WWE Fans Flood Social Media With ‘Justice For Ricky’ Trend After 9/13 SmackDown

During the September 13 WWE SmackDown, which marked the season premiere on the USA Network, Kevin Owens was scheduled for a tag team match against Grayson Waller and Austin Theory. While fans were eagerly awaiting Owens’ partner reveal, WWE kept the suspense high, as no official partner had been announced ahead of time. That resulted in a trend that nobody saw coming.

As the moment arrived, Kevin Owens introduced his partner as “Ricky,” leaving fans bewildered. The unexpected reveal seemed like a joke, as Owens himself quickly admitted that it was all part of a lighthearted troll. An official then approached Owens, informing him that his real partner had arrived, prompting Owens to deliver a stunner to poor Ricky after apologizing for his services no longer being needed.

Then came the real surprise as Randy Orton made his return to join Owens in the match. This caused Kevin Owens to nail Ricky with a stunner to get rid of him. Together, the duo quickly dispatched Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, securing the win. But while the match was exciting, the mystery surrounding “Ricky” lingered, and fans were left wondering who this unexpected participant was.

As it turns out, Ricky is none other than Ricky Gibson, a professional wrestler and member of the tag team Miami Heat. You can find his Twitter here. Gibson has wrestled for promotions such as Prestige, Defy, and even appeared in AEW earlier this year. Once his identity was revealed, social media exploded with the hashtag #JusticeForRicky, as fans rallied behind the wrestler who had been unceremoniously booted from the match.

Fans are posting on Reddit’s Squared Circle with memes demanding Justice For Ricky. The hashtag has also caught a bit of fire on the former Twitter. Although some fans were actually tweeting it during SmackDown this week, many more are jumping on board today.

Fans flooded platforms like X with tweets expressing their support for Ricky, with phrases like “We Want Ricky” and “Justice for Ricky” quickly trending. Notable accounts like Unlimited Pro Wrestling spread this trend. The WWE tweet showing Owens turning on Ricky garnered a flood of replies, all demanding justice for the sidelined wrestler.

@omniJake472 put it well when they tweeted, “The IWC can do some good sometimes. Thank you guys for getting Ricky trending, lol. We stan Ricky. #JusticeForRicky.”

With “Justice for Ricky” becoming a viral sensation, it’s clear that Kevin Owens’ lighthearted troll ignited far more attention than anyone expected. Fans are now clamoring for Ricky Gibson to get a proper moment in the spotlight, and the question remains—will WWE give him a shot in the ring, or was this a one-time troll?

@ThePhoenixKing12 tweeted to throw out the idea that WWE should slide a contract Ricky’s way. “@WWE sign The legend Ricky!!! #WeWantRicky #JusticeForRicky #RickyCrybabys #SmackDown P.S. I’m being legit wwe should 100% sign this man.”

As the #JusticeForRicky movement grows, only time will tell if WWE will capitalize on this unexpected wave of fan support. We will have to see if this is a new James Ellsworth situation, where WWE brings back a popular enhancement talent out of sheer viral attention. On a sidenote, WWE didn’t upload any photos of Ricky to their official gallery for the September 13 WWE SmackDown slideshow.

Keep checking back with Ringside News for more on this story. You may also find a few of those Justice For Ricky tweets below.

What’s your take on Ricky’s situation? Do you want to see Justice For Ricky? Do you believe this viral attention will get him booked again? Let us know what you think in the comments section!