that. In car rides if it’s something I can’t physically sing to and jam out to? I can’t click with it. It’s just too fast-paced for me. It would be fun background music.

Billie’s pick: Blink-182’s “Aliens Exist”

I blame this all on my mother. It was the first theme song that I found where I was like, “Yeah, this is me, this is who I want to be as a wrestler.” Everybody I showed it to was like, “Yeah, this is it.” I remember coming out to it in the first match I used it and I just felt the energy going out. Doing my match that night, I felt different, like that collective calm-but-energetic energy.

The standout match for me was when I wrestled Nick Wayne at JCW for his birthday. I remember coming out to Blink-182 and the whole crowd was singing it. They just were cheering for Nick going crazy. And I came out and I was like, “Y'all are nuts.” I wrestled Masha [Slamovich] at ETU a while back, and I was so nervous before this match for some reason. And as soon as my music started playing, I heard the crowd light up like a light bulb. And I was like, “Oop! It’s gonna be a good night. There's no need to worry.” And I went out and had one of the most fun matches of my career.

see/saw’s pick: Billiam’s “Maid Dress”

That was sick! I like the video, it's very themed and it has a color going with it the whole time. And his energy throughout the thing is very, very consistent. 

I’m only just now realizing between the dyed hair and mascot head…

Yeah, we’re twins.

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