SEScoops

Tag: Ricky Saints

  • Unexpected Name Emerges As Next Cody Rhodes Challenger on SmackDown

    Unexpected Name Emerges As Next Cody Rhodes Challenger on SmackDown

    A new challenge for Cody Rhodes.

    The Undisputed WWE Champion opened tonight’s episode of SmackDown, where he was interrupted by his longtime friend and the newest main roster member, Ricky Saints.

    After some back and forth on the mic, the two friends agreed to face each other in a match. The bout surprisingly did not main event the show and it instead took place during the second hour of the episode.

    The ending of the match saw Saints hitting a couple of big DDTs and going for the Roshambo. Cody, however, managed to counter the move and delivered a Cross Rhodes for the victory.

    Before Cody Rhodes could recover from the punishments of the bout, Gunther appeared out of nowhere and locked the WWE Champion in the sleeper hold.

    The Ring General left the ring once but climbed back in to lock an unconscious Rhodes into the hold again before the officials hit the ring and made the former World Champion retreat.

    Paul Heyman was spotted talking to General Manager Nick Aldis during an earlier backstage segment. With Heyman owing a favor to Gunther, the big question is whether the two segments are related and if Heyman could be helping the former IC Champion in his quest to win the Undisputed Title.

  • WWE Discussing Main Roster Call-Ups For Several NXT Stars

    WWE Discussing Main Roster Call-Ups For Several NXT Stars

    WWE is actively discussing main roster call-ups for several NXT talents following WrestleMania 42, with four names currently at the forefront of those conversations.

    Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, Blake Monroe, and Jacy Jayne are among the names being heavily considered for promotion to Raw or SmackDown.

    The discussions come with an important caveat. Lola Vice and Tony D’Angelo winning championships at NXT Revenge has reportedly removed both from call-up consideration for now. Vice captured the NXT Women’s Championship while D’Angelo won the NXT Championship at the event, and title reigns typically signal that WWE intends to keep those performers in NXT for the foreseeable future.

    Of the four names in consideration, Jayne has main roster experience, having previously competed on SmackDown as part of Toxic Attraction before returning to NXT. Page has been one of NXT’s most established presences since arriving in the brand. Saints and Monroe represent newer talent being developed with a potential main roster future in mind.

    Call-ups would likely occur with the post-WrestleMania roster shakeup, which typically takes effect in the weeks following WrestleMania as WWE reconfigures its programming heading into the spring and summer calendar. They would also start the build for the next PLE, Backlash, on May 9th in Tampa. 

    WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

  • Ricky Saints Responds to ‘Temu Rock’ Comparisons

    Ricky Saints Responds to ‘Temu Rock’ Comparisons

    Ricky Saints has addressed the constant comparisons to The Rock, saying the criticism no longer bothers him. The WWE superstar spoke candidly about the ongoing fan reactions and social media trolling.

    Fans have compared Saints to The Rock for years, pointing to his promo style, confidence, and appearance. The comparisons intensified after his recent WWE run, with some fans linking his concert segment on NXT to Rock’s old concert-style promos.

    The comparisons are not new for Saints. During his time in AEW as Ricky Starks, he heard similar comments.

    Saints Finds the Comparisons Funny Now

    Speaking to TMZ’s Inside The Ring, Saints made it clear the comparisons no longer get under his skin. He even finds humor in how fans react to anything he does that resembles The Rock.

    “Getting compared to The Rock is fine at this point, it doesn’t bother me, it genuinely doesn’t,” Saints said. “I think it’s kinda funny when you do one thing The Rock does, and everyone’s like ‘see we knew it! We knew you were trying to be like The Rock for years and years!’ Shut up, oh my God.”

    Saints also laughed off the “Temu Rock” insult that fans have used on social media. He pointed out that if being compared to The Rock is the worst criticism he receives, that says something positive about his appearance.

    “Saying that I look like The Rock, if that’s the worst insult you have, that means I’m pretty damn attractive,” Saints said. “The whole ‘Temu Rock’, hey buddy, you’re shopping on Temu? Wow. At this point I hear it so much that I find it funny, I used to get Mark Wahlberg at certain points. Matt Damon, I’ve got Matt Damon before.”

    Saints also mentioned that his daughter would argue the comparison is not accurate at all. He noted she denies any resemblance between him and The Rock.

