WrestleMania 40 is a loaded show, so they held the annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the go-home SmackDown episode.

The 10th annual Andre the Giant Battle Royal was the first match on this week’s episode of SmackDown. The Wells Fargo Center was pumped to get things going. In the end, Bronson Reed won the big match to kick off WrestleMania weekend the right way from the big man from Australia.

Bronson Reed, Omos and Ricochet received special entrances, while all the other Superstars were in the ring already. Omos made his way to the ring last, and he had MVP with him.

Andrade, Ricochet, Chad Gable, Bronson Reed, Shinsuke Nakamura, Omos, Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, Ivar, Akira Tozawa, Otis, JD McDonagh, Apollo Crews, Veer, Sanga, Cameron Grimes, Kit Wilson, Elton Prince, Ashante Adonis, and Cedric Alexander were some of the participants in the match.

AND THEN THERE WERE 4!!!! ?

Who will cement their legacy as the winner of the 2024 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal? ?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/lfaxoyGAhB

— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2024

In the end, Bronson Reed and Ivar were the two final contestants. The two battled as fans chanted “meat.” Ivar missed a moonsault from the top rope, and then Reed nailed a rolling senton before clotheslining him over the top rope to secure the win.

BRONSON REED WINS THE ANDRE THE GIANT BATTLE ROYAL #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/oPccreNbWH

— s e t h (@futurafreesky) April 6, 2024

Previous Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Winners

Bronson Reed’s name now joins a list of former winners, some of them are future WWE Hall of Famers.

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner list includes a few notable names. Sadly, the big win doesn’t always translate into a massive push. Past winners include: Cesaro, Big Show, Baron Corbin, Mojo Rawley, Matt Hardy, Braun Strowman, Jey Uso, Madcap Moss, and Bobby Lashley.

The Rock’s return to WWE caused some fans to unleash fury online. They are not happy at all about how Cody Rhodes lost his spot to Dwayne Johnson, and, while he is a constant Cody Rhodes supporter, Ricochet is speaking out about this.

Ricochet Speaks Out

Initially expected to be in the main event of WrestleMania 40 against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal championship, Cody Rhodes shifted gears on a recent episode of SmackDown, opting to bring out The Rock instead, passing the torch for that WrestleMania main event match. Now Roman Reigns is in for a showdown with The Rock instead. 

This decision sparked a strong reaction from the Internet Wrestling community, with overwhelming support for Rhodes and negative comments directed at The Rock and WWE. This was noticed by everyone, and WWE even realizes that fans aren’t happy. The match with Rock is on now, and that’s not changing. Ricochet had to speak out after seeing his timeline full of disgruntled fans.

Taking note of the situation, Ricochet shared his perspective on social media. While acknowledging himself as Cody Rhodes’ supporter, he labeled the Internet Wrestling Community as a toxic space. This is something he said he saw amplified in recent memory.

First, let me say there is no bigger Cody supporter than me, ask @SamanthaTheBomb

2nd, you guys have shown me how truly toxic the IWC is haha

First, let me say there is no bigger Cody supporter than me, ask @SamanthaTheBomb

2nd, you guys have shown me how truly toxic the IWC is haha

— Ricochet (@KingRicochet) February 4, 2024

Ricochet then sent out a second tweet a short time later, one where he made things very clear about how he feels about The Rock taking Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania spot.

To clear the record…
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…#WeWantCody

— Ricochet (@KingRicochet) February 4, 2024

WWE Won’t Be Changing Their Plans

Although fans may want to cry out for a change, that is not happening. Now, it is The Rock vs Roman Reigns. As I previously noted, I was told that there is “no chance in hell” that they’ll give that match back to Cody Rhodes. That exact wording was used, but unlike Vince McMahon’s regime, who was known to make calls along this line, the fact is that The Rock is behind this as a massive power play. 

WWE Superstar Ricochet believes that people should stop and think before leaping to assumptions after Samantha Irvin changed one of her entrance announcements. 

Irvin, who is Ricochet’s fiancee, joined WWE a few years ago and has impressed as an announcer. At this year’s WrestleMania 39, Irvin announced Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes for their Undisputed WWE Universal Championship main event on Night Two. After previously announcing for WWE NXT, 205 Live, and SmackDown, Irvin was moved to Raw during this year’s WWE Draft. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0RqArr-9Y0

Ricochet Reacts to Reports

Part of what has made Irvin a favorite among fans is her unique approach to announcing certain Superstars. On the latest episode of Raw, however, Irvin gave a much more tamed-down announcement of Chelsea Green compared to what fans have heard from her. A WWE higher-up made the call for Irvin’s bubbly announcement of Green to be nixed and while some have pushed for its return, that hasn’t happened yet. 

