Recent WWE signee Ricky Saints has addressed his debut performance on NXT in what he described as “a fever dream.”
On the February 25th episode of NXT, Saints competed in his first televised match in nearly a year as he teamed up with Je’Von Evans to take on the team of Wes Lee and Ethan Page.
Showcasing his skills to the fans seeing him for the first time and those already familiar with his work, Starks put on a great display that even had the fans at one point chanting “Tony fumbled”, referencing Saints’ previous run in AEW. Saints picked up the win in the match by pinning Wes Lee.
After the match, Saints spoke in an NXT Digital Exclusive to reflect on his debut performance in NXT. Saints spoke about his previous appearances on NXT and how the match proved the doubters wrong:
“Wild, absolutely wild. My story isn’t that not-told, as they say. It’s pretty well known at this point, and I think I overcame a lot of things just to make it in this moment. My first time that I came here, I didn’t know what I was gonna expect. The second time I showed up at NXT, didn’t know what to expect. But this time was different. I knew what was gonna happen.
Old Ricky never died. While I thought I put him to bed, guess what? He woke up on his own two feet, and he was ready to go, energized, charged up, like 100% iPhone. You know what I’m saying? If there was ever any doubt about me, tonight proved otherwise.
If you have been sleeping on me for the past 14 years, we might as well call you a Tempur-Pedic. One thing’s for certain, I always show up and show out. I deliver every time. I thought tonight was probably more appropriate for where I’m at in my life. I am an emotional man, I’m not afraid to admit that. But tonight felt like a fever dream that I don’t wish to ever wake up from.”
Saints then got emotional before continuing the interview, adding that his debut match was only the beginning:
“There’s some other things that I actually wanted to tell you, one being the goals that I set the day that I signed my name on that dotted line, and I said that I was gonna be the man of NXT, that I was gonna headline every NXT PLE. If this wasn’t a start, I don’t know what was. I am very honored to be here standing with you, I’m very honored to be standing in front of this camera, in front of NXT. I don’t think that I ever envisioned my life ending up this way, but damn, at least I can freaking say that I made it through. I made it through.
I stood there with my head held high and my chest puffed out because I knew what I wanted, and I knew who I was, and that will never change. There will be no man or woman that makes me forget that. Tonight was a love letter to all the people that rode for me, and most importantly, tonight was a reminder to the old Ricky and more of a letter of what’s to come to the new Ricky and the future Ricky. I think you’ll like that guy too,”
Ricky Saints Speaks Out On AEW
On the February 18th episode of NXT, the former Ricky Starks signed the contract to make his NXT signing official and revealed his new name to be Ricky Saints. After the show, Ricky Saints spoke about his time in AEW and how he had issues with some of the veterans.
H/t to Fightful.