Ricky Saints' Best Matches, According To Cagematch

Ricky Saints is the new NXT Champion! The former AEW wrestler, previously known as Ricky Starks in Tony Khan's organization, walked out of No Mercy 2025 with the championship after defeating Oba Femi in the main event.

READ NEXT: AJ Lee's Best WWE Matches, According To Cagematch

In this article, we'll be taking a look at the ten best matches of Ricky Saints' career up until now, according to fan votes on Cagematch.

Note: The following Cagematch ratings are updated as of September 29, 2025.

Notable Runs	NWA (2018-2020); AEW (2020-2025); WWE (2025-Present)
Accomplishments	NXT Champion (1x); NXT North American Champion (1x); FTW Champion (1x); AEW World Tag Team Champion (1x); NWA World Television Champion (1x)

10. Four Way Ladder Match (AEW Full Gear 2023)

Cagematch Rating: 7.79

Participants	Big Bill & Ricky Starks; FTR; Kings Of The Black Throne; La Faccion Ingobernable
Stipulation	AEW World Tag Team Championship Four Way Ladder Match
Time	20:09
Winners	Big Bill & Ricky Starks

On paper, the Ladder Match at AEW Full Gear 2023 had everything to be a fan-favorite with ladders and chaotic dives. Rush and Dralistico brought an element of high risk with their speed, while Brody King & Malakai Black added a different dynamic to the match due to the former's sheer power.

Their styles worked well together and created a fun match. Ricky Starks and Big Bill were very opportunistic during the bout, capitalizing on every mistake from their opponents, which allowed them to walk out of this chaotic bout with the belts.

9. W/ Brian Cage Vs. Sting & Darby Allin (AEW Revolution 2021)

Cagematch Rating: 7.81

Stipulation	Tag Team Street Fight
Time	13:52
Winners	Sting & Darby Allin

Cinematic matches are not for everyone, but as you can see with the rating above, a lot of people enjoyed the Street Fight at AEW Revolution 2021. Some Cagematch users praised the "warehouse feel" that instantly made the match feel unique.

Ricky Starks had a chance to shine thanks to his tremendous heel work. Mocking the legendary Sting immediately elevated the future NXT Champion by association. Overall, this was a great first match for The Stinger in AEW.

8. Vs. Oba Femi (NXT No Mercy 2025)

Cagematch Rating: 7.82

Stipulation	NXT Championship Match
Time	17:22
Winner	Ricky Saints

The NXT Championship match at No Mercy 2025 carried big expectations after a solid build, and for the most part it delivered. Oba Femi absolutely destroyed Saints with his usual heavy offense, but the challenger refused to go down and kept fighting back.

In the end, Saints put Oba Femi down with a series of DDTs to become the new NXT Champion. While many people didn't love the abrupt ending, this match - and victory - will forever be an important chapter of Ricky Saints' career.

7. Three Way Tag Team Match (AEW Double Or Nothing 2022)

Cagematch Rating: 7.90

Participants	Jurassic Express; Team Taz; Swerve In Our Glory
Stipulation	AEW World Tag Team Championship Three Way Tag Team Match
Time	17:15
Winners	Jurassic Express

This match featured three different styles - Starks & Hobbs brought raw aggression and muscle, Lee & Swerve added explosiveness while Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus carried the established tag team chemistry. Several Cagematch users described the match as "fun", which sums it up perfectly.

For Ricky Starks, it was a great opportunity to look dangerous in a wild multi-team environment. Fast-paced, wild and with many creative sequences, this tag title match showcased each team without overstaying its welcome.

6. W/ CM Punk & FTR Vs. Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns (AEW Collision, June 24, 2023)

Cagematch Rating: 7.91

Stipulation	Eight Man Tag Team Match
Time	23:43
Winners	Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns

The main event of the second episode of AEW Collision had big names, star power and a hot crowd that was loud from bell to bell. There were great interactions between every wrestler involved, and the crowd reactions made every moment feel bigger.

Ricky Starks thrived in that environment, putting extra fire into every exchange. Even with CM Punk and FTR on his team, Starks managed to shine and proved he was a natural fit for big-match situations. Ultimately, the heels picked up a somewhat surprising victory when Jay White pinned Starks.

5. W/ Big Bill Vs. Sting & Darby Allin (AEW Dynamite, February 7, 2024)

Cagematch Rating: 7.91

Stipulation	Tornado Tag Team Match
Time	13:19
Winners	Sting & Darby Allin

Three years after being involved in Sting's first AEW match, Ricky Starks got pinned by Sting in what turned out to be The Icon's final championship win in his pro wrestling career. The four wrestlers delivered an incredible match, with the electric crowd elevating it.

Once again, Starks showed he belonged in a marquee matchup, and also that he was one of Sting's best opponents in AEW. While Starks and Big Bill came up short and dropped the titles here, this stands as a career highlight for everyone involved.

4. Vs. Ethan Page (NXT The Great American Bash 2025)

Cagematch Rating: 8.27

Stipulation	NXT North American Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match
Time	14:47
Winner	Ethan Page

What made the Falls Count Anywhere match at The Great American Bash 2025 so awesome was the fact that Ricky Saints and Ethan Page really did fight anywhere. They made great use of the stipulation, as the fight spilled into ringside, the crowd and different backstage areas.

Saints came close to regaining the North American Championship from Page many times, especially after hitting a Powerbomb onto four chairs or a wild Tornado DDT backstage. Despite losing, Saints was able to deliver in an extreme environment, and he moved on to the NXT Title picture from there.

3. Vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW Collision, September 23, 2023)

Cagematch Rating: 8.54

Stipulation	Texas Death Match
Time	20:10
Winner	Bryan Danielson

This Texas Death Match was a wild brawl that turned into a savage war as the bout escalated and got more intense. Many Cagematch users praised Starks for his performance here, and it's obvious his series of matches with Bryan Danielson elevated the younger star.

Bryan Danielson was incredible as always with his usual gritty technical style, but Starks was equally impressive. In fact, Cagematch user LGL19 went as far as to say "Starks is a made man after this [match]". The visceral beating Starks took made Starks look awesome, even in defeat.

2. Three Way Tag Team Match (AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest, July 13, 2022)

Cagematch Rating: 8.64

Participants	The Young Bucks; Team Taz; Swerve In Our Glory
Stipulation	AEW World Tag Team Championship Three Way Tag Team Match
Time	18:14
Winners	Swerve In Our Glory

The three way tag match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship at Fyter Fest 2022 was far more than just a spot fest. The defending champions Young Bucks had many chances to shine, Starks & Hobbs worked hard and nearly walked out the new champions, but in the end Swerve In Our Glory captured the belts.

Despite getting pinned by Swerve Strickland in the end, Ricky Starks really got to showcase his charisma and in-ring ability throughout the entire bout. His performance was so strong that a few Cagematch reviewers even felt it was unfair for him to "eat" the pin, since he'd been one of the highlights of the match.

1. Vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW All Out 2023)

Cagematch Rating: 9.24

Stipulation	Strap Match
Time	16:39
Winner	Bryan Danielson

When we look back at Ricky Starks/Saints' career, this was the singles match that put him on the map. The stipulation asked for a brutal match, and Starks was very aggressive. Bryan Danielson's bladejob and his flawless selling made Starks look like a million dollars.

Ricky Starks hung toe-to-toe with the former WrestleMania main eventer and multiple-time world champion on pay-per-view, in what is the greatest match of his young career to date, according to Cagematch.

Do you agree with Cagematch users? Let us know in the comment section below. Thank you for reading!

Is Ricky Saints a future WWE World Champion?

• Yes
• No