While many in the professional wrestling industry have voiced their disdain for the rising tide of “tribalism” among fanbases, one of NXT’s top stars is taking a more nuanced approach. Ricky Saints, who made a jump from AEW to WWE in early 2025, recently discussed the phenomenon of fans defending their “team” or preferred promotion. Since AEW’s inception in 2019, the divide among fans has often led to toxic social media exchanges, but Saints believes there is a positive element to that level of dedication.
Appearing on the Battleground Podcast, Saints noted that while social media can make the environment feel oversaturated and sensitive, the reality in live crowds is often much more harmonious. He shared his take from recent events, noting that fans from his various stops in the NWA and AEW all mesh together at WWE events. However, he defended the idea of fans having a deep “stake” in a specific product, comparing it to the loyalty seen in traditional sports.
“You’ll have [tribalism] in every aspect. I think it’s a little bit more sensitive and touchy just for the fact that we’re all on social media, so it’s a little bit more saturated. But then when you actually go out into the crowds and you go to these live events like in Nashville, no one cared. There were people who were fans of me from AEW. People who were fans of me from NWA. People who are fans of me now. They all mesh. They all share a commonality. I do think that it is kind of cool to a certain degree that people have such an ownership and stake in a specific company or a specific wrestler. I do find that I like the fondness of that because if you ain’t got passion for your team, then what are you doing?”
Since debuting for WWE just over a year ago, he has already captured both the NXT North American Championship—defeating Shawn Spears in April 2025—and the NXT Championship from Oba Femi later that year.
“I do think that it is kind of cool to a certain degree that people have such an ownership and stake in a specific company or a specific wrestler. I do find that I like the fondness of that because if you ain’t got passion for your team, then what are you doing?”
The timing of Saints’ comments comes as he prepares for one of the biggest matches of his WWE career thus far. This Saturday, March 7, at NXT Vengeance Day, Saints will challenge current champion Joe Hendry for the NXT Championship. Hendry, who has become one of the most organic talents in the brand’s history since crossing over from TNA, captured the vacant title in a ladder match in early February.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Battleground Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
