AEW star Ricochet drops bombshell WWE revelation; reveals real reason why he quit
Former WWE Superstar and one of AEW's top names currently, Ricochet, has opened up about some of the struggles talent in the Stamford-based company have to deal with when it comes to proposing creative ideas. The decorated high-flyer made his debut in the Tony Khan-led promotion last year.
Ricochet has captured both the admiration and the ire of fans and viewers with his new heel persona, which he kicked into high gear since viciously ambushing Swerve Strickland at the beginning of 2025. After picking up his first AEW pay-per-view victory against Mark Briscoe at last month's Double or Nothing 2025, The Excellence of Elevation is now looking for a crew to help him navigate the company's faction-heavy landscape.
During a recent interview with WFAA, Ricochet was asked if he had pitched for his villainous character to be presented in WWE when he was signed with the sports entertainment juggernaut. The One and Only responded by explaining that creative ideas proposed by numerous talent were not utilized by the company, and that only a select few saw their pitches gain traction.
“I mean, I think honestly it’s one of those things where you can pitch until your face turns blue, but if no one’s listening, then no one’s listening. It’s frustrating. There’s so many different stories about guys pitching stuff—just because you pitch it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. People pitch things all the time, but only certain guys actually get their ideas through. I think it was just one of those cases where I wasn’t one of those guys.”
The high-flyer added:
“And that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their spot, and that was my spot. When my time came, I just decided to move on and go to a different spot, you know? Sure, sure.” (H/T Ringside News)
Ricochet departed from WWE in June last year. Later in August, he made his official AEW debut at All In: London.
Ricochet on why he jumped ship from WWE to AEW
During an interview with SHAK Wrestling last year, Ricochet offered some deeper insight into the motivations behind his WWE exit. The Highlight of the Night discussed how, despite being used on television quite frequently, he felt that something was lacking in his presentation and performances. In AEW, on the other hand, the former Intercontinental Champion felt that he would be able to properly showcase his skills.
"I was on a lot, but I feel like the quality of how much I was on TV wasn't there, for my fans. For me, I'm able to perform and do something I love, so I'm kind of getting... but I wasn't able to give my fans what they've been wanting out of me, whether or not that's... I don't know exactly what that was, but I just know, for my fans, they were wanting something, and I think that was missing for me. I know [AEW] is the perfect place to be able to give my fans exactly the Ricochet they've been looking for," he said. [3:46 - 4:21]
It remains to be seen which All Elite names Ricochet will pick to join his alliance and aid him in his quest for gold.