Ricky Saints is the new name for Ricky Starks. He has taken CM’s footsteps and moved from a prominent position in All Elite Wrestling, (AEW), to World Wrestling Entertainment, (WWE). Both have had their paths cross before. This was most evident in the series of matches where Saints gained prominence.
Saints was hailed as the rising star of the Owen Hart Foundation in 2023 after a major match at the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Ricky Saints fought CM Punk in an episode of Collision for the coveted ‘Real World Championship.’ Ricky The Dragon Steamboat was the outside enforcer. Saints lost to CM Punk despite a valiant attempt.
Initially, a rematch match was planned. But CM Punk being terminated by AEW after the incident with Jack Perry backstage at All In 202023 abruptly halted this plan. Saints ended up facing Bryan Danielson as a substitute match at All Out in 2023.
Ricky Saints, who left AEW after CM Punk, has discussed openly the positive impact Punk made on his career as well as the experiences he had with him.
“Every time he saw my outfits, he would laugh, and he would be like, ‘This is perfect.’ Saints said in an interview in May 2024 that there was great collaboration in this regard. Whatculture WestlingReflecting on the time he spent working with Punk. That’s the reason I don’t have any issues with Punk. I don’t give a f**k what anybody tries to tell me. I don’t care. “He has never wronged me.”
Saints continued, “You can express your opinion about him.” You shouldn’t criticize someone because they think differently. Do you understand what I mean? He went to great lengths to try and make me happy on the Collision Show. “I felt like we had something.”
Saints believes that the results of their collaborative efforts are promising. “I feel that we are really on to something. And I think that’s why that strap match with Bryan really means a lot because it just felt like the things that I had learned was like coming to a head of like, ‘Here we go.’ He was, indeed, an awesome dude. In my opinion Punk still is a great guy, because he’s helped. In that episode, he was trying to help many of us. For that, I will always be grateful. Yeah.”
CM Punk supported Ricky Saints in his debut as a WWE NXT wrestler via social media. Ricky Saints’s NXT debut is set for the episode of NXT airing on February 25th, 2025. Saints and Je’Von Evans will face Ethan Page, Wes Lee, in a team-up.
Punk shared the image below, which captures a special moment between CM Punk & Ricky Saints.
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Ricky Saints (former AEW superstar Ricky Starks), now Ricky Saints has surprised everyone by making his WWE NXT debut, beginning a brand new chapter of Ricky’s career.