AEW has constantly signed some of the hottest free agents in all of pro wrestling since 2019 and it looks like Tony Khan is set to add another top name to his already stacked roster of talent.
Ricochet’s last WWE outing came on the June 10th episode of RAW. The 35-year-old was attacked by Bron Breakker backstage and taken away in an ambulance.
While the angle left room for a potential return and storyline with Breakker, it came after Ricochet recently gave notice to WWE that he would be leaving when his contract expired.
According to F4WOnline, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Ricochet is expected to make his AEW debut shortly. He wrote:
“Ricochet (Trevor Mann, 35), had his contract expire in WWE and he’s expected to debut here shortly.
“It will be interesting to see his early reaction. I think we’ve learned nobody that AEW can get is going to single-handedly move ratings at this point, but as far as crowd reactions after the first week, where obviously it’ll be big, will they see him as a WWE guy who was just a guy on the roster or will they see him as Ricochet from years ago when he was one of the hottest indie stars in the world? It’ll be an interesting look at the AEW live event fan base.”
Ricochet Looks Set to Leave WWE and Join AEW
Ricochet signed with the WWE in 2018 after making a name for himself in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Lucha Underground and several other independent promotions. After starting out in NXT, he made the jump to the main roster in 2019.
During his run in the WWE, Ricochet became the first wrestler to win all three secondary titles in the company – the United States Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the NXT North American Championship. He also was the first-ever Speed Champion.
Ricochet was clearly appreciated in the WWE but at the same time, it always felt like he had a ceiling in the company. And perhaps he had already gotten as far as he could in that environment.
AEW should breathe new life into Ricochet’s career. At 35 years old, he should be in his prime as a wrestler and there is a readymade story with Will Ospreay already.