AEW's Ricochet Cites Japanese Company For Helping Him Rediscover His Love Of Wrestling

AEW star Ricochet has had a long and decorated career that has seen him become on of the most influential high flyers of the 21st century, but there was a time in his career where the love he has for wrestling now wasn't there. During a recent appearance on "Q101," Ricochet explained how CIMA and the Dragon Gate promotion in Japan helped him become the person he is today. 

"Dragon Gate at that point when I was kind of shut off, I found–I re-found my love for it, I rekindled that fire that was...that was like of just embers burning at the moment just like recently with AEW, like the reason why I went to AEW is because I really wanted to find that true love again because I felt like it was kind of lost for a little bit. But yeah, CIMA and the whole Dragon Gate crew really ignited that fire for me and really catapulted me in Ricochet as a performer all around to kind of the person I am today," the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion said. Ricochet and CIMA recently had a reunion in the GLEAT promotion where the two men teamed up to defeat Somo Watanabe and El Hijo del Vikingo.

It wasn't just CIMA who helped Ricochet reach the heights that he has reached, as the AEW star went on to credit a man he currently shares a locker room with who also made a big impact in Dragon Gate. "The discipline aspect of what it takes to do this, I got from PAC, and then just being in the ring, again, the timing, the accuracy, the ring awareness, everything. The spatial awareness, like PAC is second to none at that."

Please credit "Q101" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.