Ricochet Responds To 'That's Not Wrestling' Criticism: 'Wrestling Can Be Anything'

Over the many years of its existence, the professional wrestling industry has changed immensely. From the carnival circuit days to the territories to the modern era, wrestlers have had to evolve their in-ring style to stay current, sometimes drawing criticism as they expand the boundaries and expectations of pro wrestling. One performer who has undeniably helped push the industry in a new direction, and drawn a fair share of criticism for it, is Ricochet. The WWE star recently had a chat with Chris Van Vliet, where he discussed the endless possibilities of what professional wrestling can be.

"Wrestling can be anything," Ricochet said. "Wrestling is comedy. Wrestling is hardcore. Wrestling is strong style. Wrestling is high-flying. Wrestling is a lot of different aspects and some people, ... rather than just saying, 'I don't like this style,' they'll just say, 'That's not wrestling!' And it's like, 'Well, you're an idiot because wrestling can be literally anything you want it to be.'"

Before signing with WWE, one of Ricochet's most popular matches was a 2016 bout with New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Will Ospreay. The two men put on a highly athletic contest, full of counters, dives, flips, and plenty of devastating strikes. Some critics, however, claim that the match looked too choreographed, taking them out of the reality of the contest. In the past, both Ricochet and Ospreay have reacted to that criticism, emphasizing that every move in the match was done with purpose. At the end of the day, no wrestling match is going to please everyone, but it's clear that there's a reason why Ricochet vs. Ospreay from the NJPW Best of Super Juniors tournament is still being talked about today, more than five years after Ricochet left the independent scene and signed with WWE.