    For now, Saints remains focused on his WWE run. With The Rock still making occasional appearances, a potential face-off between the two could create an interesting dynamic, especially on the microphone.

  • Ricky Saints Opens Up on Mental Toll of AEW Absence

    Ricky Saints Opens Up on Mental Toll of AEW Absence

    Ricky Saints opened up about the mental toll of being kept off AEW television during a recent podcast appearance. The wrestler revealed that the lack of communication and ring time created significant challenges during that period.

    Speaking on Getting Over: Wrestling Podcast, Saints addressed the stretch when Tony Khan wasn’t using him regularly on AEW programming. He explained that there wasn’t much discussion from his side about why he wasn’t wrestling, which made the situation harder to navigate.

    Mental Challenges of Inactivity

    Saints described how staying active in the ring has always been central to his identity as a performer. The sudden absence of wrestling created an unusual mental struggle for him.

    “Yeah. No, no, you know, no real discussion or or anything like that from my side of it in terms of uh you know, what was discussed and all that, but there was some restlessness just because I’m so used to wrestling all the time,” Saints said. “And I think that’s the type of person I am. I’m used to creating. I’m used to using my body for these things. And to not have that was a very odd uh place to be at mentally.”

    Independent Booking Complications

    Saints also revealed that trying to stay active outside of AEW proved difficult. Getting independent bookings approved was complicated at the time, though he emphasized he doesn’t hold any bitterness about the situation.

    “And so you’re having to figure out these other things, especially when it goes to like the independence. It was not as easy to get some of these independent dates cleared,” Saints explained. “And um for there’s no that’s not a knock on the company itself. It’s just conflict of interest for AEW and whatever independent that I wanted to do. Um, but at the end of the day, it all worked out. Truthfully, it all worked out. And I’m thankful for both sides. I’m thankful for AEW. I’m thankful for the Independence as well.”

  • Ricky Saints Reacts To Randy Orton Turning On Cody Rhodes

    Ricky Saints Reacts To Randy Orton Turning On Cody Rhodes

    Ricky Saints does not see a problem with The Viper’s actions.

    This past Friday’s SmackDown was main evented by a WrestleMania contract signing segment between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Elimination Chamber winner Randy Orton. The Legend Killer viciously attacked his friend and former protege at the end of the segment, leaving the American Nightmare a bloodied mess to close the show.

    Being a close friend of the AEW co-founder, Ricky Saints was asked about Orton’s heel turn during a recent interview with Kron 4. The former NXT Champion, who himself turned heel last December, sided with Randy, however, saying that what he did does not make him a bad person:

    “I’m going to tell you this. Sometimes it’s not a changing of the attitude. It is when we decide to put up certain boundaries that we’re tired of people crossing, and I think that’s what happened.

    That happened with me and that happened with Randy. It doesn’t make us bad people. It just makes us people who are tired of being walked over. So I liked it. I thought it was great. Good for him. You know what I’m saying? Good for him. Hopefully this stays here, but good for him.”

    Randy Orton added another twist to his story with Cody Rhodes on this past Monday’s Raw after his attack. The 14-time world champion was seen talking to someone on the phone and the wrestling veteran suggested that the mystery person inspired his actions. You can check out more about it here.

  • Backstage News On Poorly Received Ricky Saints Segment

    Backstage News On Poorly Received Ricky Saints Segment

    The NXT concert was not a Ricky Saints idea.

    The March 3 episode of the development show featured the former AEW star in a concert segment that ended with Joe Hendry attacking Saints. The whole thing was received poorly, however, and the company ended up removing some videos of it from their social media channels.

    Fightful Select recently provided an update on the NXT segment. They noted that the concert received a lukewarm reaction backstage as well, but the officials were not worried about the future of either Henry or Saints.

    The report also claimed that the idea of the concert did not come from Ricky Saints. Though he was said to be involved in the writing of the segment, with the idea of drawing comparisons to The Rock.

    Ricky Saints failed to defeat Joe Hendry for the NXT title at the Vengeance Day PPV this past Saturday. He was involved in a tag team match at this Tuesday\’s episode of the show, where he teamed with Ethan Page to defeat Hendry and Myles Borne.

    The 36-year-old had a strange expression on his face when he realized that Page had pinned Hendry for the victory, and we\’ll have to see where this new development leads the two stars.