Taking to Twitter, Ricochet said that fans should “let things play out” and added that people should “stop making assumptions.” The former Intercontinental Champion added that “we all just want the best for everyone.”

I believe everyone should just let things play put and stop making assumptions. We all just want the best for everyone ?? https://t.co/rGYsF9tF4M

— Ricochet (@KingRicochet) December 23, 2023

If Samantha Irvin is allowed to bring her inflection for Green’s entrance back, it won’t be on tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. Instead, tonight’s show will be a best-of-2023 compilation featuring some of the most exciting matches from Raw over the past 12 months. 

Samantha Irvin dreamed of being compared to Lillian Garcia, now it happens every day. Click here to find out more. 

Ricochet is still a featured star for WWE, but no matter how hard he tries, he can’t make everyone happy. It’s a good thing that he has a positive outlook and is able to handle critics like a true professional.

One fan responded to a question on X asking whether Ricochet has a WWE World Title shot in his future. This critical fan simply said, “He needs a lot of work on the mic.”

Ricochet saw this fan’s critique on his performance. That caused him to throw out a very short reply, one where he also corrected this fan’s point.

I think you mean “opportunity” on the mic.

Ricochet will keep going, and he’s not going to let a critical fan keep him down. At this point, he is going to take every opportunity he can, especially if that means he gets to cut a promo.

I think you mean "opportunity" on the mic. https://t.co/YTCaGRCRln

— Ricochet (@KingRicochet) December 11, 2023

What’s next for Ricochet in WWE?

After recovering from a recent concussion issue, Ricochet is cleared to compete once again. He will close out 2023 as an active competitor, but next year could be important for him.

Fightful reported that Ricochet’s WWE contract is up in 2024. At this time, we have not heard that he has inked a new deal. WWE has a lot of contracts running up in the next twelve months, so working out a new deal for Ricochet is one contract that they need to negotiate along the way.

WWE hasn’t given Ricochet a ton of time on the microphone, but he did get to cut some promos as he faced Logan Paul in their recent program through SummerSlam. It will be interesting to see what is next for him, but the One And Only is more than ready for any challenge ahead of him.

What’s your take on Ricochet’s response to this critical fan? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media! 

Ricochet and Samantha Irwin are set to become man and wife as the two are engaged to be married. 

Ricochet took to his Instagram account to share the news when he posted three photos. He included a photo of the ring, one of him proposing and one of them kissing. Congratulations to the happy couple. 

The Engagement

“She said YES! When you find that one person. The one person that when you close your eyes you could never visualize life without them… you keep them close to your heart. Now we are closer than ever. @samanthairvinwwe I love you so much,” Ricochet wrote in the caption.

Irvin works for WWE as a ring announcer and correspondent. 

Ricochet is best known for his time with various Japanese promotions before joining WWE, including Dragon Gate and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). In Lucha Underground, Ricochet competed as Prince Puma, becoming the first person to win the Lucha Underground title twice.

Ricochet found success in NXT in 2018 after signing with WWE. Ricochet began making appearances on the main roster in February 2019. Last year, he would go on to capture the Intercontinental Championship, making him the first wrestler to hold the United States, Intercontinental, and North American Championships.

Ricochet teamed up with Braun Strowman to compete in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight against Imperium during the December 23rd edition of WWE SmackDown.

The main event featured cameos from a ballerina as well as The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods both of which emerged from a gift.

The ending of the bout saw Strowman reviving Ricochet with a kiss from his real life girlfriend Samantha Irwin. The duo then defeated Imperium after Ricochet hit a crossbody off Strowman’s shoulders.

Ricochet Shows Graphic Injury

While the high-flying star did win the match it was revealed later that he suffered an injury. The former IC champion’s head was split open during the bout. While he was able to finish the match, the officials checked on him afterward.

The SmackDown star provided an update on his health on Twitter after the pre-taped show. He shared some graphic photos of the injury and revealed that he received six stitches from the cut:

Ricochet has been involved in a feud with Gunther over the IC title recently. He won the SmackDown World Cup to earn a shot at the championship. Though he was unable to capture the title when he faced the Ring General earlier this month.

• Ricochet on Earning Braun Strowman’s Respect During Their SmackDown World Cup Match

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle may be retired, but the Olympian is ready to make a return to the ring with the right opponent.

