Ricochet on WWE counter-programming: ‘AEW is focused on us’
Ricochet commented on WWE counterprogramming AEW in a recent interview.
During Tuesday’s appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ricochet was asked if his social media comments about WWE running shows opposite AEW were part of him “playing heel,” noting that he had previously said he’s often in character online.
“To be honest with you, that’s a little of both,” he responded. “That is a little where is the line drawn? Where is it real, where is it, you know?”
“Every company’s goal is to make the most money possible, that’s the goal of every company, that’s why you make a company. So, you can’t argue against that. But when we feel things are being done in bad faith, that’s when I feel, like, okay then let’s get a little crazy.”
He continued:
“But at the end of the day, I think AEW is in a great spot. I think AEW is focused on us. Now more than ever, I think they’re trying to figure out ways to create new stories and drama and suspense and while keeping it still sports-based, still creating an alternative to what people have known for years.”
Ricochet also spoke about his character change in AEW, saying the plan had always been for him to turn heel, though the creative direction shifted along the way.
“We had other plans with another group. I don’t want to give too much away, but we had other plans before I even debuted. We had a trajectory where I was going to go. But then what happened was so good the way it was going that we stuck with Ricochet just being a solo thing.”
“But the plan was always to shift character and turn,” he added.
Ricochet later said that his character change allows him to get a wider range of responses from the audience.
“We got two decades of Ricochet moments, but they’re mostly physical moments. Now, Ricochet can tap into the other side and get whatever type of emotionala moment out of you, whether it’s funny, whether it’s angry, whether it’s whatever it is.”
Up next for Ricochet in AEW is Saturday’s All Out pay-per-view in Toronto, where he’ll team with Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona against Hurt Syndicate’s Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP. His full appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show is available below:
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.