  • First Matches Confirmed For NXT Vengeance Day

    The first matches have been confirmed for NXT Vengeance Day.

    This week\’s episode of the development show saw the NXT Champion Joe Hendry attacking Ricky Saints in the parking lot during the opening segment of the night.

    The two stars then had a promo battle later on, where Saints called Hendry a meme champion. The former AEW star confirmed that the Vengeance Day PPV will be taking place on March 7. Saints went on to challenge Joe Hendry for the NXT title at the show and the former TNA star accepted the match.

    Elsewhere in the episode, a vignette featuring The Culling\’s Izzi Dame, Shawn Spears & Niko Vance aired. The video package confirmed another match for the upcoming event, where Dame will defend her Women\’s North American Championship against Tatum Paxley.

    Vengeance Day last year took place in Washington, D.C., but the company is yet to announce the venue and other details of the show this year.

  • Joe Hendry Wins NXT Title In Insane Ladder Match

    Joe Hendry is the new NXT Champion.

    NXT General Manager Ava had announced a ladder match to determine the new NXT Champion for this week\’s episode of the development show before her abrupt departure from the company.

    The bout that main evented the show saw Ricky Saints, Shiloh Hill, Sean Legacy, Jackson Drake, Dion Lennox, Keanu Carver and Joe Hendry all battling for the top prize of the brand.

    Keanu Carver potentially had the most impressive performance of the night, dominating all the other contenders throughout. He forced everyone to work together to bury him under a mountain of ladders to keep him out of the competition.

    The powerhouse did not stay down for too long however, as he recovered towards the ending of the match and took out almost all other contenders one by one. In the end. it was Ricky Saints who managed to neutralise him after throwing Carver out of the ring onto a broken ladder.

    The former AEW star could not take advantage of the opportunity, as Joe Hendry climbed up the ladder next. The two grabbed the NXT title and after a tug of war, it was Hendry who came out victorious.

  • Ava Reveals Fate of NXT Championship After Oba Femi

    An exciting way to determine the new NXT Champion.

    NXT General Manager Ava had the responsibility to figure out a way to crown the new NXT Champion after Oba Femi relinquished the title on the way to the main roster.

    After asking fans for unique ideas to solve this problem, the WWE authority figure settled on the time-tested method of a ladder match scheduled for the February 3 episode of the show.

    Ava confirmed that the ladder match will feature 6 contestants with qualifying matches starting next week. Later in the night, the company announced Sean Legacy vs. Eli Knight and Josh Briggs vs. Shiloh Hill as the first two qualifying bouts taking place on January 20.

    Ricky Saints, the man who had defeated Oba Femi for the NXT title before dropping it back to him, interestingly announced that he did not need to qualify and that he will be part of the title match.

    NXT has used ladder matches in the past to settle championship questions. This includes the famous 2018 match, which saw Adam Cole defeating the likes of Ricochet and Velveteen Dream to become the inaugural North American Champion.

    The brand also announced several new signings during the latest episode, and it\’s possible that some of those names will be in the race for the title opportunity too. You can check out the full list of new NXT signings here.

  • First Matches Confirmed For NXT Deadline

    The first matches have been confirmed for NXT Deadline.

    Last week\’s episode of the Black & Silver show saw Ricky Saints defeating Trick Williams in an NXT Championship Last Man Standing match. Oba Femi made his return to the brand after this bout and had a confrontation with the NXT champion.

    Night 1 of the NXT Gold Rush special this week then featured a confrontation between Femi and Saints. Ricky ended up offering Femi a title match at the next NXT PPV, which Oba accepted.

    Trick Williams also tried to get involved in this conversation by making his entrance and telling Saints that he will continue pursuing the NXT title. Myles Borne came out behind Williams, however, and took him out with a steel chair.

    This wasn\’t the only match made official for NXT\’s final PPV of the year as General Manager Ava confirmed the return of Iron Survivor Challenge for the show.

    She revealed that John Cena has personally picked the contestants for both Men\’s and Women\’s Survivor matches this year, and the lineup will be revealed next week.

    NXT Deadline this year will take place from Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The event will be held on December 6, 2025, a week before Cena\’s retirement match.

  • NXT Championship Last Man Standing Match Ends With Big Return

    Ricky Saints already has a new challenger for the NXT championship.

