Is Ricky Saints still in AEW

Ricky Saints (birth name: Richard Starks) is an American professional wrestler. As of March 2025, he is with WWE and competes on its NXT brand. The New Orleans native initially wrestled across numerous promotions in Texas, United States. The winner of the NWA World Television Championship Tournament (2020) later established himself in NWA as the inaugural NWA World Television Champion. His career-defining moment came in AEW as Ricky Starks, where he became the longest-reigning FTW Champion.

Saints, the winner of the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale and Men’s Owen Hart Cup (2023) has held the AEW World Tag Team Championship once with Big Bill. Upon leaving the company, he went on to compete in promotions like Game Changer Wrestling, DEFY Wrestling, and House of Glory just before closing a deal with WWE.

Is Ricky Saints currently a part of AEW

Ricky Starks, formerly known as Ricky Saints, is no longer with AEW. He debuted with the company in 2020 and made his final AEW appearance in March 2024, teaming with Big Bill in the AEW Tag Team Title tournament against Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin). Since then, Saints has remained active on the independent scene, notably winning the DEFY World Title at DEFY Hundredth. Ahead of his departure, AEW removed him from its roster page (via: Fightful). On February 11, 2025, Saints officially signed with WWE, confirming his exit from AEW.

The reason behind Ricky Saints leaving AEW

When asked by Bully Ray on Busted Open After Dark whether his departure was due to personal or professional reasons, former FTW and AEW Tag Team Champion Ricky Saints responded:

“It was probably personal. Because if it was professional, it wouldn't have happened this way. That's how I believe it. That's not to disparage anyone there, just so we're clear...There's nothing disparaging for me to say. What I am saying is the truth that I don't know exactly what it was, and if you point to those two times that I was caught on footage at WWE, I can tell you that you're wrong."

"Some people will say, 'We could tell he was phoning it in.' Bulls***. There's never a match of mine in my entire career that I gave less than 1,000 percent. You can jump off a cliff with that opinion because it's not even real. Don't disrespect me and say I gave something less than 1,000 percent. That is not in my bones. There is no part of my body that I am capable of doing that. There are situations that will probably pop up again when it comes to, let's say, politicking and guys putting their nose in businesses that don't belong. I will say this: There are some people who stuck their nose in my creative business that shouldn't have happened...veterans, and that's it. I'm gonna leave it at that," he added.

Ricky Saints continued:

"I think what it was...if it didn't work for their creative, then someone had to get the boot. That's how I see it. I'm not trying to be negative in my thought process about it, but I do think that, for sure. That's okay. That's fine. If you want to step on me to get ahead in your illustrious career, everyone should have an illustrious career, but at the same time, I'm not wet behind my ears."