Angle returned to WWE in 2017 after a near-eleven-year absence and competed in a handful of matches in that time.

The Olympic Gold Medalist last competed at WrestleMania 35 in a loss to Baron Corbin.

One More Match

Despite it being years since Angle’s most recent match, the former WWE World Champion has never been shy about teasing a return.

Speaking on the most recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Angle said he would have to work with a younger talent to ‘carry’ him through a match at WrestleMania.

“I’m not that stupid. So I’m going to make sure it’s a young guy because I’m a little bit older. I lost a little bit of a step. I would have to say someone like AJ Styles or Ricochet, I really liked that kid. I think I would have an incredible match with him.”

Kurt Angle.

While Angle and Styles faced off several times in TNA/Impact Wrestling, the Olympian has yet to face off with the One and Only.

Braun Strowman

It wasn’t just Ricochet and Styles that Angle had praise for, as he also highlighted the career of Braun Strowman.

The Olympian also named the Monster Among Men as someone he’d love to wrestle again if he returned to the ring.

“He is so athletic for his size. He reminds me a lot of Brock Lesnar with his athleticism. He’s not as athletic as Brock, he’s pretty close.”

Kurt Angle.

Strowman was released from WWE in June of last year and returned to WWE TV this past September.

h/t – eWrestlingNews

Ricochet’s pushes may have been stop-and-start, but there’s no denying the high-flyer’s ability in the ring.

After establishing himself on the independents, Ricochet signed with WWE in January 2018 and debuted for NXT as part of the front-row at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia that same month.

The One and Only is the first (and to date, only) person to hold the NXT North American Championship, Raw’s United States Championship and SmackDown’s Intercontinental Championship.

Complete

While Ricochet has had the occasional push in WWE, he is part of a stacked roster, and often finds himself being overlooked for other stars.

Speaking on the latest episode of WWE After the Bell, Ricochet wasn’t afraid to tout his accomplishments and called himself the most complete name on the roster.

“You look at your Austin Theorys and you look at all these guys who look the part as the complete all-around package. But when you get me in there, there is really no one as complete as me.

“there is really no one as complete as me.”

Ricochet.

“I know I’m not as strong as Bobby Lashley, but I can still squat 400-plus pounds. I’m probably not as fast as some of these guys, but I’m just as fast if not faster than almost everybody else. If you’re looking for a complete package, especially in that ring. Don’t look any further than Ricochet.”

Mental Games

Because he is often overlooked, Ricochet can go weeks, or even months, sat backstage in catering.

Speaking about waiting to be used, Ricochet explained how getting in your own head can often prove to be as difficult as anything in the ring.

“There’s always a physical game that you have to play, and then there’s a mental game you have to play. That’s with any business, with any high-class thing you’re trying to do. Going out there and doing the actual matches and all the physical parts of it, of course, that’s going to be work.

“But a lot of it is backstage. It’s biding the right time, it’s waiting for your moment, your opportunity. Or in some cases, creating your moment. Creating your opportunity. Asking the right people. That’s also work, because it’s taxing on your mind, because you get to thinking about your past, and your future. It’s a lot of mental exhaustion sometimes.”

Ricochet recently won the WWE SmackDown World Cup Tournament, defeating Mustafa Ali and Braun Strowman before beating Santos Escobar in the finals.

The One and Only will challenge Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, who won the title from Ricochet in June, on tonight’s SmackDown.

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

Braun Strowman and Ricochet were opponents on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX, but proved to be formidable allies after the show.

During the show, Ricochet got a huge win over Strowman to advance to the finals of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament.

Ricochet, representing the United States, will face Santos Escobar (Mexico) in the finals on next week’s show, with the winner earning a title match against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER.

After SmackDown

Ricochet’s win over Strowman was far from clean, as GUNTHER and Imperium were at ringside and ensured that Braun did not win the match.

After the match, Imperium attacked Strowman, and while at first conflicted, Ricochet made the save on the man he had previously beaten.

Once SmackDown went off the air, Braun and Ricochet teamed up to face Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Despite their differences on TV, Strowman and Ricochet got the win to send the crowd home happy.

Punishment?

Strowman’s loss came as a shock to some fans, but it may have been more than just WWE’s creative plans that caused this booking decision.

After losing to Ricochet, his first loss since returning to WWE in early September, fans online speculated that this was a punishment for the former Universal Champion.

Strowman earned considerable heat with fans and wrestlers after his ‘flippy floppy’ comments on Twitter, in which he mocked indie wrestling and wrestlers.