    The main event of this week\’s episode of NXT was a Last Man Standing match with Saints defending his title against two-time champion Trick Williams.

    The brutal match saw both contestants taking a lot of punishment. The fight reached the stands towards the ending, and Williams delivered a big trick shot in what he thought was the winning move. The referee, however, was unable to count because Saints went down sitting.

    The momentary lapse of concentration for Trick allowed the NXT champion to recuperate enough and he delivered a big spear to his opponent through the announce desk for the win.

    Before Ricky even could even get in the ring to celebrate, however, Oba Femi\’s music hit and the Ruler was shown standing on the stage as the show went off air.

    Femi has not been seen on NXT TV since the September 27, No Mercy event, where Ricky Saints ended his 263-day reign with NXT\’s top title.

    The Monster-Sized athlete has continued competing at Live Events, where he came face-to-face with the Nigerian Giant Omos recently.

    The ending of tonight\’s show likely also indicates the end of Williams\’ quest for the title and we\’ll have to see what the company is planning for him next.

  • Ricky Saints Reveals What He \’Had To Get Used To\’ In WWE

    A former AEW star has addressed his experience joining WWE, answering whether there were any major differences he needed to get used to. Ricky Saints joined WWE in February, the same month his AEW departure was confirmed by the company.

    During an interview with The Five Count, Saints was asked whether he experienced any level of culture shock from the differences between the two companies. Saints noted that he has been able to adapt to the changes he was faced with.

    “Someone else asked me this question not too long ago and I had to really think about it,\” Saints said. “Yes, there’s some differences for sure, but I don’t think I really let it sink in of it being so vastly different to me.\”

    Saints continued, “There’s some things I had to get used to when it came to new people that I didn’t know, or how things may be ran on show day, things of that nature, but nothing crazy, nothing that was too shocking to me. I think at this point I have been around long enough to kind of be able to mold into whatever situation, thankfully.”

    Saints has been wrestling for 13 years in total, making his in-ring debut in 2012.

    While he only joined WWE nine months ago, Saints has already held two singles titles in the company. He held the NXT North American Championship earlier this year, losing it to Ethan Page in May. He is the current NXT Champion, having defeated Oba Femi for the title at NXT No Mercy on September 27, 2025.

  • WWE Isn’t Proving Tony Khan Wrong… They’re Proving Him Right

    the closest comparisons might be its secondary titles (and Saints did reign as Tag Team and FTW Champion, besides winning the Owen Hart Cup in AEW) posted by CM Punk with the caption “Look at us” featured not only him wearing his newly won World Heavyweight Championship, but new Women’s Champion Cargill as well as reigning NXT Champion Ricky Saints and WWE Champion Cody Rhodes with their belts, standing arm-in-arm, some of the biggest success stories to depart AEW and thrive in WWE.

    The thing about the critiques of Khan and AEW (which, for the record, Punk and other talents pictured did not explicitly participate in) is that they’re, at best, only partially on point. It could be fairly said WCW fumbled Chris Jericho or Eddie Guerrero in locking them into the mid-card despite his incredible talent and  main event potential, or that WWE did the same with Toni Storm, who has gone on to show what she’s capable of under the AEW banner. This isn’t to say AEW hasn’t squandered some stars or made creative missteps. The picture is much more complicated for the current slate of AEW alumni reigning in WWE, though.

    Tony Khan Pushed Some of His Biggest Name Defectors Hard

    \"Jade

    Photo credit: WWE

    Not long after CM Punk posted his photo, Blake Monroe replied, calling attention that she too was an AEW alum and now reigns as NXT North American Champion. Interestingly enough, Punk, Monroe, and Jade Cargill specifically represent anything but Tony Khan’s creative missteps.

    In a two-year run with AEW (which encompassed two injuries that put Punk out, cumulatively, for nearly half that time) The Second City Saint won the AEW World Championship twice. If anything, it’s clear that Khan, as a booker, tried very hard to push Punk on top, only for injuries to kill momentum both times. That’s before backstage politics turned as ugly as possible in the infamous Brawl Out incident and before Punk’s altercation behind the scenes at All In 2023 spelled the end of his time with the company. One can debate Khan’s handling  of backstage politics and incidents, but there’s no legitimate claim the AEW President undervalued or under-pushed Punk.

