Adam Copeland says there is no lingering bad blood between himself and Ricky Saints stemming from their memorable promo exchange in AEW nearly three years ago.
During the October 14, 2023 edition of AEW Collision, Copeland referred to the then-Ricky Starks as a “vanilla midget” version of The Rock, a line that generated significant discussion among wrestling fans.
Speaking with SHAK Wrestling, Copeland reflected on the segment and explained that he never viewed it as anything personal. “We got out there, and he started cutting a promo me. I was like, ‘Well, I’m not in an angle with him, okay.’”
Copeland said the exchange simply felt like the kind of verbal confrontation that was common during WWE’s Attitude Era. “And that was it. It was just like a thousand promos in the Attitude Era, you know.”
He admitted there was some uncertainty afterward about where the interaction was headed creatively. “But by the next day, it was like, ‘Okay, now what do we got?’”
Ultimately, Copeland believes neither man holds any resentment over the exchange. “I’m sure Ricky doesn’t [care], I don’t care.”
Ricky Saints previously addressed the segment during a 2024 interview, making it clear he did not believe Copeland had gotten the better of him on the microphone. “I promise you, I did not get eaten up by his response, he didn’t eat me up.”
Saints also admitted there was one thing he regretted about the exchange. “If anything, he looked stupid with calling me what he did. I really wish I would have hit him back.”
While the promo remains one of the more talked-about verbal exchanges from Copeland’s early AEW run, both men now appear to view it as little more than part of the business.
