Now a fifteen-year pro, Trevor Mann began to blaze a trail for himself in 2003, when he started competing for Chaos Pro Wrestling. He first competed under the name Cameron Locke, a name that didn’t carry much in the way of excitement or enthusiasm. The only thing that was a ‘lock’ was that ‘The One and Only’ was on an upward trajectory. During that same year, his athleticism was mirrored by the new name he adopted, Ricochet.
It was in a five-way battle, also involving his trainer Chuck Taylor, that Ricochet had his coming out party. This took place while he was competing for Insanity Pro Wrestling in 2006. Ricochet won the match by pinning Taylor. It was later that year that Ricochet first performed a double rotation moonsault, from the top of a ladder onto eight other competitors in a tables, ladders and chairs match. This unprecedented display of aerial excellence occurred while competing for IWA Mid-South. It became the move that he made famous, and it, in turn, made him famous for what he can do in the ring.
Overall, 2006 was the year he began to turn heads. That year he competed for CHIKARA in their Young Lions tournament. While he did lose in the opening round, it was the opportunity to be a part of it that meant the most. Once again his career was tied to Chuck Taylor, as it was his former trainer that defeated him in that opening round match up. Some time later. Ricochet would face Taylor once again in a Young Lions Cup versus Career match, and ended up losing again. However, his ‘retirement’ was short-lived as, in grand wrestling tradition, he returned under a mask. He went under the moniker Helios, and while using that name he teamed with other rather unique characters, such as Ring of Honor’s current booker Delirious. Helios’ ‘time’ in CHIKARA eventually came to an end, as he was in demand from other promotions.
After joining the Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE promotions, Ricochet’s name grew along with the quality of his matches. He faced opponents who have gone on to be among the most notable names in wrestling, such as Johnny Gargano, Drake Younger, AR Fox and Kyle O’Reilly. Once the two promotions merged, Ricochet was used in a number of tag team championship matches that involved the likes of Rich Swann, Masato Yoshino, and CIMA. If he wasn’t busy enough there, Ricochet also competed for the Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). It seemed as though he was everywhere, and everyone outside the three biggest companies in the United States had Ricochet working for them.
It became impossible to find a publication that didn’t reference him or something he took part in. In the Wrestling Observer newsletter, his match in 2016 when he teamed with Matt Sydal and Will Ospreay against Adam Cole and The Young Bucks received a five-star rating. (More recently, he participated in a second five-star match, the ladder match at NXT Takeover: New Orleans that crowned the inaugural NXT North American championship.) He has been voted the best flying wrestler in 2011, 2014, and 2015, and voted to have the best wrestling maneuver in both 2010 and 2011.
It appeared as though things had exploded for him, and in fact they got even busier as he joined the Lucha Underground program. Much like when he was in CHIKARA, he wore a mask, this time competing under the name Prince Puma. He appeared for that program during their first three seasons, and was their first champion. Though he did not re-sign with the company for the company for their fourth season, he contractually couldn’t appear for another promotion until the third season had aired in its entirety. Due to the delay between taping the program and airing the episodes, it would be sixteen months before Ricochet could join any major company in the United States. When the opportunity arose, however, Ricochet signed with WWE in January of this past year. The fifteen-year journey had finally come to this.
It was impossible to ignore his impact and what he could do when given the opportunity. He will be thirty years old this October, and to think that he has been practicing his craft since the age of 14 is remarkable. His first major feud as part of the WWE’s NXT brand was against another young talent in the Velveteen Dream. He faced him in a match that had a great build and was well received by the fans. It resembled something akin to Hulk Hogan facing The Rock, with the difference being this could be a prelude to these men facing each other for a prominent championship later on in their careers.
After achieving championships and accolades all over the world, some may have thought that Ricochet had peaked, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. At this point in his career, he appears to just be hitting his stride. With the incredible athletic ability he is able to demonstrate, one can only imagine what is in store for him moving forward with his career. He is proving that he isn’t just the one and only, but a man amongst men in the ring today.
