"Taken aback" -  Wrestling legend is surprised by Ricochet's loss on SmackDown (Exclusive)

The latest SmackDown episode featured a massive 12-man Gauntlet Match, including Ricochet, that had Sami Zayn eventually emerge as the winner. The former NXT North American champion put up a valiant effort but sadly faltered at the final hurdle.

Pro wrestling legend Bill Apter revealed on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk that he was a bit surprised to see Ricochet not get pushed to win the high-stakes match.

Apter noted that Ricochet has been on the cusp of stardom for a long time now and thoroughly deserved to win the big match on SmackDown.

The iconic wrestling journalist also shared his overall thoughts on SmackDown:

"I enjoyed the whole show from the top, almost to the bottom. At the end, I'm not a big purveyor of the food thing, but it was definitely Ricochet's night to shine, and I was really... He has been on the verge of stardom for so many years, and I think tonight we really wanted to see that happen. He was on the cusp of it, and I was, no knock to Sami Zayn, but I was definitely, definitely taken aback when he didn't win that match," shared Bill Apter.

Ricochet's main roster run and future on SmackDown

Ricochet arrived in the WWE with a reputation for being one of the best high-flyers in the world.

After spending a year in NXT, the former Prince Puma was called up to the main roster in 2019, and he has since been unable to break through into the main event scene consistently.

In terms of championship accolades, Ricochet has only won the United States title once since moving up, and most fans feel that the WWE has underutilized the 33-year-old superstar since he made his RAW debut by teaming up with then-intercontinental champion Finn Balor.

Ricochet has been a regular fixture in WWE's mid-card scene, and the 12 Days of Christmas Gauntlet Match on SmackDown was a golden opportunity for him to get back into title contention. However, Sami Zayn is now the #1 contender for the IC title, and Ricochet might have to wait for his opportunity to shine in the spotlight.

Should WWE back Ricochet with better creative decisions? Should he have won on SmackDown? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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