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Legendary wrestling booker Dutch Mantell believes Ricochet needs to improve his microphone skills if he wants to become a WWE main-eventer.
The high-flyer is widely regarded as one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. Despite his undeniable athleticism, the SmackDown star has mostly been used in mid-card storylines during his four years on WWE's main roster.
On Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the former WWE personality praised Ricochet's in-ring prowess. He also gave a brutally honest assessment of the 34-year-old's inability to make fans interested in his storylines:
"You can't just be pushed on wrestling ability alone," Mantell said. "Look at Ricochet. Ricochet's probably the best. Some of the stuff he does is literally flawless, but he couldn't draw you a dime because he can't talk. People don't really connect to him. They connect to his wrestling, but personally there's something missing there. If he could talk, he'd be a main-event guy." [2:56 – 3:28]
Ricochet is a former Intercontinental and United States Champion. In December, he emerged victorious in an eight-man tournament to win the SmackDown World Cup.
What is Ricochet doing now on WWE television?
Moving forward, all eyes will be on the Royal Rumble event on January 28. Ricochet qualified for the men's match with a win over Top Dolla on the January 6 episode of SmackDown.
Prior to that, the acrobatic superstar formed an unexpected alliance with Braun Strowman. The SmackDown World Cup competitors defeated Imperium's Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight on December 23, 2022.
In recent weeks, Ricochet and Strowman have also unsuccessfully challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship.
Before challenging Gunther, Ricochet beat Mustafa Ali, Strowman, and Santos Escobar in separate singles matches to claim the SmackDown World Cup.
Do you agree with Dutch Mantell's comments? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
