Singles AEW run; weak booking?- 5 reasons why Ricochet should NOT join The Hurt Syndicate

Ricochet continues to showcase his incredible skills on All Elite Wrestling televised programming. He continues to hunt singles gold as he chases Konosuke Takeshita's International Title, and will also be challenging Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship next year at Wrestle Dynasty.

The Hurt Syndicate, on the other hand, also formally reunited on Fright Night Dynamite last month as a debuting Bobby Lashley joined Shelton Benjamin and MVP in delivering a vicious beatdown on Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana. The Franchise Playa has also been engaged in attempting to expand the faction, handing business cards to Lio Rush, The Acclaimed, and even Ricochet.

The Syndicate met up with The One and Only backstage ahead of his match on Dynamite this week. King Rico reminded MVP of having already voiced his disinterest in aligning with the former Hurt Business, and the latter responded by seemingly just wishing him the best for his match and complimenting his fine attire.

Ricochet's addition to The Hurt Syndicate would certainly elevate the credibility of the group even further. However, there are five good reasons why that should not transpire. Let us explore them below.

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#1: Ricochet seemingly has allies of his own in AEW

As seen on the November 6 episode of Dynamite, Ricochet shocked fans by revealing that his mystery tag partner going against Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher was none other than a returning Powerhouse Hobbs. The former WWE US Champion pinned The Alpha to pick the win for his team in an exciting back-and-forth matchup, notably displaying impressive tag team synergy with The Embodiment of Willpower.

Later in the show, Ricochet aided Hobbs, Mark Davis and a returning Will Ospreay repel Fletcher, Brian Cage, and Lance Archer of The Don Callis Family. It seems like the 36-year-old star has his fair share of allies in AEW, and does not need to be part of a faction like The Hurt Syndicate for reinforcements at present.

#2: Ricochet does not need other ex-WWE Superstars to further his AEW career

Ever since his debut in AEW at All In 2024, Ricochet has been on top of his in-ring game. He has not been beaten in an All Elite ring so far and was not pinned in the International Title three-way at WrestleDream 2024 last month, thus clearly launching what seemingly promises to be a successful and exciting career in AEW.

So far, The Future of Flight has mixed it up with the likes of AEW original Sammy Guevara, long-time rivals like AR Fox and Will Ospreay, and up-and-comers like Kyle Fletcher and Nick Wayne. The decorated high-flyer is an easy fit for AEW's brand of competitive and creative environment and flexibility with regard to appearances in partner promotions.

As such, even though Tony Khan could draw from Ricochet's history with Bobby Lashley and The Hurt Syndicate from their time in WWE, and create a compelling storyline where he joins the stable in AEW, the All Elite creative head may be better served in not putting the inaugural WWE Speed Champion with his peers from the sports entertainment juggernaut for the time being, and instead letting him further explore himself as an AEW star.

#3: The One and Only should focus on his singles career instead of joining a faction

Since his arrival at AEW, Ricochet has been quite outspoken about his desire to prove his mettle against the very best competitors the promotion had to offer. The Human Highlight Reel's recent work has been excellent on all fronts, as he puts on top-tier matches and cuts promos on a regular basis, and as he seemingly fleshes out the current iteration of his character.

Ricochet in Japan (Credit: Ricochet on Instagram)

While a section of viewers may suggest that Ricochet could benefit from MVP's services as a manager/spokesperson, and from being involved in the affairs of the latter's stable, AEW could opt to enable the former Intercontinental Champion to refine his mic skills and develop his on-screen persona further independently, instead of integrating him into The Hurt Syndicate mere months after his debut in the company. This could potentially boost fan investment in Ricochet's singles career even more.

#4: The Future of Flight could team up with Swerve Strickland

The Hurt Syndicate, since coming to AEW, has been chiefly going after Swerve Strickland, attempting to recruit him at first and then trying to take him down after he refused. The former AEW World Champion was laid out by Bobby Lashley after he defeated Shelton Benjamin last month. This led to The New Flavor challenging The All-Mighty for a bout at Full Gear 2024 on Dynamite this week.

A similar fate could befall Ricochet if he continues to turn down Lashley and company, which could then in turn cause The Highlight of the Night to team up with Strickland, forming a blockbuster babyface pairing in the process, united to take down The Hurt Syndicate.

#5: The Hurt Syndicate could recruit other names instead

As mentioned previously, The Hurt Syndicate has reached out to a number of stars on the AEW roster already. This has led to a couple of interesting storyline possibilities - for instance, it seems like Max Caster is interested in joining the group, which could be foreshadowing his split from Acclaimed tag partner Anthony Bowens.

Furthermore, Lio Rush, who also received a card, is seemingly willing to go to desperate lengths to score victories in AEW, hinting at a possible heel turn in days to come. Instead of Ricochet, stars like Rush and Caster could forge fruitful alliances with The Syndicate, which in turn could jumpstart other storylines, angles, and career paths for all the talent involved.