Before he ever signed with WWE full time, Ricky Saints had already stepped inside the company’s world several times as enhancement talent. One particular moment from those early appearances ended up reinforcing his determination to eventually return as a featured star.
Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, Saints reflected on an early backstage segment where he was put through a table by Ryback.
“I really think it was [when] I got put through a table by Ryback,” Saints said. “I had to do that stuff three times. That was a moment where I go, ‘Wow, this will be the funniest story when I come back here and take it over.’”
Saints explained that the moment stuck with him because it helped fuel his long term goal of eventually returning to WWE in a much bigger role.
At the time, Saints had also gone through an early WWE tryout but did not hear anything back afterward. Even after that disappointment, he remained determined to make it back to the company one day.
He later made another guest appearance for WWE and promised himself that the next time he walked through the door, it would not be as an extra.
Saints eventually built his reputation elsewhere in the wrestling world. He found success in the National Wrestling Alliance before becoming a prominent name in All Elite Wrestling, which helped raise his profile across the industry.
The segment involving Ryback was taped backstage rather than performed live in front of the crowd. In the scene, Saints played an arena worker who encountered Ryback in the catering area. The interaction escalated quickly when Ryback slapped him and then drove him through a table.
According to Saints, Ryback did not warn him in advance that the slap was coming. Despite the surprise moment, Saints now looks back on the experience positively as part of his early journey in the wrestling business.
Do you think moments like these help shape future stars in wrestling, or are enhancement appearances mostly forgotten once a wrestler finally makes it to the big stage?
