Skip to main content
Wrestling On FanNation

WWE Releases Heartfelt Ricky Saints Promo Ahead of SmackDown Debut

Ricky Saints will debut on WWE SmackDown this Friday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Rick Ucchino|
Ricky Saints
Ricky Saints | The CW Network

Ricky Saints said farewell to NXT this past Tuesday night.

The former NXT and NXT North American Champion lost his final match in the Performance Center to Shiloh Hill, giving the rub to a up and comer as he prepares to make his main roster debut on Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

After the show went off the air on The CW Network, Saints addressed the crowd and thanked them for welcoming him into WWE with open arms when he first arrived last year. The company posted clips from the promo to their social media accounts on Wednesday evening.

Ricky Saints thanked everyone in NXT as he heads for SmackDown debut

“February 7, I stood up there and I talked my stuff, and you guys welcomed me," Saints said. "You chanted ‘Ricky Starks’, and you made sure I remembered who I was."

Saints arrived in NXT just days after he was able to negotiate his release from All Elite Wrestling, ending a five-year run with WWE's top rival promotion.

He spent much of his final year in AEW off television, making only a few appearances on the independent circuit during that time, but the NXT faithful knew exactly who he was and what he had accomplished in his career. Saints' distinguished resume, however, didn't make the jump to WWE any easier.

"I want you to understand something, I did not know what I was getting myself into when I came here,” Saints said in his promo Tuesday night. “I’d be lying if I said this was all a very easy transition, but it was not, and that's okay. That’s how it gets sometimes. But at the end of the day, I came out here, I busted my a**, I made sure that I did what was needed for business."

Ricky Saints and Ethan Page
Ricky Saints and Ethan Page | The CW Network

Ricky was able to find his footing, and by August of last year, he had already captured the top two men's championships that NXT had to offer.

This past Tuesday night, Saints made sure to shout out every single person who made his success possible, from head of creative Shawn Michaels, to those working the merchandise stands, to, of course, all the fans who pack the WWE PC every single week.

“You guys repaid me with love, with stroke, with buying the shirts, with all of that. I don’t think that I would even get this far had it not been for the people here, and definitely for the people in the back," Saints said with fire in his voice. “If this is the last time that you see me in this NXT ring, then thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I would hope that this Friday on SmackDown... I would hope that you watch me there, too.”

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

Home/WWE