WWE’s Confusion Over Ricky Saints’ Name Change Raises Eyebrows

Ricky Starks’ jump to NXT came with a surprise—he wasn’t Ricky Starks anymore. Instead, WWE rebranded him as Ricky Saints, leaving fans wondering why the company would tweak the name of a star who’s already built a reputation.

Initially, PWInsider reported that WWE wanted to trademark the name for themselves, which is a common move to secure full ownership of a wrestler’s identity. However, in a Fightful Select Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp added another wrinkle to the story.

“We were told that there were a number of people in WWE who were of the belief they couldn’t get the clear rights to the Ricky Starks name,” Sapp revealed. “I’m not sure why it was that much of a hang-up. He used it well before AEW, including in WWE.”

This has left many scratching their heads. Starks had already wrestled under his real name before AEW, including during his brief WWE stint in 2012 when he faced Jinder Mahal on WWE TV. So why the sudden issue?

Regardless of the reasoning, Ricky Saints is already making waves in NXT. He honored his hometown of New Orleans with his new moniker, representing the city’s French roots and football culture, while still keeping the “Ricky S” sound.

Some fans may still prefer Starks, but with a solid NXT debut alongside Je’Von Evans, it looks like Saints is settling into his WWE run. The real question now is—will WWE stick with it, or could we see another switch down the road?