Ricochet Comments On Not Defending Intercontinental Championship At WrestleMania

WWE Intercontinental Champion Ricochet has discussed not being on the card for WrestleMania 38 and vowed he and his title will never miss another premium live event.

On the March 4th edition of SmackDown, Ricochet captured his first WWE Intercontinental Championship by defeating Sami Zayn with a little bit of help from Zayn’s WrestleMania 38 opponent, Johnny Knoxville. The following week, he successfully defended the title against the former champion and then went on to defeat both members of Los Lotharios in a Triple Threat match on the last show before WrestleMania 38.

In a development that many fans found surprising, however, the Intercontinental Champion did not defend his title on either night of the ‘Showcase Of The Immortals’.

Addressing the omission on WWE’s The Bump, Ricochet said that, despite wanting to be on the WrestleMania lineup, he was glad that he was able to spend the time with his son instead.

“WrestleMania is always an electricity, it’s the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’, it’s something you do want to be on. WrestleMania is the top of the mountain. If I wasn’t going to be on it, I was so glad I was able to spend time with my son and recharge my physical and mental battery and the family battery. I’m glad I was able to do that. As much as WrestleMania is an event, it’s a feeling, it’s an emotion.”

However, the star went on to vow to make sure that he and the Intercontinental Championship would not only be on next year’s WrestleMania, but they would never miss another premium live event.

“That’s my goal for next year, to make sure that [the Intercontinental Championship] and myself, collectively, together, make it to WrestleMania and make it on WrestleMania and that this title, I want to make it as famous as possible to where it can’t miss another one. This title can’t miss another premium live event. It’s not going to miss [WrestleMania] Backlash, it’s not going to miss Money in the Bank. WrestleMania is the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ and Ricochet plans on being immortal.”

Ricochet will next be in action on the April 15th episode of SmackDown where he will defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Jinder Mahal.

H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.