    For her part, Jade Cargill reigned as the original TBS Champion for 508 days and was well-protected in her title loss. That’s at least on part with the push WWE gave Cargill in her first year and a half with the company, and all indications in both cases would suggest the company was helping her come along as an in-ring performer en route to bigger things.

    In some ways, Blake Monroe represents the most decisive case of Khan knowing exactly what he had in a talent. While WWE passed on Monroe when she tried out to wrestle for them, Khan signed her and pushed her into quite arguably the highest profile women’s feud in AEW to date opposite Toni Storm, up to and including a Women’s World Championship reign. Monroe chose not to re-sign when her contract was up, opting to test her luck with WWE. So it is that Khan did his best as long as he had this star, and WWE pushing her too really amounts to a testament of how right Khan was.

    Cody Rhodes Represents A Unique Case

    \"Cody

    Image credit: WWE

    There’s no question that Cody Rhodes has thrived at a much higher level since returning to WWE than he ever did as an on-screen character for AEW. It’s hard to blame Tony Khan for that, though.

    Within the first year of AEW’s history, The American Nightmare challenged for the AEW Championship with the stipulation that if he did not dethrone Chris Jericho, he would never be able to challenge for the world title again. By all indications, Rhodes called his own shot here, at least agreeing to if not responsible for the idea of taking himself out of the main event picture.

    Rhodes has, since, cited that he regretted that choice, realizing that he still had world champion potential and had thrown in the towel on that part of his AEW career too soon. Just the same, in the broad scheme of Rhodes’s career trajectory, one can’t ignore that he left WWE because Vince McMahon fumbled him, then made a name for himself that included playing a major role in launching AEW. That he did an about-face and re-signed with WWE afterward, only to launch the most successful run of his career as a wrestler tells a remarkable comeback story of a wrestler who bet on himself and won. This wasn’t Khan’s mistake but one of the most unique stories in wrestling history unfurling, with AEW a small part of it.

    WWE Has Opportunities To Feature Talents At Different Levels With NXT

    \"NXT

    NXT Champion Ricky Saints. Photo: WWE.com

    Ricky Saints is the NXT Champion and Ethan Page reigns as both NXT North American Champion and AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion. These are fine feathers in the cap of two emerging stars who quite arguably were under-featured in AEW.

    The tricky thing is, though, that if one is comparing AEW success to WWE success, there really is no point of comparison between AEW and NXT. WWE ‘s a large enough organization that its developmental brand carries prestige. Nonetheless, one surely couldn’t say AEW got it wrong by not positioning Saints as World Champion, while WWE has gotten it right by placing him atop NXT. AEW doesn’t have a proper developmental brand, and as such the closest comparisons might be its secondary titles (and Saints did reign as Tag Team and FTW Champion, besides winning the Owen Hart Cup in AEW) or, now, the ROH Championship (a murky point of comparison, but had Saints remained on good terms with AEW, it feels realistic he may have been in contention for that tile).

    Indeed, Page is probably the one current champion in WWE there really is a case that AEW fumbled, as All Ego is now a double-champion and briefly even reigned as NXT Champion upon his arrival to the brand. By contrast, he never enjoyed much measurable success in AEW, occasionally working with top guys or challenging for titles, but he had little to show for it. Nonetheless, the point stands that holding secondary titles in NXT and AAA doesn’t have a very precise analog in AEW—Page still has some ways to go in making it feel as though AEW truly missed a major opportunity with him.

    In the end, so much of how wrestlers are used comes down to timing, context, and what’s happening behind the scenes. AEW’s track record is far from perfect, but suggestions that recent WWE success stories highlight failings on the part of AEW and Tony Khan are largely misguided and actually show AEW used most of these talents more or less correctly.

  • AEW Alum Celebrate WWE Glory At Saturday Night\’s Main Event

    WWE was certainly feeling \’All Elite\’ following multiple title changes at Saturday Night\’s Main Event on November 1. The show saw Jade Cargill win the WWE Women\’s Championship, ending the 300+ day reign of Tiffany Stratton. Shortly after, CM Punk won the vacant World Heavyweight Championship by beating Jey Uso.

    Punk and Cargill are former AEW wrestlers, and they aren\’t the only All Elite alum to hold WWE gold. On Instagram, Punk shared a photo of himself, Ricky Saints, Cargill, and Cody Rhodes, all with their WWE titles.

