LU News: Ricochet aka Prince Puma no longer under Lucha Underground contract; WWE interested?
What's the story?
In a recent interview with Spanish outlet SoloWrestling, high-flying sensation Ricochet confirmed that he was no longer under contract with Lucha Underground, where he works under a mask as Prince Puma.
Ricochet has reportedly been in talks with WWE, as well as other wrestling promotions, but a big move for the former world champion may still be a year away.
In case you didn't know
Ricochet has been wrestling around the independent scene for almost fifteen years and got his first break with the Chikara promotion.
In the early 2000s he gained even more notoriety working for the Evolve and Dragon Gate USA family, as well as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, winning numerous titles and indie tournaments.
The last two years have easily been his biggest, with him signing a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling and becoming a major fixture of their juniors division, as well as signing with the El Rey network's Lucha Underground television series, winning their inaugural world championship as the masked sensation Prince Puma.
Also read: WWE Rumors: Lucha Underground offers Prince Puma big money to stay
In 2016, a match between Ricochet and British star Will Ospreay for New Japan Pro Wrestling caught mainstream buzz because of its innovative high-flying maneuvers.
It also received backlash from several “old school” wrestling names, who criticized the bout for being overly choreographed, leading to some massive debates online about changes in the current wrestling landscape, and the nature of pro wrestling as a whole.
The heart of the matter
Ricochet told an interviewer from SoloWrestling in Spain that he was no longer under contract with Lucha Underground, where he been a top star since the incarnation of the promotion.
While there has been interest from WWE on bringing him in, and given the right offer he would be interested in making the jump, an exclusive non-compete contract with Lucha Underground prohibits him from signing anywhere until season three officially comes to a close on television.
The show is currently on a mid-season break, and is expected to return in late May, where the Prince Puma character will be written off.
What's next?
Ricochet also indicated that he was very interested in working with Ring of Honor, which would be the easier move for him to make when he is legally allowed to do so.
ROH is currently partnered with New Japan Pro Wrestling – where he currently works – which also has deals with the historic CMLL promotion in Mexico, and RevPro in the United Kingdom.
Sportskeeda's take
Ricochet is one of the best wrestlers in the world today, and not just because he does moves you've never seen before.
The question is whether or not he could break out of the over-saturated pack in WWE, or if he might be better off continuing his career in New Japan and supplementing his schedule with ROH and other indie dates.
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