Ricochet Says He Wants To Show He Can Carry AEW; Talks WWE Departure

-- Ricochet left WWE over the summer and joined AEW facing a mixed online reaction with some applauding his move in search of better character usage while others criticized his jump suggesting that he would soon be pushed to the back burner within the AEW roster. Speaking to Justin Barrasso, Ricochet shared some lofty goals he has set for himself in AEW, specifically his desire to become World Champion and carry the promotion:

"I'm going to show everyone that I'm the man. I'm going to prove I can carry a company. It's time to show everyone why I'm here."

"I was talking with my wife about this, and I said there was this one hurdle in my career I need to jump, and that is being the top dog. Becoming the best, that's not why I started wrestling. I was a 14-year-old kid, and wrestling kept me off the streets. It was fun, it allowed me to travel, and I fell in love with it. That was always my goal, but it's different now. I believe I'm one of the best, and I'm going to show it here."

"I'm super pumped for the future and what's to come. So much is possible. It's a new beginning. There is no guarantee it will work. But for the past 21 years, it's worked out pretty well everywhere I've worked. This is my chance to get to the next level."

-- Responding to rumors that he left WWE on bad terms after declining their offer of a new contract and to critics who questioned his move, Ricochet responded with the following:

"WWE is killing it, they're doing great. For the Ricochet character, this was the right move. It's not a knock on them. For me, being at AEW is the way to go. I'm really happy with the decision I made. It's better to have two top promotions, it's better for the market. And this is the place Ricochet is going to be able to show everything he can do."

"It's really freaking cool that people wanted me to stay. But it feels right here, it feels natural. This is a place where I can finally show the world who I am."