It has been reported that while Strowman has been nothing but good at WWE events ‘Social Media Braun’ has proven to be a problem for WWE’s higher-ups.

Ricochet squared off against Braun Strowman tonight in the semifinals of the SmackDown World Cup.

Braun Strowman was the heavy favorite in the matchup and controlled the majority of the action. However, the Monster of All Monsters became distracted by Intercontinental Champion Gunther making his way to the ring.

Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci of Imperium hopped on the ring apron but Braun fought them off. Ricochet was able to capitalize on the distraction and rolled Strowman up for the pinfall victory. Imperium attacked Braun after the match but Ricochet ran back to the ring for the save. Ricochet and Strowman shook hands and posed in the ring after the match.

Ricochet on Wanting Braun Strowman’s Respect, the Importance of the IC Title

Ricochet sat down with Cathy Kelley in a WWE Digital Exclusive after SmackDown went off the air. Braun Strowman sent out a controversial tweet after defeating Omos at WWE Crown Jewel. In boasting about the victory, Braun mocked smaller wrestlers and their “flippy” style. Ricochet, Mustafa Ali, and other professional wrestlers responded to the tweet.

During the interview, Ricochet revealed that it was important for him to get Braun to respect him tonight in their SmackDown World Cup match.

“I was going to go into this match no matter what to make sure that Braun Strowman respected me at least,” said Ricochet. “He can think what he wants, he has his own opinions, but I was going to come in tonight, knowing very well that as soon as we leave this match he is going to respect me. Of course, it wasn’t my idea to have Imperium come out, and obviously, it wasn’t because they beat me up.”

Ricochet also discussed his opponent in the SmackDown World Cup finals next week, Santos Escobar. He noted that they have a history before WWE and he is excited to bring their rivalry to the fans. Ricochet added that winning the Intercontinental Championship back from Gunther represents a chance to redeem himself.

“It means the world. It means everything to me. It was devastating when I lost it. So that is another key motivating factor behind all of this. It is not just to win for America, to win the SmackDown World Cup, and to just win in general for Ricochet. Because we know Ricochet’s past, this hasn’t been the best couple of years for him so this is a chance for me to redeem myself and show that I belong here,” he added.

H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

Braun Strowman’s controversial tweets did not go unnoticed during this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX.

Earlier this month, Strowman took aim at independent wrestling and mocked smaller, more athletic wrestlers, which he called “flippy floppy” wrestlers.

This earned the backlash of fans and wrestlers alike, with Jeff Jarrett calling the former Universal Champion “naive” and EC3 calling his CYN co-founder “idiotic.”

When confronted by others, including Will Ospreay, Strowman would backtrack on his comments, claiming he has “mad respect” for all wrestlers and that it was just a joke.

SmackDown

On SmackDown, Strowman had a backstage segment where he was confronted by Ricochet, one of many high-flying Superstars in WWE who made their name on the indies.

Promoting their match next week, the One and Only warned Strowman not to underestimate him and referenced the tweet.

“I know you’re not one for big thinking. You’re looking way too far into the future because if you keep looking past these ‘flippy flipper’, your words not mine, it might come back to bite you.”

Ricochet.

Strowman and Ricochet, both representing the United States, will face off next week in a SmackDown World Cup Tournament semi-finals match.

Heat

Strowman may insist that he was just kidding with his comments, but it appears the damage has been done.

Fightful report that while Braun has been on his best behavior when at WWE events, his only presence, dubbed “social media Braun” is another story.

WWE management is said to be well aware of Braun’s recent comments that caused so much ire, and Fightful adds that this was not part of any storyline.

During SmackDown, Michael Cole teased that next week he would elaborate on what Strowman said on social media.

Could Will Ospreay step through the Forbidden Door and compete against some of WWE’s biggest stars?

Ospreay is currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling and is in his first reign as IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.

In June this year, Ospreay made his debut for AEW and defended his title against Orange Cassidy at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event.

Stepping Through the Forbidden Door

In addition to New Japan and AEW, Ospreay has competed for Progress Wrestling, Rev Pro, and Ring of Honor, among other promotions.

Ospreay has yet to compete in a WWE ring, but as he told Tokyo Sports, it is something he’s considering.

“I’ve been approached by them, so I have a lot to think about.”

Will Ospreay.

This year has seen WWE work more with other promotions, including having Impact’s Mickie James at the Women’s Royal Rumble match in January.

