WWE Botched Ricky Saints’ Name in Awkward Slip-Up After SmackDown Debut

Ricky Saints’ WWE SmackDown debut was supposed to be a clean slate, but now a major mistake has taken attention away from the moment.

After stepping onto the main roster during the May 1 episode of WWE SmackDown, Ricky Saints was positioned in a major spot opposite Cody Rhodes. He interrupted the opening segment, went back-and-forth on the mic, and even got a match with the Undisputed WWE Champion the same night, which is a big deal.

The moment carried extra weight as well— Saints and Rhodes go way back, and that history was worked right into the segment before Rhodes eventually picked up the win in their match. But just as WWE was rolling out clips from the debut, things took a turn. On its official YouTube channel, WWE uploaded highlights from the segment and labeled Saints by his old AEW name, Ricky Starks.

It’s the kind of mistake WWE usually avoids at all costs, especially when a name change is part of a fresh presentation. Saints is being introduced as a new main roster player, and instead of locking that in, the clip pulled fans right back to his past.

For a debut built around making a strong first impression, that kind of slip sticks out. The segment itself did what it needed to do — Saints looked like he belonged in the ring with Rhodes. But the YouTube error? That’s the part people are talking about now.

Do you think WWE dropping the ball on Ricky Saints’ name hurts the rollout, or is it just a quick fix that won’t matter next week? Let us know in the comments.