Ricky Saints appears to have wrapped up his time in NXT, and he made sure to leave on a heartfelt note before shifting focus to WWE SmackDown.

During Tuesday’s episode, Saints competed in what is expected to be his final match on the brand, coming up short against Shiloh Hill. Once the broadcast ended, he remained in the ring to address the live crowd, taking a moment to reflect on his journey and the role the fans played in it.

Looking back on his arrival, Saints credited the NXT audience for helping him stay true to himself during a period of major change in his career.

“I should be thanking you. I should be thanking the people in the production truck. All of them. February 7, I stood up there and I talked my stuff, and you guys welcomed me and you chanted ‘Ricky Starks’, and you made sure I remembered who I was. On the 11th, I had my match, and then a few months after that, I won the North American Championship. I want you to understand something, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I came here, but you welcomed me.”

He was also open about the adjustment period that came with joining WWE, explaining that the transition was not always smooth, but ultimately worth it thanks to the support system around him.

“I’d be lying if I said this was all a very easy transition, but it was not and that is okay, that’s how it gets sometimes, but at the end of the day, I came out here, I busted my ass, I made sure that I did what was needed for business. You guys repaid me with love, with stroke, with buying the shirts, with all of that. I don’t think that I would even get this far had it not been for the people here, and definitely for the people in the back.”

After acknowledging members of the backstage team, Saints turned his attention to what lies ahead, while also recognizing that this could be the final time fans see him in an NXT ring.

“So, if this is the last time that you may see me in this NXT ring, then thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I would hope that this Friday on SmackDown, I would hope that you’d watch me there too.”

.@starkmanjones shared a heartfelt message after #WWENXT went off the air last night 🥹 pic.twitter.com/UvBK022rqE

, WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 29, 2026