Stars shine the brightest in the biggest moments. For Ricochet, that’s been the case throughout his career in the world of professional wrestling, whether it’s on the independent scene, Japan, NXT, or most recently in WWE.
“Any match Ricochet is in is going to be arguably the best match of the night. So now the pressure is on Logan (Paul),” Ricochet told Uproxx Sports ahead of his SummerSlam matchup. “When a team’s in the playoffs or the Finals or the Super Bowl, they like that pressure. That’s where they thrive. That’s where Ricochet thrives is the big moments, the big matches.”
As a lifelong fan of the product, a marquee matchup at SummerSlam is something he’s always dreamed of. When he heads to SummerSlam on Saturday at 8 p.m. in Detroit, Ricochet is ready to embrace the adrenaline rush and electricity that an event of this magnitude brings.
He also understands he’s in a unique position with a crossover star backed by the following Paul has. It was only a few months ago that Bad Bunny and Damian Priest showed what can happen when you blend a star whose fame goes far beyond the WWE universe, someone who knows their way around the ring, and an electric live audience.
“I know the extent of Logan’s social media reach, how insanely wide his audience is. At the same time, I see that as a huge audience that’s going to love Ricochet,” Ricochet says. “This match obviously is a big marquee match for me not just with Logan’s reach, but also being on SummerSlam, one of the biggest premier live events of the year. I get the stakes at hand. It has to be one of the biggest matches I’ve ever had.”
While it’s their first one-on-one match against each other, both competitors have stepped in the ring in the past. Ricochet and Paul crossed paths at a pair of live events earlier this year, with Ricochet responding to a question about working with Paul by simply saying “It’s great that I get to smack and kick Logan in the mouth every week. I love that. Who wouldn’t love that?”
This weekend, Ricochet believes the pressure is on Paul to perform. He’s stepping into a world that Ricochet knows well, as he boasts a catalog of matches that support his claim as a top-tier star on WWE’s roster.
“I think Ricochet has already set that tone, this is just a bigger stage for him to do it on,” he says. “If he wants to (go on SummerSlam) first, I’ll make sure that he can leave first with a loss and go watch his brother. Going out there and letting everybody see Ricochet, whether that’s casual fans, new fans, old fans. Once they see, they’re going to be hooked.”
As for how exactly the pair will hook the audience, Ricochet wasn’t willing to spoil anything after his memorable Royal Rumble spot against Paul followed by an attempted Spanish Fly through a table at Money in the Bank.
“Ricochet never has anything planned,” he says. “Ricochet is an instinct environmentalist. He uses his environment, he uses his instincts. He goes out there, and he just does what he knows he’s capable of doing. So, that’s what you can expect.”