Ricochet says he never thought he’d make it to WWE: ‘I was just doing it because I liked it’

Ricochet is beaming with confidence as WWE intercontinental champion and he proclaims the be the absolute best between the ropes. There was a time, a long time, when Ricochet did not believe he was even cut out for WWE.

Ricochet captured the intercontinental title from Sami Zayn on March 4, becoming the first superstar to capture all three of WWE’s active secondary titles (along with the U.S. and North American championships). Fans were disappointed when Ricochet did not defend his championship at WrestleMania 38, the biggest annual event in sports entertainment. The amazing aerialist has made a commitment to defend the title at next year’s WrestleMania and soon after logged four scheduled title defenses. That activity level has since tapered off. Ricochet did not compete at WrestleMania Backlash and is not currently on the lineup for Hell in a Cell. When asked what WWE can do to elevate the title, Ricochet’s request was simple.

“Give me a chance to show what I can do,” Ricochet said. “That’s what Ricochet needs. He needs that outlet to show everybody that he is literally the best. When you step into that ring, when you step through those ropes in that 20-by-20 and those four corners, there is nobody [better]. This [Intercontinental title] right here proves that there’s nobody who’s going to outwork him. There’s nobody who’s going to outperform him. There’s literally nobody.

“I don’t care who you pick. I don’t care who your favorite is, who you like the best. That’s great. But there’s nobody that’s going to be better than me. I just need that one chance, that one opportunity. It doesn’t matter if it’s two minutes. It doesn’t matter if it’s 20 minutes. If Ricochet is out there, he’s going to be unforgettable. You’re going to remember him until the next time you see him do something else. I just need that opportunity that I’ve been kind of taken myself, to be honest with you.”

Check out the full interview with Ricochet below.

Ricochet has not always wielded the confidence to proclaim himself the best superstar in WWE. In fact, for a long time, he was convinced that being a WWE superstar was outside the realm of possibility. He made his pro wrestling debut in 2003, but it wasn’t until about 2013 that Ricochet started to see a role for himself in WWE.

“I wanted to be like Rey Mysterio. I wanted to be like those guys. I wanted to be the Rock, even if it was on a smaller scale in someone’s backyard. I wanted to do that,” Ricochet said. “I never thought I would be in the WWE. I was just doing it because I liked it. 2010 is when I started going to Japan, and that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, I can really start making a career out of this.’ And again, I didn’t even think that I would be in the WWE. I was like, ‘I can make a career out of this because there are other places where I can make some money. I’m not going to be in the WWE, but I can still make some money and pay my rent and pay my car payments off of wrestling, which was great. 

“As the landscape of the WWE started to change a little bit — the Balors and the Sami Zayns. Those guys really starting to change how the WWE views their athletes. Those guys are getting success there. And even before that, I started to see it and I’m like, ‘OK, so it might be possible.’ Especially after NXT started, I’m watching the Takeovers and I’m watching all that stuff and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s actually where I want to be. I want to be there. I want to be in NXT at the Takeovers and do those things. When Cesaro and Sami Zayn had their match, when Balor and Samoa Joe were going, Neville and Sami Zayn. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do. That’s why I want to be there.’”

Ricochet had a breakout match against his idol Mysterio in the now-defunct Lucha Underground promotion. Ricochet, competing under the masked guise of Prince Puma, traded aerial assaults with the legend in a cross-generational showdown of one-of-a-kind cruiserweights.

“It was crazy because after the match I went to his the locker room and was just thanking him for everything because that was just a huge, absolute dream match of mine. Not only was it a dream match of mine, but we got to create a masterpiece that we created and we went out there and performed how we wanted it to be,” Ricochet said. “I just wanted to thank him and he was like, ‘We’re going to do this again one day on a bigger scale.’ He already was saying all that stuff. The crazy thing, he was like, ‘Man, I wish you could have met Eddie. Eddie would have loved you.’ That was just right to my heart.

“Once I got here… we got together and we just kind of reminisced like, ‘Man, remember that?’ And now we’re actually here. And now we might actually have a chance to do it. Now we’re here, so we might actually have a chance to do it once again and on a bigger scale. I really, really hope before he is done lacing the boots, that we get a chance to just lock horns again.”