Ricochet's Greatest Matches Before WWE Debut

A Ricochet match is a thrilling spectacle, part superhero fight scene, part Cirque Du Soleil show.

The Future of Flight has produced a number of breathtaking works of art throughout his 15-year career. He's wowed at New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Lucha Underground. He's torn it up against bruisers and athletic dynamos.

And he'll soon get to blow fans away in a new environment.

WWE announced on Tuesday that Ricochet (real name: Trevor Mann) was among the new signees heading to the company's Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. A game-changer now readies for the WWE portion of his tale.

Before he faces NXT's best and extends his resume, let's look back at his most memorable and exciting bouts to date. The matches are ranked based on the quality of the story told between the ropes, the wow factor of the in-ring work and the chemistry he shared with his rival.

Honorable Mention

• Prince Puma vs. Mil Muertes: Lucha Underground, Aug. 5, 2015
• Ricochet vs. Keith Lee vs. Jeff Cobb: PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2017
• Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay: Evolve 59

Ricochet's Lucha Underground tenure as the masked Prince Puma was often a chance to show off his street fight skills. Mil Muertes dethroned him as Lucha Underground champ in a slugfest that pushed them into the stand, one that featured a slower, more measured pace than we're used to seeing from the high-flyer.

Against Lee and Cobb, Ricochet was a warrior caught between two hungry lions. There were a number of creative Triple Threat spots here, but it never reached the level of his very best stuff.

Ospreay may boast the best chemistry with Ricochet of any of his opponents.

Their Evolve 59 showdown was another reminder of that. This was a full-throttle, athletic exhibition. The two rivals, though, had a better clash against each other in Japan that appears high on this list.

5. Ricochet vs. Walter: PWG All-Star Weekend 2013

Normally, Ricochet has thrived against fellow flyers, men who can keep up with him in terms of speed and agility. Not here. Walter is an imposing powerhouse who clubbed the smaller man throughout their PWG meeting.

The match featured a great contrast of styles. 

Walter was a bear batting around his foe. Ricochet was the crafty and quick fighter looking to chop down the beast kick by kick. The dynamic worked extremely well. Pro Wrestling Ponderings' Ryan Rozanski wrote: "These two had great chemistry together."

This bout didn't have quite the number of eye-opening moments as Ricochet's top hits, however, and so can't push its way past the fifth spot here.

4. Ricochet vs. Kota Ibushi: NJPW Dominion 2014

Perhaps the only man who has faced Ricochet who can claim he's the better athlete is Kota Ibushi.

Ibushi, like Ricochet, is an impressive athlete who makes the most difficult moves look effortless. Pairing these two dynamos together was a no-brainer. Their 2014 clash wasn't quite the all-time masterpiece fans may have been hoping for, but it was still special.

The foes traded kicks and dives. They matched each other step for step, and both Ricochet and Ibushi struggled to put the other away.

One of the most stunning spots of the night saw Ricochet land on his feet after being on the wrong end of a top rope hurricanrana.

This seemed to be meant as an opening act, as it didn't hit the highest gear these two are capable of hitting. As a result, other Ricochet bouts edge it out.

3. Ricochet vs. Kushida: NJPW Best of the Super Junior XXI

Critics who bash Ricochet's in-ring psychology need to watch this match. He and Kushida told a classic wrestling story using modern, electric offense.

This was the finals of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, one last test for each warrior. Kushida spent much of the bout working over Ricochet's arm, leaving him clutching the limb in pain. It proved to be the weak point The Future of Flight had to overcome. 

The match's speed went into hyperdrive near the end.

Kushida somersaulted off the post to Ricochet out on the floor. Ricochet gutted through his storyline injury to deliver his usual arsenal. The whole thing buzzed.

Joe Lanza of Voices of Wrestling was spot on when he wrote: "It turned into one of the more memorable BotSJ finals in recent memory."

2. Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay: NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV

Ospreay is in many ways the mirror image of Ricochet. He's a highly athletic, sleek performer who seems to have springs in his legs. It's not surprising that these two have done so well together.

This was the most energetic, smooth and high-octane clash they have had against each other.

Purists will hate all the flipping and high spots. Some may bemoan how much this veers from wrestling tradition. But there's no denying how exciting this video game-esque showcase of athletic skill was.

The rivals struggled to land their best shots as each man knew the other so well. These were equals looking for the advantage, a swordfight full of parries and dodges. 

Only a longer, more personal battle topped this meeting for Ricochet. A matchup that resonated at a deeper level thanks to emotion, even if it didn't produce as many quality GIFs.

1. Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo: Lucha Underground (June 17, 2015)

The Iron Man match between Johnny Mundo and Prince Puma was an all-out feast of adrenaline.

Bad blood bubbled over as the two men who main-evented the first episode of Lucha Underground collided in a match with few rules. A wooden box smashed under Puma's back. Mundo cracked his foe over the head with a crowbar. Their brawl pushed them into the bleachers and into the show's band.

But this mix of fight and flight wasn't without a strong narrative.

Mundo took a huge lead and Puma had to mount a gutsy comeback. The babyface gave a rousing effort, crawling his way back to eventually win five falls to four.

Throw in an Alberto Patron run-in and an ECW-style crash into a table and this was a bout to remember. Fightbooth columnist Drea Mitchell wrote: "The entire match was poetry."

It's going to be fun to see Ricochet/Puma/Trevor Mann try to top this in the years ahead. Going up against the likes of Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano at NXT or AJ Styles and Pete Dunne on the main roster, he will have ample shots to rearrange his list of greatest hits.