SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Six months ago, I appeared on a 12 Minute Hot Take with Torch editor Wade Keller on the PWTorch YouTube page, making the argument that Ricochet may not necessarily find greener pastures in AEW, which is where he was rumored to land when his WWE contract expired. My hypothesis was that what made Ricochet special as an in-ring performer would be drowned out by the glut of similar style athletes AEW currently employs.
Now that we’re a few months into Ricochet’s AEW run, it’s safe to question his usage in the company. His matches continue to stand out in a positive way, as they always have, and the Continental Classic is a good showcase for him. He’s also been granted a lot of mic time – not something considered his strong suit. Ricochet’s booking last night on Dynamite was quite strange: MVP and the Hurt Syndicate punked him out in the ring, making him look weak. And backstage, he continued with that new an annoying laugh that he introduced last week.
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Who knows, this could all lead to either a heel turn, or him giving the Syndicate its comeuppance. I hate to base someone’s future on one evening’s booking. Even then, Ricochet hasn’t exactly been treated as someone special in AEW. As I noted in my Full Gear Roundtable Review in the PWTorch Newsletter, Ricochet went from jobbing in secondary title matches on PLEs in WWE to jobbing in secondary title matches on PPVs in AEW. There’s the old argument that AEW shouldn’t be pushing to the moon every WWE cast-off that comes their way, especially someone like Ricochet who was a secondary character at best in WWE.
I think most fans, however, would agree that Ricochet was underutilized there. There are a lot of questions surrounding the way Ricochet has been presented in AEW, even if that’s not the top 5 or 10 concerns around the company right now. The one thing you can’t question is his in-ring work, which even in AEW, still stands out. So my original theory on Ricochet so far feels like it has come true, only not exactly for the reasons I suspected months ago.
Stay right here and keep the flow going. We think you’ll like to read this next…
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: AEW Dynamite results (12/18): Powell’s live review of Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin and Shelton Benjamin vs. The Beast Mortos in C2 matches, Mercedes Mone vs. Anna Jay for the TBS Title
(You can always reach PWTorch editor Wade Keller at kellerwade@gmail.com. You can also send live event results and news tips to pwtorch@gmail.com. Also, we’re always looking for volunteer contributors to help us round out of coverage of the pro wrestling scene.)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.