    These four aren\’t the only former AEW wrestlers to now hold gold in WWE. Ethan Page is the reigning WWE NXT North American Champion, having held the title since May. At WWE NXT Halloween Havoc, Blake Monroe won the NXT Women\’s North American Championship. Monroe previously wrestled in AEW as Mariah May, where she held the AEW Women\’s World Championship.

    These title wins show the fluctuating nature of wrestling and how, while many who have left WWE find success in AEW, many in AEW go on to glory in WWE. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on these AEW alum and their chapters as champions of WWE.

  • Ricky Saints Comments On Potential Cody Rhodes Match In WWE

    Ricky Saints is open to a rematch with Cody Rhodes.

    The two stars have been linked together since Saints made his AEW debut by answering the TNT title open challenge held by the American Nightmare in 2020. The duo have become good friends since then. Ricky even got himself in trouble by being spotted with Rhodes at the 2023 Royal Rumble event while still being signed to the Tony Khan-owned promotion.

    The former FTW champion was asked about a potential rematch with his mentor under the WWE banner while appearing on Busted Open Radio. Ricky Saints first said that he could see it being a great match. When Bishop Dyer talked about the history between the two, the NXT star mentioned that the story is already there:

    “There is so much to it. When you add a real-life friendship to things and you have evidence and history of how things have gone, the story is within itself. I’m sure with time we’ll get to that point. It’s always funny to hear that as one of people’s dream matches. I’m with it, 1000%, obviously,”

    After being kept away from spotlight for almost a year at the end of his AEW tenure, Ricky Saints has managed to turn his career around since joining NXT in February this year. He had a run with the North American Championship in April and Ricky then defeated Oba Femi at No Mercy last month to win the NXT Championship.

  • Last Man Standing Title Match Set For WWE NXT Gold Rush

    The WWE NXT Championship will be on the line in a Last Man Standing match as part of the upcoming two-night NXT Gold Rush event. During the October 28, edition of WWE NXT, Ricky Saints and Trick Williams brawled around the ringside area. WWE NXT GM Ava then confirmed that Saints will put the gold on the line against Williams in a Last Man Standing match.

    Saints and Williams faced-off at WWE NXT Halloween Havoc on October 25, where Saints was able to retain the title. Trick is already a two-time WWE NXT Champion, and a third title reign would tie him with Samoa Joe for the most reigns.

    This announcement wasn\’t the only major title announcement from the latest episode of WWE NXT. During the show, Sol Ruca vacated the WWE Speed Women\’s Championship due to injuries. Ava announced that a tournament will crown the next champion, who will be the third in the title\’s history.

    Williams and Saints have been at each other\’s throats, but their story will seemingly end with their Last Man Standing match. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from WWE NXT Gold Rush on November 18 and November 25.

  • Day of The Dead Match And More Announced For NXT Halloween Havoc

    Multiple new matches have been announced for Halloween Havoc.

    This week\’s episode of the development brand saw the company start building the match card for the upcoming show with multiple big announcements.

    The episode opened with NXT Champion Ricky Saints calling out Trick Williams for bailing on him in the men\’s Elimination match at the NXT vs. TNA Showdown. Williams later attacked the current champion and it was announced that he\’ll face Saints in a title bout at the upcoming show.

    In a different segment, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. called out the North American Champion Ethan Page after picking up a victory over Lexis King. Page announced a match between the two for Halloween Havoc. Wagner Jr. then proposed the bout to be a \’Day of The Dead\’ match, which is expected to be an anything goes bout.

    Apart from this, a rematch between Hardy Boys and DarkState, as well as an NXT Women\’s Championship match between Jacy Jayne and Tatum Paxley was also confirmed during the show.

    NXT Halloween Havoc Match Card

    The upcoming NXT PPV will take place from the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona on October 25, 2025. You can check out the match card for the show below:

    • Day of The Dead Match For NXT North American Championship: Ethan Page (c) vs. El Hijo de Dr. Wagner
    • NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Hardy Boyz (c) vs. DarkState
    • NXT Women\’s Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Tatum Paxley
    • NXT Championship Match: Ricky Saints (c) vs. Trick Williams

  • Ricky Saints Reflects On Journey After WWE NXT Title Win

    Ricky Saints is ready to usher in an \’Absolute Era\’ following his NXT Championship victory at NXT No Mercy. In the main event, Saints countered Oba’s signature Fall From Grace twice—finishing the match with back-to-back DDTs for the win.

