Ricky Saints Reacts to “Tony Fumbled” Chants After NXT Title Win – Ricky Saints is making waves in NXT, but he wants the spotlight to stay on his current success—not on past frustrations.
Earlier this month, Saints captured his first WWE championship by defeating Shawn Spears to become the new NXT North American Champion. The moment was immediately followed by an on-air angle in which Ethan Page attacked him, setting the stage for a high-stakes title match at NXT Stand & Deliver. However, it wasn’t just the storyline that caught attention. As the show went off the air, the live crowd began chanting “Tony fumbled,” a pointed jab at AEW President Tony Khan, suggesting he had mishandled Saints’ time in the company.
In an interview during WrestleMania week with Good Karma Wrestling, Saints addressed the chants and the fan reaction. While he acknowledged the support, he also expressed his desire to keep the conversation positive.
“My reaction is — it’s not about what happened in the past,” Saints said. “It’s about like, let’s focus on now and my work that I’m doing now. I appreciate the sentiment that they care about me and have opinions about the situation, but, you know, let’s not put somebody else down.”
Saints, formerly known as Ricky Starks in AEW, made his surprise debut for WWE’s NXT brand in February—just one day after being released from his AEW contract. Despite his charisma and in-ring ability, Saints had been absent from AEW television for nearly a year before his departure. In previous interviews, he referred to the unexplained absence as a “mindfck”* due to the lack of communication from AEW management.
During his AEW run, Saints held both the FTW Championship and the AEW World Tag Team Championship. His NXT arrival marked a new chapter, one that’s quickly gained momentum.
Now, as North American Champion, Saints will defend his title against Ethan Page this Saturday at NXT Stand & Deliver. The premium live event kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and promises to be a major showcase for the rising star.
Ricky Saints Reacts to “Tony Fumbled” Chants After NXT Title Win
