We’re just days removed from Ricochet officially making the jump from WWE to AEW, surprising thousands with a debut at the promotion’s All In London card on Sunday.
It’s not unusual for wrestlers to switch from one promotion to the other. In fact, Ricochet is joining quite a long list of names to do so in recent years. But the reasoning is not always the same as to why wrestlers change who they get their paycheck from.
The 35-year-old high-flyer recently opened up about his decision to leave WWE for AEW in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s The Takedown. When asked about his decision, Ricochet reflected on how he feels like working in AEW will be similar to the wild globetrotting career he had for roughly a decade before 2018. He found that era of his career fun, and he hopes that satisfaction can return with this next chapter.
“Honestly, the biggest reason is that I’ve been doing this for a long time, 21 years this year,” Ricochet said. “And for me, the time when I was like, having the most fun in my career was when I was, like, traveling the world with those crazy lunatics in the back there. It’s literally the time when I was having the most fun. Despite what people may think, it’s not always been bad for Ricochet. I’ve had fun my entire career, no matter where I went. I’ve always had fun. That’s not going to change. But when I was having the most fun was when I was hanging out with these guys and traveling the world with these guys and having matches with these guys and creating the art that I really like to make for I feel like the Ricochet fans out there who’s been, you know, I guess just missing the opportunity to shine. But for me, it’s to have fun again and to create that art again.”
Was the decision for Ricochet to leave hard? Yes and no, he said.
“Obviously, yes it was hard because it’s a place I’ve been [at] for the last six years. I got some really good connections, some friends, and some good memories there. So it was definitely hard. But at the same time, no, it wasn’t because I am a person who has always changed. I’ve always done stuff, so that’s something that I was looking forward to. And I just saw what AEW was doing. I saw the guys and girls over there and what they were doing, and it just seemed so fun. You want to be a part of it. Now that I’m able to and able to be a part of it and hopefully help move it forward into the next, generation is going to be awesome. So, as hard of a decision as it was, I knew it was the right decision.”
Ricochet’s full interview with Sports Illustrated, including who he wants to work with on the AEW roster, can be read here.
