Oba Femi finally dropped the NXT Championship. After 263 days, Rick Saints did the unthinkable, becoming one of the three men to pin Femi since 2024. Saints came into NXT with all the momentum in the world. Fans wanted to see what made him special in All Elite Wrestling. That didn’t happen immediately, but now that he’s holding this title WWE needs to let the true power of Ricky Saints flow.
During his run in AEW, and even while he was in NWA, fans saw Ricky Starks as a main event performer. When he stood across from MJF as the former’s first challenge as AEW World Champion, fans knew that Starks wasn’t going to pick up the win, but hoped he’d get the opportunity to show that he was ready for some shine. That never came. Even after angles that involved Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, Starks never held a “legit” AEW singles title. He’d then be benched before showing up in NXT under a different name.
That transition to NXT came with a lot of hype but quickly did not live up to those expectations. Some wondered if it was WWE’s inability to tell excellent stories, or an intentional move to cool Ricky Saints down while he was in NXT. Either way, Ricky Saints was cooled down more than anyone anticipated.
Does winning the NXT Championship immediately fix that matter? Not necessarily, but it is a start. The NXT men’s division isn’t that great. There are a few shining elements to it like Ethan Page, Myles Borne, Tavion Heights, and others. But there’s a lot to be desired, especially when compared to the women’s division. Having Saints at the top, there’s an opportunity to start the work necessary to fix the entire division.
Ricky Saints needs a long run as NXT Champion. While there’s a push to see him on the main roster sooner rather than later, keeping him in NXT as champion for 200 or so days is a better move for his development as a main roster star. Using some of those names previously mentioned and perhaps mixing in some main roster foils as challengers would go a long way in allowing Saints to spread his wings to remind us who he was as Ricky Starks in AEW and beyond.
Ricky Saints as the NXT Champion seemed like a foregone conclusion when he joined WWE. That moment is here, but the momentum along with it needs to be cultivated. Giving Saints a strong run as champion is a necessary move not only for the performer, but also for the entire men’s division.