Ricky Saints is offering a defiant response to the backstage heat he faced in AEW for his public support of friend and current WWE colleague, Cody Rhodes.
During a recent appearance on the What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Saints addressed the controversy surrounding his appearances at WrestleMania 40 and the 2023 Royal Rumble, both of which occurred while he was still under contract with AEW. When asked if he felt backlash for his loyalty, Saints confirmed he did but remained unapologetic.
“I will never let somebody weaponize a friendship against me. And that comes back to my loyalty that I have. This is the thing — I don’t have a big family, I don’t have a lot of friends, so to speak. The people that have shown me being seen, being heard, being understood… I don’t think you really understand the grasp of that.”
Saints elaborated that the bond he shares with Rhodes transcends any professional politics, and he felt no guilt for being present for his friend’s significant career moments.
“So when I did that, I didn’t give a f**k. I’ll be real with you. And I don’t really believe in something being a detriment to my career. If you take that whole situation out of its element and you show someone, ‘Hey, this guy got in trouble — so to speak — for being at his friend’s biggest moment of his career,’ what do you think of that? That’s a beautiful thing.”
That same defiant and loyal nature now fuels his quest in WWE NXT. On the July 8 episode, Saints won a gauntlet match against Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes, and Jackson Drake to earn a title opportunity.
Following his victory, Saints challenged Ethan Page to a Falls Count Anywhere match for the NXT North American Championship at the upcoming Great American Bash. This sets the stage for a high-stakes rubber match on Saturday, July 12, as Saints aims to reclaim the title he lost to Page on May 27.