While Ricochet fared far better on Triple H's watch than Vince McMahon, it soon became clear that he was never going to become a top star in WWE. As a result, when his contract was up, the high-flyer left WWE and joined AEW.
Whether he'll end up getting a world title run remains to be seen, though Ricochet will take centre stage in a long-awaited match against International Champion Will Ospreay at the upcoming 5th anniversary of AEW Dynamite.
Appearing on a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, Ricochet addressed his decision to leave WWE and instead become "All Elite."
"When I got on the main roster, Paul Heyman at the time was the head of creative. At that time I was in there with Samoa Joe. I was in there with Randy. I was in there with Seth. I was in there with Lashley. I was in there with all these guys and winning," he recalled. "I was US champ. Then the regime kind of changed a little bit and then I felt like I got stuck in a role."
"WWE is a huge production that travels the world being a production show, so I feel like everyone has their roles that they have to play, and I just got stuck in this role of making people look good. It’s just not the role I wanted to play."
"There’s nobody to blame but myself. Everything that has happened is my choice," Ricochet continued. "I can’t blame anybody but myself for where I’m at, but I know that the decisions I’ve made and where I’m at now, I’ve made all the right decisions."
While Ricochet is now part of AEW, his fiance, Samantha Irvin, is still in WWE as a fan-favourite ring announcer who, as far as we're aware, has no intentions of ever jumping ship with him.
Asked whether leaving her behind gave him pause for thought, Ricochet said, "It definitely was a thought, but we have a really good relationship. Whether it’s her or me or vice versa, we’re like, what is really going to make you the happiest, and then we help that partner get there. She understands the type of artist that I am and the wrestler that I am.:
"She understands, not being stifled, but not being pushed to your full potential. She’s like, ‘What’s going to make you the happiest will make all of us the happiest because as a group, we’re going to be happy.’ She’s for it. She’s carving her own path right now and I’m for that. We’re doing it right now and we’re very happy."
Do you think Ricochet made the right choice by signing with AEW?