AEW stars were allowed to appear on Raw in June to mark the 20th anniversary of John Cena’s debut, and it is reported that the Good Brothers will compete for NJPW up until Wrestle Kingdom in January.

Opponents

If Ospreay does compete for WWE, there’s no shortage of potential Superstars for him to face.

In the interview, Ospreay discussed possible opponents, including a first-ever match and reuniting with an old foe.

“I’ve mentioned Seth Rollins’ name many times… Also, considering my history, it would be a dream to fight Ricochet again. I think that because I think we have become completely different wrestlers than when we fought in the past.”

Ricochet and Ospreay have faced off a total of 13 times according to Cagematch, which their most recent bout being in August 2017.

Translation for interview provided by Google Translate

AEW World Trios Champion Rey Fenix is set to battle AR Fox tonight on AEW Dark.

AR Fox is a veteran wrestler on the independent scene, and spent years in Lucha Underground as well as Dragon Gate, and Evolve. Rey Fenix is currently a Trios Champion with Death Triangle (PAC & Pentagon JR).

Fox took to Twitter to hype his match tonight against the Trios Champion.

Former Intercontinental Champion and WWE SmackDown star Ricochet responded and and claimed that the wrestling world wasn’t ready for the match.

Ricochet recently dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Gunther. After two successful title defenses against Sheamus, The Ring General is set to defend the title against Rey Mysterio this Friday night on WWE SmackDown.

Bayley & Saraya React to Interview on AEW Dynamite

Saraya, fka as Paige in WWE, arrived in All Elite Wrestling at Dynamite: Grand Slam. The crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted as the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion made her way to the ring. Saraya debuted as Britt Baker, Rebel, Jamie Hayter, and Serena Deeb were attacking AEW Interim Women’s Champion Toni Storm. Her shocking arrival led the heels to retreat.

On last week’s episode of Dynamite, Renee Paquette was about to interview Saraya when Britt Baker interrupted. The two started shouting at each other and Renee put an end to it. Renee yelled that if they wanted to do this they were going to have to do it properly and Britt walked away. It was announced by AEW that Saraya and Britt Baker will have a full interview with Renee on this Wednesday’s show.

After the segment, Saraya posted on social media that Renee basically to them to shut up and she loves “spicy Renee”. Bayley responded that it looked like Renee was in a bit of a pickle. The Anti-Diva then joked that Renee needs some “damage control”, Bayley currently leads the Damage CTRL faction in WWE.

WWE Superstar Ricochet is excited for the future of NXT after the changes teased for the show on the latest episode.

This week’s NXT 2.0 marked the one-year anniversary of the show’s relaunch in September 2021, which was met with a hostile response by fans at the time. The latest episode ended with the NXT 2.0 fading into a black and gold design, which many have seen as the return of the original NXT.

Ricochet knows all about NXT, having joined the brand in early 2018 before his call-up the following year. Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports, Ricochet shared his views on the revamp, and is excited for the future.

“NXT 2.0 was trying something new, trying something different. I think it was just so sudden, so quick, that people didn’t get a chance to really adjust. That was the biggest aspect whatever you thought of it.

“But now I think it changing again, not back to what it was, but to something different, something that I feel like will be better… and it really might start be something bigger. Who knows? But I think it’s so cool to be thinking about the future.”

Making History

Ricochet has been with WWE for under five years, but has already made it into the proverbial ‘history books.’

Earlier this year, the high-flyer captured the Intercontinental Championship, making him the first (and only person) to hold that title, the United States Title, and the NXT North American Championship.

Ricochet explained how he wasn’t even aware of the accolade until it was pointed out.

“That was something that I was really unaware of until on Twitter, I found out. Someone posted it and I was like “Oh wow! I guess so!” But that’s awesome. Especially being organic and natural, not being something we planned, make it even better.”

Making it into WWE’s history books is extra special for the ‘One and Only,’ who opened up about thinking he’d never make it to WWE.

“Somebody, who didn’t even get into wrestling because they didn’t think they’d ever be in the WWE because they’re so small. So to now be in the history of books as far as that goes, and I feel like I have a couple more things that can go into the history book as well.”

Presentation

Ricochet’s Intercontinental Championship lasted under 100 days before he was dethroned by Gunther, and the One and Only missed out on competing at WrestleMania.

At the time, fans criticized WWE’s treatment of both the IC and U.S. Titles, which have both been featured more prominently in recent weeks.

Speaking about the WWE main roster mid-card titles, Ricochet spoke about the post-Vince McMahon era and the importance of presentation.

