Why Ricky Saints Believes He’s Under Pressure In WWE
Ricky Saints admits to feeling pressure in WWE due to his former association with AEW.
Saints joined the Stamford-based company in February 2025 after ending his five-year tenure with All Elite Wrestling.
Since then, he has been a regular on NXT, winning multiple championships. He previously held the North American Championship and currently serves as the NXT Champion.
At No Mercy, he went up against ‘The Ruler’ Oba Femi and defeated him despite the odds being stacked against him.
Ricky Saints defended his title for the first time at Halloween Havoc, beating Trick Williams in the process.
The duo is currently involved in a heated feud, as evidenced by their never-ending fight on the latest NXT episode. A Last Match Standing match has been finalized between them for the championship on November 11.
Ricky Saints Felt Pressure Even Before Becoming NXT Champion
The fact that he represented AEW before WWE has never left Ricky Saints’ thoughts.
While speaking recently on Busted Open Radio, the 35-year-old claimed he feels pressure every time he has to perform.
One thing about me is that I’m never really seeking the validation of somebody else. If you like me, you like; if you don’t, you don’t. It doesn’t bother me either way.
What I’m more focused on is now that I am champion, every day I’m literally trying to prove it to myself. I’m trying to prove it to myself that I’m every bit of what I say I am, and I’m every bit of what I believe that I am.
So the pressure still stays the same, if not, there’s a little bit more to it because you have a lot of people who are not only going to try and think they can still get one over on you, so you’re having to fight that. On top of that, you’re having to be the flag bearer and any issues that may come up, you’re the one that’s taking the blame for it.
So I’m navigating all that because there’s no book on how to be the guy, you just end up being the guy. You get thrown out there and you either sink or swim…
…Every day I got pressure even before I had the championship. I am a guy that came from somewhere else, and there’s people that look at me differently because I am a champion… There can’t be any holes in my game at all. [H/T: WrestleTalk]
Also read: WWE Champion Ricky Saints’ Finisher Faces Scrutiny
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