In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Ricochet talked about his AEW debut and what signing with the company means to him.
Ricochet, whose WWE contract expired in June, said there was a level of excitement ahead of his appearance at the Casino Gaunlet match at All In, because it was a “new environment”:
I’ve not been doing the same thing, but I’ve kind of, I guess, maybe plateaued or something, I think, for the last couple of years. It’s a change of environment, a change of scenery, a change of basically everything that I’ve been doing for the last couple of years. You’re going to feel that way.
You will feel that way whether you’re here, there, or anywhere. But I’m sure the first time I go to Japan, I’m going to feel that I’m going to feel that way. The first time I go somewhere else, it will be exciting.
When asked why he left WWE following the end of his contract, the former Intercontinental Champion talked about his overall career of twenty-one years, pointing to the people currently on the AEW roster as a motivation for signing with the company:
Honestly, the biggest reason is that I’ve been doing this for a long time, 21 years this year. And for me, the time when I was like, having the most fun in my career was when I was, like, traveling the world with those crazy lunatics in the back there. It’s literally the time when I was having the most fun. Despite what people may think, it’s not always been bad for Ricochet. I’ve had fun my entire career, no matter where I went. I’ve always had fun.
That’s not going to change. But when I was having the most fun was when I was hanging out with these guys and traveling the world with these guys and having matches with these guys and creating the art that I really like to make for I feel like the Ricochet fans out there who’s been, you know, I guess just missing the opportunity to shine. But for me, it’s to have fun again and to create that art again.
Ricochet made his singles debut for AEW on the 8/28 edition of Dynamite, facing Kyle Fletcher in the main event.
After the match, Will Ospreay came out to address the newest signee to the company, only to be attacked by PAC, a man with his own share of history with Ricochet.