Top WWE Star Recalls Botched First Triple H Call; Misheard Him About Going to RAW or SmackDown

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H

A top WWE star recently revealed his first interaction with Triple H and how he thought he was going to RAW or SmackDown.

Ricky Starks is one of the top stars in WWE NXT at the moment. He jumped ship from AEW to World Wrestling Entertainment earlier this year and has since won the NXT North American Championship. Starks, who now goes by the name Ricky Saints, is touted for huge things in the company, even being rumored to be the fifth member of Seth Rollins’ faction on RAW.

The star recently revealed the first call he got from WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H and how he misheard what The Game had to say.

Ricky Starks initially thought he was going to the WWE main roster after mishearing Triple H

Speaking on the What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast alongside Cody Rhodes, Ricky Starks revealed the first time he got a call from CCO Triple H, and how he was getting off a plane in Seattle. The star revealed hearing something about RAW or SmackDown and getting excited, only to be told he was going to NXT.

“Just got off a flight to Seattle, actually, and he called me, and I was like, I didn’t know the number, and it didn’t say Stanford or anything. So I was like ‘who is this?’ and I always answer, even if it’s unknown, I always answer. So Hunter [Triple H] calls me, I’m getting off this flight in Seattle, and I can barely hear him because airports are loud. And he asked me, ‘Hey, would you wanna come in? We’re interested. We would love to have you, you’re talented.’ I was like ‘yeah, sure.’ And right as I am getting on the tram, he says something about RAW or SmackDown. I was like ‘Wait, what?’ And I was so scared to say, ‘Hey, can you repeat yourself?’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ Basically, what he was saying was, “We’re not going to put you in RAW or SmackDown just yet.’ But he wanted me to meet Shawn [Michaels], and so that was like a big thing.”

Ricky Starks debuted in WWE on February 11, 2025. He is currently set to face fellow former AEW star Ethan Page in a Fall Count Anywhere Match at NXT Great American Bash on July 12. It remains to be seen how things pan out for the star.


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