“I think just presentation of the championships has always been important to me. Around ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 like it was all about the champion.

“I think there will probably be you know more light on those which I think will help viewers watch it a little better and understand okay they’re going after that. So I think it’s all going to be perceived it’s going to be a great product.”

Ricochet added that “everyone” is thinking up new ideas as part of the new creative direction for the promotion.

Please credit Steve Fall with a link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes from this article.

Ricochet wants to go back to WWE NXT. The former black-and-yellow brand has seen an influx of main roster WWE stars. Names like AJ Styles and Natalya have appeared on the brand and Ricochet says he wants to do the same.

Ricochet signed with WWE in 2018 and would go on to become the NXT North American Champion in the same year. He started appearing on both the main roster brands Raw and SmackDown Live in early 2019. He teamed up with Aleister Black to win the fourth annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

After WrestleMania 35, Ricochet moved to the main roster and won the United States and the Intercontinental titles. He is the current IC Champion in his first reign.

In a recent interview with Cultaholic, Ricochet said that he is open to an NXT return. He mentioned AJ Styles and Natalya appearing on the show who seem to be having a great time there. Ricochet also mentioned Carmelo Hayes. They both have heat with each other as they have taken shots at each other on social media.

Answering the question of whether he would like to go back to NXT, Ricochet said, “AJ went back and now Nattie’s down there and all these guys are going back down there and it seems like they’re having a great time. Me and Carmelo [Hayes] had a thing. If Carmelo wants the heat, he can have it but whoever it is I would love to go down there. That’s always been a home of mine so, any time.”

A while ago, Ricochet sent out a friendly reminder for rude fans. He sent a stern message to fans telling them that he would send fans away if they bother him to get multiple things signed at the wrong time, like 4 am in the morning at a hotel, for example.

Ricochet will be not be featured on tonight’s (April 8) episode of SmackDown.

The WWE Intercontinental Champion has taken to his Twitter account to reveal that he won’t be inside the Finserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. He explained why in his posts:

“A champion not only defends his title in the ring, he defends & protects his family. Thank you, WWE for giving this champion some time to spend with my son this weekend. After whooping Los Lotharios on Wrestlemania Smackdown, some R&R with MY champ is exactly what I need.

“Your Intercontinental Champ won’t be at Smackdown today, but I will be back next week, better than ever!”

Ricochet captured the WWE Intercontinental Title on the March 4 episode of SmackDown. He pinned Sami Zayn off a distraction from Johnny Knoxville.

Ricochet didn’t appear at WrestleMania 38 but he was in action on April 1 for what was billed as “WrestleMania SmackDown.” He successfully defended the IC Title against Angel and Humberto in a triple threat match.

The life of a celebrity can be a bit tough, especially when you’re out. You could be enjoying your time with friends or co-workers, or just relaxing and need some time away from all the attention, and the next thing you know you are bombarded by fans wanting you to take pictures with them and sign things for them.

It could be especially bothersome to deal with when you’re about to exit a hotel or are at the check in area of an airport at 4 am in the morning, and it seems like that’s exactly what Ricochet has experienced.

Most fans know to respect their favorite wrestler’s boundaries when they see them outside. Unfortunately, however, there’s always the few who don’t know of the phrase “to be in the right place and the right time”.

Ricochet took to Twitter earlier to send a stern message to fans, telling them that he would be the first to say no when fans approach him to get multiple things signed (probably to sell them off at eBay later) at 4 am in the morning at hotels or airports.

“Let me be clear. If you and a group of people are waiting in the lobby of my hotel, or in the check in area at the airport at 4-5am (sometimes earlier) in the morning, to ask for multiple autographs, is such an invasion of privacy. I will be the FIRST person to say no.”

Ricochet did add that it’s totally okay to approach him and chat when he is out and about someplace else. He just wants to set a boundary regarding approaching him near the place he’s staying and hoarding him at the check in area of the airport.

“However, If you happen to see me out & about somewhere please come say hi & chat! I love interacting, just don’t wait in the lobby of where we are staying. Don’t wait & hoard us in the check in areas at the airport etc. Treat us with respect and respect is what you will receive.”

Ricochet is the current WWE Intercontinental Champion but things have been shaky for him in WWE. This past week on SmackDown, Ricochet lost to both Angel and Humberto in consecutive matches. He appeared on this week’s Raw to face Austin Theory. He lost again, in under two minutes. This has been his third loss since last Friday. He is set to face Humberto and Angel in a triple threat match this SmackDown, and he may not eve n make it to WrestleMania.

