"He is the greatest high-flyer of all time" - WWE Hall of Famer heaps praise on Ricochet
Ricochet's most ardent fans would not be too pleased with the former WWE NXT star's main roster progress.
The former Prince Puma of Lucha Underground fame has consistently been one of the best in-ring performers in WWE, and his most recent Falls Count Anywhere match against John Morrison is a testament to his technical skills.
The latest episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show' podcast on AdFreeShows.com featured Edge as the guest of honor, and the WWE Hall of Famer reserved some high praise for Ricochet.
Edge talked about the evolution of wrestling from WWE's Attitude Era and how the current wrestlers had a different level of athleticism.
The Rated-R Superstar called Ricochet the "greatest high-flyer of all time," and admitted to being stunned by the WWE RAW Superstar's in-ring feats.
Edge added that he couldn't grasp how Ricochet pulled off some of his aerial moves. The SmackDown veteran also spoke about the changes in WWE and how performers these days face a sterner challenge getting over.
"What the guys and girls are doing now, like, I watch Ricochet, and I'm like, 'He is the greatest high-flyer of all time.' Like, he can do stuff that I don't get. How do you backflip from your knees to your feet? How do you do that?" Edge stated.
"So, I don't know what the answer is, really, but I do appreciate the different sort of circumstances that talent have to try and get themselves over nowadays because I think it's more difficult. Having come back now and seen it first-hand, 'I'm like, Oh wow, this is harder! To try and present your story and your character because the format has changed due to necessity, due to those things that I talked about."
A lot of the talent might probably feel hand-cuffed: Edge on how wrestling has changed in WWE
Edge recalled how the Attitude Era was mainly about two-minute matches, and the length gradually increased as WWE entered the Ruthless Aggression phase.
WWE's publicly traded status and big contracts with TV networks transformed the product, according to Edge.
While the WWE legend is happy with lengthier matches, he isn't a fan of the company's micro-managing of talents and angles. Edge added that the wrestling business isn't what it used to be, as there are now many rules and regulations curtailing the spontaneity and freedom of the WWE Superstars.
"The Ruthless Aggression I feel is kind of the mid-way point where the matches started to get longer and better because if you go back to the Attitude Era, the matches were sometimes like two minutes long. And it was boom, boom boom," Edge continued.
"Personally, as a performer, I'd rather be in a 22-minute match than a two-minute match, and maybe that's dumb, honestly, because it's harder on your body to do the 22-minute match, but as a performer every time I'm in a match, I want to tell a story, I want to paint that picture, and I can't do that in two minutes.
"Now, it feels like all the characters don't have the opportunity to get fleshed out, and I feel like it's very micro-managed. I feel like a lot of the talent might probably feel hand-cuffed. But there are different things to answer to now," added Edge. "You're a publicly-traded company, you are on FOX, you're on USA, and there are big contracts. So I understand. But I do feel match quality is better and the athleticism; there is no comparison."
What do you think about Edge's thoughts on wrestling's evolution and his verdict on Ricochet? Let us know in the comments section below.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.