Back in 2022, AEW standout Ricochet was about to leave the WWE, but a WWE executive interfered. None other than John Laurinaitis, the former Head of Talent Relations. Ricochet recently disclosed on Talk is Jericho that he has spoken with Laurinaitis about leaving the organization in 2022. But the WWE official had, as it were, "thrown some bait" at him. Ricochet was informed by Laurinaitis that WWE intended to make him the Intercontinental Champion rather than being stopped outright.
"In 2022, I went to Laurinaitis and said, 'I think i want to quit.' He responded, "We're thinking about putting you in an Intercontinental Championship match. How do you feel about that? Is that something you're still interested in?" as per Wrestling Inc.
Like many other superstars, Ricochet was dissatisfied with his booking, thus he indicated that now was the ideal time for him to think about quitting WWE. Before he could respond definitively, he was scheduled to meet the Intercontinental Champion, even if at first he had no desire to win the title. Though Gunther's victory put an end to Ricochet's reign, he did ultimately win the Intercontinental Championship. For the next 666 days, Gunther would remain the champion.
Ricochet won several titles in WWE
Ricochet was successful, but he was never scheduled for a high-profile championship match or the WWE Championship, which could have influenced his decision to quit. "When contract season comes around, if I don’t feel valued… then I know it’s okay to just walk," Ricochet said. When his contract was about to end in May 2024, he informed the corporation of his decision to quit, which resulted in his release.