Ricochet sent out a tweet following his Intercontinental TItle win that revealed that he was “half-blind” for a majority of the match.

Ricochet’s Intercontinental Title Win

On the March 4 edition of SmackDown, Ricochet won the Intercontinental Championship for the first time. He took on Sami Zayn in the first match of the night. Zayn lost mainly due to a distraction by Jackass star Johnny Knoxville. 

This was a very quick title run seeing as Sami Zayn only held the title for 13 days. Zayn only defeated the former champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, on the February 11 episode of SmackDown.

Ricochet Wrestled A Majority Of The Title Match ‘Half-Blind’

In a post on Twitter the next day, Ricochet opened up about his title win. The IC Champion responded to a fan and said that he lost a contact during the match which left him mostly blind.

The tweet reads: “Speaking of contacts. My right contact came out really early in last nights battle. So I had was half blind for 3/4 of it.”

He also went on to add more about his visual acuity. He followed up the first tweet by saying, “-5.25 vision btw.”

According to Cagematch, the match lasted 8 minutes and 20 seconds. If you were to do the calculations, that would mean that Ricochet was wrestling ‘half-blind’ for about 6 minutes and 15 seconds; give or take that is of course. 

Many fans have been critical of how WWE has used Ricochet in recent times despite his popularity. It appears that things may change for the high flyer in coming times.

Mike Johnson of PWinsider recently provided some update on the backstage assessment of the former champion. He noted the following about how the One and Only is seen by the officials:

“We have had some readers ask why Ricochet got such a big push last week. There’s a very good explanation for that. Currently, he’s slated as the number two singles babyface for the entire Smackdown brand internally.”

Former WWE champion Drew McIntyre is obviously the #1 babyface of the blue brand’s roster. Johnson also interestingly noted that The New Day and Shinsuke Nakamura are internally listed as part of the tag team division.

• Ricochet Explains Why He Won’t Entertain Heel Turn Right Now

Ricochet picked up a big victory over Sheamus on last week’s SmackDown. He used the Recoil to pin the former world champion despite distractions from Ridge Holland.

Now the big question is if we can expect to see this win turn into a push for the former North American champion. What WWE has planned for him for WrestleMania will be a good indication of what to expect in future.

Don’t expect Ricochet to turn heel at the moment.

Ricochet has been on the WWE roster since 2018. He captured the NXT North American Title before eventually being called up to the main roster.

Fans got to witness Ricochet win the WWE United States Championship on the Raw brand. He only held onto the title for 21 days.

Ricochet Can Turn Heel But Won’t Anytime Soon

“The Future of Flight” was a guest on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. During the session, Ricochet said he doesn’t feel it’s the right time to break away from the babyface role.

“In PWG, being the bad guy was kind of my bread & butter there for years. That’s where I kind of got my popularity” “So if I need to be a bad guy, we all know that I can be a bad guy if I need to be but right now, I don’t think I need to be.”

Ricochet also said that he likes feeding off the energy of the crowd. He also likes stepping up in the underdog role against bigger superstars to prove he belongs.

Supporters of Ricochet have been calling for WWE to utilize him in a more prominent role. He has shined in Money In The Bank ladder matches and NXT showdowns with the likes of Adam Cole and Pete Dunne but he hasn’t been able to grab the brass ring.

H/T to Wrestling Purists for the quotes

Ricochet grew up admiring D Generation X and he got to work with both Shawn Michaels and Triple H closely behind the scene in NXT. Though he missed out on a dream opportunity to work with them on air due to an elbow injury. The one and only recently made an appearance on the With Authority! podcast. He discussed things such as being part of a special class of Michaels during his NXT days and more.

Ricochet also recalled the time when he was supposed to be part of a DX segment on Raw. However, he had to be pulled from the show on the day of the event itself because of an elbow infection:

“One time I had a bursa sac in my elbow had busted and it was pretty swollen, Well then, I guess that got infected so they had to cut it open to get the infection out. It was the day of the Raw and I was supposed to do something with D-Generation X, and I was supposed to do the cross chops and say ‘we’ve got two words for you.’ It was going to be a childhood dream. And they were like, ‘no, you can’t go out.’”

Ricochet Doesn’t Blame The Medical Staff

While Ricochet did not get to fulfill his childhood dream, he doesn’t blame the medical staff for it. He admitted that it was for his own good:

“It was for my own good because obviously, I could’ve gotten more infected or could’ve infected someone else. I was just like ‘no, no no!’ I was so defeated, but the WWE medical staff is A+. Everybody is there for you.”

