Former United States Champion shares emotional toll towards end of WWE run
A former WWE United States Champion recently shared what played a part in him deciding not to re-sign with the company recently. He mentioned having to reflect on the situation before making a decision. This was Ricochet.
The high-flyer left WWE back in June, as he elected to simply let his current contract run its course. He reportedly signed with AEW two months later and made his long-awaited debut at All In as part of the Casino Gauntlet match held at the pay-per-view.
While appearing on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Ricochet talked about him reflecting on where he was headed in WWE. He felt that he had already proven himself to be on the level of some of the top performers on the roster.
"I got to thinking, Okay, what will I be doing? Where will I be in three years? And after that, where will I be? And again, anything can happen. You don’t know the circumstances, but you just kind of have to play from your experiences. Because again, especially in the wrestling industry, everybody has a different experience. Just from my personal experiences and what I feel like Ricochet has been put through, I don’t know, I felt like I had already, not paid my dues or whatever, but I felt like I was able to be on the next level of performers there, I guess."
However, he revealed that with him being put against some of the newer talent on the WWE roster, he felt that he was back to square one, despite being with the promotion for some time.
"But I still feel like I was starting over again. I felt like I was starting over with the Bron Breakkers and the Iljas and the Carmelos and the new guys just coming in. I feel like Ricochet was with those guys coming back in, it’s like, 'Man, I’ve already been here for five or six years, I want to be doing something else.'"
Ricochet names former WWE champions as dream opponents in AEW
During his debut match in AEW, Ricochet got to share the ring with several of the best in the world, and despite not winning the match, he showed the world just how great he can be.
During the same interview with Chris Van Vliet, he talked about some names on the roster he wished to face now that he was with the company. He revealed that he would love to face the likes of Adam Copeland, Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland, and MJF. He was looking forward to all the opportunities he could get moving forward.
"Edge, Moxley, Swerve. I've had Swerve in the indies, but never in AEW. Obviously MJF, there's still mad opportunities right now. But again, like I said, I just got here. I literally just got here. But I've been excited with the stories that we've been telling so far, because I know people kind of just watch weekly and they only see what happens weekly," Ricochet said.
After a less-than-ideal end to his run in WWE, Ricochet now looks to bounce back in AEW. The sky is the limit at this point, and fans should look forward for great things coming their way.