Before signing with WWE, Saints worked four matches as an enhancement talent under the name Ricky Starks, losing against wrestlers like Jinder Mahal, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, Kane and The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder). On the July 29, 2013 episode of Raw, he appeared in a backstage video where he was bullied, mocked and slammed through a table by Ryback. Starks again made an appearance on the March 19, 2018 episode of Raw as a US Marshal, arresting Roman Reigns, only for Starks to be attacked by Reigns.
Starks made his official debut for WWE on the February 11, 2025 episode of NXT and adopted the ring name Ricky Saints the following week. Saints made his official WWE in-ring debut on the February 25 episode of NXT, teaming with Je'Von Evans to defeat Ethan Page and Wes Lee.