    Backstage, Saints reflected on his journey to this moment. The new WWE NXT Champion was grateful for all those who\’ve supported him before declaring the start of a new era.

    “What a wild ride so far. And I’m not one to be a loss for words, but tonight’s different. It’s very, very special. Tonight is a culmination of things that I didn’t think was possible, but I made it so. And not just me. People supported me. People believed in me. Fans, everybody. And now the absolute era truly begins.”

    Saints\’ journey saw him spend close to five years with AEW before debuting for WWE in February of this year. Saints\’ final year with AEW saw him go unused on TV, with his final match for the promotion occurring in March 2024.

    Femi\’s reign ends at 263 days, making him the seventh-longest reigning WWE NXT Champion in the history of the brand. Now, all eyes are now on Saints, who must prove this win is truly the start of a new era for his career.

    WWE NXT Stars Discussed To Join Seth Rollins’ Faction (Report)

  • Ricky Saints Defeats Oba Femi to Win NXT Championship at No Mercy 2025

    Ricky Saints defeated Oba Femi to win the NXT Championship at No Mercy 2025, ending Femi’s lengthy reign as champion in a high-intensity main event.

    Oba Femi dominated early with his power offense, including multiple chokeslams and counters to Ricky Saints’ known spear attack. Saints showed resilience, mounting several comebacks including a Samoan Drop, various DDTs, and several nearfalls that almost secured him the win.

    The climax came after Ricky Saints countered Femi’s second “Fall from Grace” powerbomb, landing a fourth DDT and scoring a clean pin to capture the NXT Championship.

    Aftermath

    This win marks a major shift in the NXT landscape, as Femi’s dominant run was considered one of the strongest in recent history.

    The match headlined a stacked card and was pivotal to the ongoing storyline rivalry between NXT and TNA stars featured in recent programming. Ricky Saints’ NXT Championship win at No Mercy 2025 was the central moment of the night’s event.

  • Ethan Page and Ricky Saints Still on WWE Main Roster Radar for Call-Ups

    WWE continues to monitor Ethan Page and Ricky Starks as potential candidates for main roster call-ups, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Both wrestlers have established themselves as key players in their respective divisions, with Page making a significant impact since joining WWE and Starks building momentum following his AEW departure. The ongoing evaluation suggests WWE sees long-term potential in both performers for Raw or SmackDown.

    Page has demonstrated versatility in his WWE tenure, showcasing the character work and in-ring ability that originally caught the company\’s attention. Meanwhile, Starks brings a unique combination of charisma and technical skill that could translate well to the main roster environment.

    The timing of potential call-ups remains uncertain, as WWE typically evaluates roster needs and storyline opportunities before making such moves. Both wrestlers continue their current developmental work while remaining on management\’s radar for future main roster integration.

    With WWE\’s expanded programming schedule and ongoing roster rotations, opportunities for call-ups continue to present themselves throughout the year. The Observer\’s report indicates both Page and Starks remain strong candidates when those opportunities arise.

  • Stipulation Title Match And More Confirmed For WWE Great American Bash

    WWE has announced 2 new matches for NXT Great American Bash.

    This week\’s episode of the development show featured a #1 contender Gauntlet match to determine the challenger for Ethan Page\’s North American Championship.

    Ricky Saints won the bout defeating names such as Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes and Jackson Drake. The win also earned the former AEW star the right to choose the stipulation for the match. The former champion decided that the championship bout will be false count anywhere.

    Apart from this, the company also announced a singles match between Je’Von Evans and Jasper Troy for the event following multiple encounters between the two.

    WWE Great American Bash Updated Match Card

    NXT Great American Bash will take place from Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia on July 12. The show will have a special start time of 3:00 p.m. ET. Here is the updated card for the event:

    • NXT Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. Yoshiki Inamura (with Josh Briggs)
    • Tag Team Match: Jordynne Grace and Blake Monroe vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley) (with Jazmyn Nyx)
    • NXT Women\’s North American Championship Match: Sol Ruca (c) (with Zaria) vs. Izzi Dame (with Tatum Paxley)
    • Falls Count Anywhere North American Championship Match: Ethan Page (c) vs. Ricky Saints
    • Singles Match: Je\’Von Evans vs. Jasper Troy

    The company also announced several new names for Evolution 2 during the episode. You can check out more about it here.

