Matt Sydal reveals why WWE shouldn't "force feed" Ricochet to fans like they did with Sheamus
For most superstars including Ricochet, the process of getting pushed in WWE takes time. While there have been certain superstars who have been pushed to the main event scene right off the bat, it's a formula that simply won't work for everyone.
In most cases, fans like to witness the journey that a WWE superstar undergoes including the ups and downs before they eventually make it to the main event scene. And even then, the timing of it all is most important.
Matt Sydal, one of AEW's newest signees, appeared on Wrestling Inc's daily podcast and was asked about his old tag team partner Ricochet and his standing in WWE.
The idea that many fans have in mind about Ricochet is that he's already a lost cause since he isn't being pushed in 2020 the way he was in 2019. While it may be factually correct, Matt Sydal compared the trajectory to that of Kofi Kingston - who needed a decade to become a World Champion in WWE.
He also looked at Sheamus' situation, where The Irishman was made WWE Champion months within his debut. Regarding Sheamus, he said: "I mean they used to love to boost people to the moon like Sheamus. Come in, boom, OK, you're the star, force feed him people but really what builds fandom is having fans fall in love with you when they're 10 years old."
Sydal continued, stating that there's no rush with guys like Ricochet:
"I just think there's there's really no rush with these guys as long as you're working and you're performing in front of the crowd, there's no difference to me between if you're the first match or the last match," Sydal stated. "It's more important that you're in front of the audience. It's not necessarily as important that you're the top actor. You're booked in some crazy way where you never take a loss.
Matt Sydal believes that Ricochet's time will eventually come and when the time is right, WWE will put a title on him:
"But in WWE, Ricochet, he's gonna get fed and fed and fed, but then eventually, it'll behis time to eat. And he's the kind of guy who can fight through these times like really get a really strong grassroots following that will support him. When that time comes when they're like, 'oh, we could put the title on him,' and then his fandom will essentially assault the office. And then, they'll have no choice, as they did with Daniel Bryan, but to just give him the ball and let them run with it."
Does a 'slow burn' help superstars like Ricochet?
In the case of stars like Ricochet, fans often seek a character they can relate to. In most situations, it takes years for this to build and fans like to witness the journey of superstars that makes it feel as though they earned where they are.
Ricochet was never going to be a World Champion within a year. It may still take a few years for him, but the potential is evident.