Summary

Ricky Saints said the post-show photo featuring himself, CM Punk, Jade Cargill, and Cody Rhodes was not meant as a statement toward either WWE or AEW.

The photo was taken after WWE Saturday Night's Main Event in Salt Lake City in November 2025, where Cargill won the WWE Women's Championship and Punk won the World Heavyweight Championship. Saints said the moment happened naturally backstage, adding that Punk was the one who asked to take the picture.

Saints also said he does not believe people in either company were bothered by it. He is currently set to challenge for the NXT Championship again in the same Fatal 4-Way direction highlighted in NXT Vengeance Day coverage.

Quote from Ricky Saints

"That picture was not based on us wanting to prove a point or anything. I was there to see Jade (Cargill) have her match and it just happened that I saw Punk. It was all just circumstance. It wasn’t like a deliberate thing and Punk wanted a picture, so I said, ‘Hey, why not?’ I was there with my (NXT) title because I was also taking promo pictures. It just worked out. There was no ill will about it. We all know each other, we all like each other, and it was a cool moment. Look at us, we’re all champions right now. Whatever agenda people want to apply to it is up to them. I doubt anyone really cared over there (in AEW) or over here."

What Ricky Saints' comments mean for his NXT momentum

By framing the photo as a casual backstage moment, Saints keeps the focus on his own NXT title path instead of outside-company narratives.

His comments also reinforce that his current positioning is about competing for championships in WWE, which matters as he heads into another NXT Championship opportunity.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.