Samantha Irvin’s honest reaction to Ricochet leaving WWE for AEW revealed
Ricochet sheds light on Samantha Irvin's reaction to his departure from WWE to go to AEW. The One and Only debuted in the Tony Khan-led company in August.
Ricochet's six-year tenure in WWE ended earlier this year after honing and perfecting his craft across promotions like Dragon Gate, PWG, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and Lucha Underground. The Human Highlight Reel has since signed on with All Elite Wrestling, debuting at All In 2024 as a participant in the Casino Gauntlet Match.
Over the past few weeks, the high-flyer extraordinaire has been racking up singles victories over Kyle Fletcher, former AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara, and The Beast Mortos. He is also scheduled next month for a long-anticipated dream match years in the making, as the 35-year-old star will challenge Will Ospreay for his International Championship on the fifth-anniversary episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite.
During a recent appearance on Talk is Jericho, Ricochet revealed how his fiancée Samantha Irvin responded to the idea of him joining AEW. The Highlight of the Night claimed that the revered WWE ring announcer supported his desire to express his full potential and advised him to pursue his happiness as it would ensure their long-term happiness as a unit.
“She understands the type of artist that I am and the wrestler that I am. She understands, not being stifled, but not being pushed to your full potential. She’s like, ‘What’s going to make you the happiest will make all of us the happiest because as a group, we’re going to be happy,’" Jericho said. [H/T Wrestlezone]
Ricochet claims he would have signed with AEW if it existed before his WWE signing
On the same podcast, Ricochet spoke about how he would likely have signed with AEW if the company had existed in 2018 when he penned a deal with WWE and debuted on the company's developmental brand NXT.
The former NXT North American Champion emphasized that he was drawn to the Black-and-Gold brand and the talent it boasted at the time.
"At the time, if AEW was even a thought or a plan or anything, I for sure would've went this direction for sure. At the time, the black-and-gold stuff [NXT] was going crazy. They just did Cesaro and Sami Zayn, Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke. The Finn Balors and the Kevin Owens'. All of those guys were just killing it. Not only that, but you had Undisputed Era when I was there and Aleister Black was there."
It remains to be seen if Ricochet will become the next International Champion by dethroning Will Ospreay in their upcoming title match.