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On the most recent episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Ricochet faced Gunther for his WWE Intercontinental Championship. The powerful Austrian was accompanied to the ring by Ludwig Kaiser.
Thanks in part to Kaiser for providing a distraction along with Gunther's pure ability, Ricochet lost. The Ring General is now the WWE Intercontinental Champion. The high flyer, on the other hand, is back to square one.
When a champion loses their title, their career can often go into a downward spiral as such devastating setbacks are often followed by losing streaks. Now that Ricochet has lost his title, how can he get back on track?
Below are five potential directions for Ricochet after his title loss on WWE SmackDown.
#5 Ricochet could have a rematch with Gunther
As mentioned previously, Ricochet came up short in a battle with Gunther on Friday Night SmackDown. Before the loss, the high flyer was on quite the championship reign.
Ricochet turned back several challengers on SmackDown. He defeated Sami Zayn for the title. He then successfully defended the belt against Sami, Shanky, Jinder Mahal, Humberto, and Angel. That's more title defenses than most champions can endure.
The One and Only would certainly be eager to win back the WWE Intercontinental Championship, and so he may want a rematch with Gunther. While battling the powerhouse Austrian is risky, it may pay off. Ricochet regaining his title against Gunther is one way to get the former back on track. The Austrian is undefeated on the main roster, so a win for will mean even more.
#4 He could form a tag team
Ricochet has done well as a singles star in WWE. While he is yet to win a world title on the main roster, the high flyer has mastered the mid-card and his championship record is proof of that.
The high flyer is the only man to have held all three mid-card titles in WWE. He's captured the NXT North American Championship, the United States Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship.
For all his solo success, Ricochet is yet to win tag team gold. The athletic superstar came close on NXT while teaming with Aleister Black, but they couldn't reach their goal. He could form a new team to challenge The Usos and hopefully add to his list of accolades.
#3 Max Dupri could recruit him
Max Dupri is the new name for LA Knight. The charismatic talent is now a manager on SmackDown. Dupri's clients will be under the Maximum Male Models agency. For now, none of his clients have been revealed.
If Ricochet needs a new direction following his loss to Gunther, a heel turn could be a good option. With his acrobatic wrestling, he'd need something to really cement himself as a villain and as such, Max managing him could be exactly what Ricochet needs.
Another benefit to the two being aligned is Max Dupri's mic skills. While Ricochet isn't terrible on the mic, Dupri is much better. Max can handle the mic while Ricochet handles the action.
#2 He could move to WWE RAW
WWE SmackDown is currently Ricochet's home brand. He was drafted to the Friday night show during the 2021 WWE Draft. Like so much of his career in World Wrestling Entertainment, his run on the brand has been a mixed bag.
The athletic star competed in the King of the Ring tournament and the Royal Rumble match. Unfortunately, he lost both. He did capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but he's since lost the title. Perhaps the One and Only needs a change in scenery.
Ricochet could move back to RAW. On the red brand, he held the United States Championship, which is currently held by Theory. If the high flyer has no luck with Gunther, he may be best off challenging the other young champion. Plus, RAW is a longer program. This offers Ricochet more potential TV time.
#1 Ricochet could return to NXT
Ricochet made his WWE in-ring debut at NXT Takeover: New Orleans in 2018. While on the black and gold brand, he saw a lot of success. He won the NXT North American Championship at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV. He later won the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. His partner for the tournament was Aleister Black, who is now known as Malakai Black in All Elite Wrestling.
After less than a year in NXT, the extraordinary athlete was brought to Monday Night RAW. While on the main roster, he won both the United States Championship and the Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately, he's often gotten lost in the shuffle.
If Ricochet were to return to NXT, it may set him on a new path. Apollo Crews recently returned to the brand. His career may very well be reignited. The same could happen for Ricochet. Both stars were arguably called up too soon. The One and Only having a top spot on NXT may prepare him for a new run on RAW or SmackDown.
After such a devastating loss to Gunther, the WWE Universe is looking forward to seeing how the high flyer manages to rebound.
Speaking of Gunther, to read about potential challengers he'll have as Intercontinental Champion, click here.
