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EXCLUSIVE: Ricochet Gives First Interview Since Debuting For AEW

Ricochet is ready to have fun in All Elite Wrestling.

Steven Muelhausen

Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

Familarity is a thing wrestlers are fond of. They want to be with their friends and perhaps, most importantly, have fun.

The latter is the name of the game for Ricochet, who debuted in All Elite Wrestling on Sunday's AEW All In 2024 as a participant in the Casino Battle Royale Gauntlet match. Watching the dazzling high flyer soar in the London air onto wrestlers like Christian Cage and Kazuchika Okada was a sight AEW fans were looking to see for quite sometime.

Shortly after the event, the company announced Ricochet would have his first televised match on Wednesday's edition of AEW Dynamite against Kyle Fletcher. In the main event of the show, Ricochet won his debut bout. Afterwards, Will Ospreay came out and before the new International Champion could talk, he was attacked from behind by PAC.

What does the future hold for Ricochet in AEW?

The 35-year-old gave his first interview since leaving WWE and signing with AEW to The Takedown. He details what led to his decision to come to AEW and who he could be stepping inside the ring with in the near future.

(Editor's note: This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

The Takeover: Is it weird hearing that you’re an AEW superstar?

Ricochet: No, actually, it doesn't really. It may be because it already feels like a home for me. I've already known most of the roster for most of my career already, so that has a lot to do with it. But it doesn't sound weird at all to me. It feels normal, oddly.

The Takeover: I ask because there was a video that came out on Twitter, and you were backstage before you came out for All In, and you were nervous. You could tell you were nervous, and the butterflies were there.

Ricochet (interrupts): Oh yeah.

The Takedown: When was the last time you were that nervous before a match? 

Ricochet: The last time I was nervous for a match was when I wrestled Rey Mysterio at Lucha Underground. That was the last time I was nervous for a match. This one was more, I mean, nervous, but it was exciting butterflies too. Like, it wasn't necessarily nerves. I've never been there, and I've been out for a while. I felt like it would be good, but there's still a little feeling there. But it was more exciting. I mean, it's more exciting. At the moment, it might feel like it's nerves, but it's the excitement, I think, taking over.

The Takedown: We’ll reverse it. When was the last time you were that excited?

Ricochet: I can't even remember. It's been a while since I felt that way. Being backstage, about to walk out by myself. It's been a while since I've felt like that. I said it was a weird feeling, being that excited about something specifically like that. It's just me. So that was pretty cool.

The Takeover: Why is that? 

Ricochet: I don't know. I think it was just a new environment. I've not been doing the same thing, but I've kind of, I guess, maybe plateaued or something, I think, for the last couple of years. It's a change of environment, a change of scenery, a change of basically everything that I've been doing for the last couple of years. You're going to feel that way. You will feel that way whether you're here, there, or anywhere. But I'm sure the first time I go to Japan, I'm going to feel that I'm going to feel that way. The first time I go somewhere else, it will be exciting. 

The Takedown: Why did you leave WWE to go to AEW?

Ricochet: Honestly, the biggest reason is that I've been doing this for a long time, 21 years this year. 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. 

Ricochet
WORCESTER - WWE star Ricochet stands upon the top rope looking to make a move on \"WWE Friday Night SmackDown\" at the DCU Center, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Wwesmackdown Tg 22 / Photo/Dylan Azari / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Takedown: How hard of a decision was this for you? 

Ricochet: It was definitely a big decision, but honestly, yes and no. Obviously, yes it was hard because it's a place I've been for the last six years. of I've met. 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.

The Takedown: Everyone has already been talking about dream matches, and fans are saying, ‘We want to see you with this. We want to see you with this’. Everyone is excited about the potential of you and Will Ospreay. MJF, Swerve (Strickland), Bryan Danielson. There's plenty of fish in the ocean for you to get inside the ring with. We saw a tease with Ospreay until PAC came out. 

Ricochet: PAC is a guy with whom I have a lot of unfinished business. He and I, our past, and in Japan, we've had a crazy past. He's beat me a bunch. I beat him a bunch. That's something that's going to be rekindled too. Honestly, if you remember, before Ricochet and Ospreay, it was Ricochet and PAC lighting the world on fire. I haven't forgotten about him; obviously, he hasn't forgotten about me because you saw what happened. 

The Takedown: Is there anyone else that you're like, ‘This is going to be fun’?. 

Ricochet: You just literally named them earlier. Honestly, Kyle Fletcher, he was a guy, I've been wanting to get in there and get hands on. The list can go on. There are so many more options. It's wild.

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Steven Muelhausen

STEVEN MUELHAUSEN

: Steven Muehlhausen is a veteran combat sports writer for various outlets including Sporting News and Yahoo Sports. He can be reached at stevemuehlhausen@yahoo.com and followed on Twitter @SMuehlhausenJr.

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