The high-flying star signed with WWE back in January 2018. He won the NXT North American championship once before moving to the main roster in February 2019. Though many feel that his main roster run has been very lackluster.

Ricochet knows that he’s not been as active as he’d like to be on WWE TV.

When Ricochet signed with WWE back in 2018, there was plenty of hype around it. Many fans fantasized about the potential matchups. Ricochet certainly had a solid run on the NXT brand. He ended up becoming the North American Champion and had heavily praised matches with Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano.

Ricochet’s run on the main roster wasn’t exactly terrible at first. He captured the United States Championship and challenged Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. Of course, the match with Lesnar ended up being a squash and he hasn’t exactly been relevant on WWE TV since.

During an appearance on the With Authority! podcast, Ricochet said that he’s waiting in the wings to do something special.

“That’s exactly what I’m here waiting on right now. I haven’t been doing much for the last five weeks. But that’s because I’ve been waiting, biding my time, waiting for the right moment. I’m super excited for the draft. I don’t really have a specific brand I’m hoping to be on. For me it’s just wherever I land, I know in that moment that I’ve got to make an impact, wherever I’m at. People all the time are telling me ‘I want to see you! I want to see you!’ I get that a lot. So I’m just waiting for my opportunity to strike I guess.”

Ricochet currently competes on the Monday Night Raw brand but that could change tonight (Oct. 4). The second night of the WWE draft will take place and Ricochet is eligible to be drafted to SmackDown.

Ricochet has made some interesting changes to his gear recently. The One and Only has ditched his wrestling trunks in favor of a pair of jeans.

The former NXT star talked about a number of things during his recent interview on Table Talk and explained the reasoning behind the change in his ring gear.

Ricochet mentioned how the tradition in Japan calls for young wrestlers to start with black trunks and work their way up to a gear. This change helps him get in a mental state to fight:

“I just stripped away all the….not flash, I don’t want to say flash. I just set a goal. In Japan, all the new kids start with black boots and black trunks. You have to work your way up to get gear.

It’s a mental thing. In the ring, I’m more direct and will come at you straight.” said Ricochet, “I’m more in a mental state of; I’m in the ring for business. I’m here to fight,”

• Ricochet Receives Fan Backlash After Tweet About Io Shirai

The former NXT North American champion also talked about a potential match with Sheamus. He wondered if the company will let the US champion compete at the upcoming PPV after his recent gruesome injury.

A match between Ricochet and Sheamus has not been announced for the upcoming Hell In A Cell PPV as of this writing but the company could add the bout before the show this Sunday.

Ricochet got into some hot water with fans and even went viral on Twitter after sharing a message about former NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai while in an exchange with a fan. 

It all started when he responded to a tweet sent out by WWE that asked fans to name the best high-flyer in the company right now. This led to the fan responding and later named Shirai. 

Ricochet then wrote back by stating, “I’m not saying she’s not amazing. She 100% is. But I can do EVERYTHING she can, probably even better. She can’t do what I am capable of, maybe not even half.”

The WWE star deleted the tweet after getting some heated responses from fans. 

For the majority of this year, Ricochet has worked WWE Main Event matches. He started appearing back on main WWE programming when he dropped a non-title loss to WWE United States Champion Sheamus on Sunday’s WrestleMania Backlash Kickoff pre-show then followed up with another loss to Sheamus on Monday’s Raw. 

On the flip side, Shirai has only been seen once on NXT TV for an interview segment since dropping the NXT Women’s Title to Raquel González at NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver in April. 

Ricochet won’t be leaving WWE anytime soon. While there have been several reports online with various different information regarding his contract situation, Ricochet is locked up to WWE for several years. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Ricochet is under contract with WWE until 2024.

“Ricochet’s contract here expires in the summer of 2024. He signed a five year deal when he moved to the main roster,” wrote Dave Meltzer. The report continues to say that he signed at a time when WWE was offering good deals to keep people from going to AEW.

This is the second time in 4 months that Ricochet has shot down rumors of him leaving WWE. Back in September he posted the following:

Ricochet originally signed with WWE in 2018. Rumors surrounding his contract status began being reported earlier this week. Ricochet commented on them last night and there was an update in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter this morning.

The 32-year-old has been on the main roster since on February 18th, 2019. He is a former United States Champion, and faced Brock Lesnar in Saudi Arabia. While in NXT, he won the NXT North American Championship and the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Classic along with Aleister Black.