Home Sport Can a Hall of Famer’s idea elevate Ricochet’s status in WWE?

Can a Hall of Famer’s idea elevate Ricochet’s status in WWE?

Sport — 13/06/2024 · 0 Comment

If recent reports are accurate, wrestling fans might have witnessed Ricochet’s final WWE appearance this week — at least for now.

This past Monday on Raw, Ricochet was seemingly written off WWE TV. However, WWE’s creative team left enough wiggle room for a potential return in the coming months should Ricochet re-sign with the company. If he does, the inaugural Speed Champion might find himself in an angle that could elevate his status, according to one WWE Hall of Famer.

Bully Ray, on a recent episode of Busted Open, proposed that Bron Breakker, the storyline villain behind Ricochet’s departure, could begin harassing Ricochet’s fiancée, WWE ring announcer Samantha Irvin.

“You let Bron be a bully toward Samantha for a couple of weeks, and all of a sudden, Ricochet comes back. You have finally made Ricochet,” Bully Ray explained.

After a vicious assault by Breakker that saw him powerslam Ricochet through a car windshield, a distraught Irvin stood by her man and accompanied him to the hospital in an ambulance. This dramatic moment has left many fans wondering what will happen next when Irvin inevitably comes face-to-face with Breakker during her duties as a ring announcer. Meanwhile, reports state that Ricochet is leaving WWE, with many speculating that he may join All Elite Wrestling.

But in pro wrestling, such news could be a red herring, setting the stage for Ricochet’s surprise return. Fueled by revenge, the scenario painted by Bully Ray would likely lead to an overwhelming reaction from the audience that would initially propel Ricochet to greater popularity.

But what happens following a feud with Breakker?

Ricochet’s WWE journey has been a rollercoaster of high-flying maneuvers and missed opportunities. Despite his in-ring skills and championship success, the aerial wonder has struggled to connect fully with the WWE audience. Perhaps the suggested storyline by Bully Ray, a wrestler known for his ability to incite spectators, could be the catalyst Ricochet needs to get over the hump. If executed well, the angle might propel Ricochet to the stardom he’s always been on the brink of achieving.

However, Ricochet must also help himself or face a situation similar to Dean Malenko in 1998.

In the late 1990s, Dean Malenko was a respected performer competing in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Despite his icy demeanor and extensive knowledge of wrestling moves, Malenko could never make an emotional bond with the audience until a white-hot feud with Chris Jericho lit crowds on fire.

After suffering a disappointing loss to Jericho in one encounter, Malenko went home to sulk. While he was gone, Jericho continually berated him and insulted his deceased father. That led to a hook where Malenko made a surprise return under a luchador’s mask and knocked the stuffing out of Jericho. For a brief moment, Malenko was one of WCW’s most popular stars as he warred with Jericho. Eventually, their rivalry ended, and Malenko returned to his previous status as a mid-carder.

But if Ricochet could step up on the mic, he might avoid the fate suffered by Malenko, whose promo skills were often panned, and move up the ranks in WWE. If he can do so, Ricochet might become a made guy who could tone down or even eliminate his daredevil style, according to Bully Ray.

“Take all his moves and throw them out the door. He will never need them again because now there will be emotional investment in him,” said Bully Ray.