In a twist worthy of a high-flying thriller, the WWE Speed Championship has found a new home! During the taping of “WWE SmackDown” on Friday, Andrade swooped in to snatch the title from Ricochet, according to PWInsider. The episode is set to air on the X platform on June 14, but the excitement is already palpable.
Ricochet, who was crowned the inaugural Speed Champion in April after outmaneuvering Johnny Gargano, defended his title against Tyler Bate successfully. However, his reign came to an abrupt end in his second defense against Andrade. This marks Andrade’s first WWE title since he dropped the United States Championship back in June 2020, making his return to WWE in January after a brief hiatus.
Ricochet’s loss couldn’t have come at a more intriguing time. Just last month, news broke that his WWE contract is set to expire over the summer. With free agency on the horizon, AEW’s Will Ospreay, a former indie rival and current AEW International Champion, has publicly urged Ricochet to jump ship. Despite this, WWE is reportedly keen on negotiating a new deal with their high-flying superstar.
Before his WWE tenure, Ricochet carved out a niche for himself on the indie circuit, dazzling fans with his lightning-quick offense in promotions like NJPW, Dragon Gate, PWG, and Lucha Underground, where he famously donned the mask of Prince Puma. He joined WWE in January 2016, quickly becoming a standout in NXT under the guidance of Triple H, capturing the North American Championship.
Since his main roster debut in 2019, Ricochet has held both the United States and Intercontinental titles. His lone WWE Championship match, however, ended in a crushing defeat to Brock Lesnar at Super ShowDown 2020, where he was dispatched in just ninety seconds.
As Andrade begins his reign as the new WWE Speed Champion, all eyes will be on Ricochet’s next move. Will he renew his WWE contract or take his talents to AEW? Stay tuned, wrestling fans—this storyline is just getting started!