  • WWE NXT Stars Discussed To Join Seth Rollins\’ Faction (Report)

    Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman have already established one of the most dominant forces on Monday Night Raw—but their powerful faction may not be finished evolving. According to a new report from Bodyslam.net, WWE has internally discussed adding two more members to the group.

    The two names in question? WWE NXT\’s Ethan Page and Ricky Saints. Page is the reigning WWE NXT North American Champion, a title he captured from Saints earlier this year. With Saints currently without a direction on WWE NXT TV, it may be a matter of time before he aligns with Rollins and his allies.

    Heyman and Rollins aligned at WrestleMania 41: Saturday while Breakker would join them during the following Raw. At Saturday Night’s Main Event, Bronson Reed shockingly aligned himself with the team, assaulting CM Punk and Sami Zayn in the process.

    Rollins\’ group has already proved dividends for Seth, who is Mr. Money in the Bank for the second time in his career. With the briefcase, allies, and potential more allies, it appears that a future with championship gold around the waist is a certain for Seth \’Freakin\’ Rollins.

  • Ricky Saints Injury Update Shared on WWE NXT

    Ricky Saints lost the NXT North American Championship to Ethan Page on the May 27 episode of WWE NXT, in a stunning loss for Saints. The title changed hands after Saints took a Twisted Grin from Page and his throat struck the crossbar of a chair.

    During the June 3, episode of WWE NXT, it was revealed that that Ricky had suffered a laryngeal contusion. An image of Ricky\’s CT scan was provided and it was promised that updates on his condition would be shared as they become available.

    https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2025/06/\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2025/06/\"

    There is currently no timetable for Ricky Saints\’ return to programming. It was reported mere days before this update that he was due to be called-up in the near future. For now though, Saints is out of action, raising questions about what\’s next for him as a WWE Superstar.

    Ricky Saints & Every Ex-AEW Star To Win WWE Gold

  • Latest On WWE\’s Plan For The Next NXT Call-Ups

    WWE NXT has already seen some major call-ups in 2025 and now more can be expected. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Ricky Saints, Stephanie Vaquer, and Jordynne Grace will be making the move to Raw or SmackDown in the near future.

    All three Superstars are coming off huge defeats, seemingly marking the end of their NXT runs. Grace failed to dethrone Vaquer as NXT Women\’s Champion at Battleground, while Vaquer would lose the title to Jacy Jayne on the following WWE NXT. Ricky Saints recently lost the NXT North American Championship to Ethan Page.

    WWE NXT is already reeling from some notable call-ups, including Giulia who was moved to SmackDown in May 2025. Roxanne Perez has since landed on Raw after appearing on the brand earlier this year. Both have been hits since making the move and will be part of the Women\’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

    As for Saints, Vaquer, and Grace, time will tell how they fair upon being called up. While the three saw plenty of success in NXT, making the move to the main roster will test the trio of call-ups.

    Released Talent Referenced On WWE NXT

  • Ricky Saints Warns Ethan Page Ahead of NXT Stand & Deliver Title Clash

    At WWE NXT Stand & Deliver, Ricky Saints will defend the NXT North American Championship against fellow AEW alum Ethan Page. The \’All Ego\’ Superstar earned a shot at the gold on the April 15, edition of WWE NXT, defeating Wes Lee, Eddy Thorpe, and Lexis King (another All-Elite alum) in four-way action.

    In a WWE NXT Digital Exclusive, Saints was asked about his upcoming match with Page. While acknowledging that the pay \”go way back,\” Saints made sure that Page will never underestimate him after this weekend\’s event.

    \”You have seemingly forgotten since you\’ve been here that I am not a man that should be underestimated. In fact, I am every bit of the man I say I am.\”

    Page in comparison, according to Saints, is someone who \”falls short in every single category of your life\” before adding that this mediocrity is \”the story of All Ego Ethan Page.\” Concluding, Saints acknowledged the magnitude of Stand & Deliver and gave his clear prediction.

    \”I am leaving Las Vegas still the NXT North American Champion and you Ethan Page will be left with you, and your massive ego.\”

    Neither Page nor Saints were with WWE this time last year but now have a chance to steal the show over WrestleMania week. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Stand & Deliver and the battle for the NXT North American Championship.