Ricky Saints has made a strong impact since arriving in NXT, picking up major wins and championship gold in just over a year. Now, he’s taking a hard look back at his time in AEW and openly grading how his career has stacked up between the two companies.
Saints joined NXT after a notable run in AEW where he competed in Sting’s return match, captured the AEW Tag Team Titles, and shared the ring with top names like CM Punk and Bryan Danielson. Since moving to WWE, he’s captured both the NXT North American Championship and the NXT Championship, quickly establishing himself as one of the brand’s key stars.
While speaking with David Shoemaker and Kazeem Famuyide of The Ringer, Saints was asked to compare his AEW run with his current stretch in NXT by grading both chapters of his career. He admitted the question wasn’t easy but gave an honest reflection on what he accomplished during his AEW tenure.
“Damn, that’s hard. I loved my run at AEW for all intents and purposes, right? You can say whatever you want about the other stuff, but I think when you look at it in a totality form, like I did enjoy it. I just wanted more out of it. Um dang, I think I would give it like a B.”
Saints went on to explain that he tried to remove personal frustrations from his evaluation and focus strictly on the work he delivered while he was there. He acknowledged there were goals he didn’t reach, but he still felt his overall performance deserved solid marks.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s — B is because I have to remove certain like personal things of accomplishments that I wanted that I didn’t necessarily get. I got to remove that. I got to look at what the actual work was. What actually was done.”
When shifting to his current run in NXT, Saints made it clear that he feels his WWE run has taken things to another level. With championship victories already on his résumé and a growing presence on the brand, he graded his current performance slightly higher than his AEW run.
“And now when we compare that to NXT, I would give my NXT run like — I’d give it like a B plus. I’d give it like — I’d give it close to — we’re edging out an A.”
Saints’ comments offer a rare self-assessment that directly compares his time in AEW to his momentum in NXT, showing appreciation for his past while making it clear he believes his current trajectory is moving in the right direction. With more time ahead in WWE, that “B plus” grade could still climb even higher as his run continues.
Saints has already checked off major accomplishments in NXT, but his own words suggest he still sees room to grow and prove even more as his career moves forward.
Do you agree with Ricky Saints grading his AEW run as a B and his NXT run as edging toward an A, or do you think his time in AEW deserved a higher mark? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.