Ricky Saints Lays Out Insane Turnaround Time For WWE NXT Debut

Earlier this year, after spending much of 2024 off TV, former AEW star Ricky Starks debuted on "WWE NXT" and soon adopted the name Ricky Saints. While fans had been expecting Saints to appear in WWE for some time, the wrestler revealed in a recent interview with The Ringer's Cameron Hawkins that his signing came together shortly before his debut.

"People think that was days in advance," Saints said. "I had never spoken to WWE at all before any of that. ... When I say it happened so fast, it happened so fast and it never let up off the gas."

Speculation about Saints signing with WWE began long before he was released by AEW. The performer was spotted backstage at a WWE show in early 2023, and was again seen at last year's WWE WrestleMania 40, watching alongside Dustin Rhodes from a suite. While Saints had been adamant that his visitations were nothing more than him supporting his friends in the company, they coincided with AEW booker and co-owner Tony Khan pulling back on the Starks character.

Saints' last AEW appearance took place on March 30, 2024. Apart from a handful of independent appearances, he wouldn't be seen again in wrestling until his "NXT" debut almost a year later. Since joining the promotion, Saints has wrestled and won three matches, with his latest victory resulting in him becoming the new WWE NXT North American Champion.

Recalling his debut, Saints received congratulations from fellow AEW-WWE transplants Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill, indie wrestler Allie Katch, and several unnamed performers still working in AEW.