Ricky Saints hits back at criticism over his friendship with former WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes.
Wrestling fans know about the strong bond between Ricky Saints and Cody Rhodes, as the pair have been friends for several years. Before Saints officially joined WWE, he showed up to support Rhodes during some of his biggest career moments. While still under AEW contract, Saints attended both the 2023 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 40, making headlines with his presence.
Following his backstage appearances at WWE shows, Ricky Saints drew major attention when fans saw him entering the venue with Cody Rhodes at the 2023 Royal Rumble, sparking speculation about his status with AEW.
Saints reacted to that moment a few months ago, saying he doesn’t accept the idea that it’s just ‘part of the wrestling business’ and won’t tolerate any weird behavior. During a recent episode of Cody Rhodes’ podcast, What Do You Want to Talk About?, Saints addressed the narrative that his rise in WWE is solely due to his friendship with Rhodes.
“I will never let somebody weaponize a friendship against me. This is the thing like, I don’t have a lot of friends, so to speak, the people that have shown me being seen, being heard, being understood… I have such an endearing and deep love for you as a person because of what you have shown and reciprocated back.”
Ricky Saints dismisses claims his rise is due to Cody Rhodes in WWE
Ricky Saints admitted he expected some fans to dismiss him because of his close friendship with Cody Rhodes. However, he believes in his talent and is confident. “I already knew being so public about an affection for a friend, especially in your position, was always going to be ‘That’s just Cody’s friend.’ That is. That’s cool, if that’s what you think of me, perfect. But when I get in the ring, when I get on the microphone, you don’t, no one will ever say that sh*t to me.”
Both Rhodes and Saints also laughed at moment being spotted backstage at the Royal Rumble 2023. Rhodes recalled walking Saints through the backstage area. Saints confirmed the story and said he just wanted to be there for his friend during a big moment and that he has no regrets. [H/T: wrestlingnews]
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