Matt Riddle is tired of being the “jerk” he wanted to portray in WWE.
The former MMA star, who was released from WWE just over a year ago last September, is making the most of his new home in Major League Wrestling while also finding success working with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AAA and numerous independent companies.
Now more in control of his appearance, Riddle said there are certain similarities to the aloof, forgetful and “childish” personality fans saw in WWE, but now his career and accolades in the UFC and jujitsu are taken more seriously.
“If someone says, ‘Take care of yourself,’ I’m not going to go around in circles trying to take care of myself,” Riddle said. “Those are the things I would do in WWE. And luckily, the people I work with now think I have more sense and I’m allowed to know what people mean when they say something… I want to be taken more seriously. I want to show people my martial arts background.”
His next chance to do so will come when he faces a risk-taking high-flyer in the form of Matt Justice on Thursday at MLW’s “Summer of the Beast” show (7 p.m., YouTube) at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens.
Riddle describes Justice as an up-and-coming “wild man” with whom he can “tear down the house.”
“The guy can walk,” said Riddle, 38. “He’s not a pushover. He’s one of those guys that if you see him in a dark alley, you probably don’t want him trying to steal your wallet because he’ll probably get it.”
Riddle, the current AAA Cruiserweight World Champion, also holds MLW’s version of the Money in the Bank contract, a “golden ticket” for winning Battle Riot VI in January that he can redeem for a World Heavyweight Championship fight anytime, anywhere.
It’s a title Riddle was unable to win during his brief time with the company in 2018, losing his only opportunity against current AEW star Swerve Strickland.
“It’s not something I have to do. It’s something I work hard for,” Riddle said. “For Matthew Riddle, for the King of Bros, the MLW Heavyweight Championship is what I want. That’s what I need and that’s what I’m after, and I’m going to get it one way or another.”
Riddle believes MLW is well positioned even in a crowded wrestling environment and praised the professionalism of Court Bauer’s company. He called the combat sports-focused presentation a “breath of fresh air” and praised the company’s relationship with other promotions.
“I don’t think they over-exerted themselves and that’s why they survived so long,” Riddle said.
Riddle stayed with WWE for five years, working his way up from NXT to the main roster, where he won the US Championship and became a multiple tag team champion with Randy Orton.
Riddle, who had said he would make $1 million with WWE in 2024, was released from the company after spending time in rehab due to failed drug tests for cocaine.
He also exhibited disruptive behavior in an incident at JFK Airport last September – he yelled into a microphone at the gate – on his way home from the WWE Superstar Spectacle show in India. Talent flew to India that day and flew back after the show. Riddle said in an interview with Ariel Heilwani in February that an ear infection and in-flight alcohol consumption led to his behavior that day.
“While I think WWE did their best, or at least thought they did their best, at the same time WWE is protecting WWE like they should,” Riddle said. “But at the same time, we’re all human. We’re all human and sometimes I think that gets lost in a publicly traded company.”
After his release, Orton had nothing but praise for Riddle for bearing the brunt of the physical strain during their more than year-long time together, allowing him to work for so long despite suffering severe back injuries that ultimately sidelined him for 18 months and nearly ended his career.
Riddle said Orton had been in extreme pain for years before they began working together and knew they had to make the matches exciting while limiting the amount of injury Orton sustained since surgery was inevitable, meaning he would have to take any serious injury himself.
For someone of Orton’s stature, he was more than willing to do that. Orton, he said, stood up for him when he wouldn’t stand up for himself – and even moved him from economy class to first class when they were having success as RK-Bro. It all made for some of the best times of their careers.
“He wanted to keep wrestling and show his worth because in wrestling, you’re only as valuable as the last show you get to go to,” Riddle said. “If you don’t make it one time, you’re not as valuable to the company. I wanted to extend his career as long as possible and I knew I could do that by taking a little of the damage and the brunt of the fight.”
Riddle revealed in an interview with Muscle Man Malcolm in June that Orton asked him if he wanted to return to WWE. Riddle hasn’t ruled it out in the future, but not anytime soon, as his current schedule allows him to give birth to a son named Matthew with fiancée Misha Montana in December.
The King of Bros said he loved his time in WWE, but was home one full day a week due to his work and travel schedules at the time.
Riddle and his first wife Lisa divorced in March 2022 after 11 years of marriage and three children. The fact that he was home less than he felt necessary did not make things any better.
“Even though I was making a lot of money, my family life was deteriorating, I was going through a divorce and other things, and then there was also the fact that I couldn’t see the kids anymore and I had to take care of my obligations,” Riddle said. “When I’m flying to a different city every day or driving to a different city and wrestling and memorizing promos and all that stuff, a lot of other things take a back seat.”
That’s why Riddle was relieved when WWE released him because he had things to do and a child on the way. It happened at the right time and allowed him to take care of himself.
“I’m in a completely different place,” Riddle said. “I feel a lot better. It’s hard to explain because most people think, ‘Oh, you’re here, it must be great.’ Professionally, my life was great. Personally, my life was a mess. You lose your family. You lose this, that, and you try to rebuild everything, but you don’t have time to do it.”
If he ever returns to WWE, it would be with a restored relationship with Roman Reigns.
Talks of their past animosity resurfaced last week when Riddle was asked why RK-Bro was better than the Bloodline in a 2021 interview with Bleacher Report when the two factions were feuding, saying he could beat Reigns in a “real fight.” Riddle felt he was just giving a promo-like answer to promote the storyline, but Reigns was offended.
Former WWE host Matt Camp said on his podcast that there was an episode of “The Bump” in August 2021 where the two remained separated, even though Reigns was connected via satellite.
“That’s not bragging, that’s the truth,” Riddle said of his belief he could beat the likes of Reigns and Goldberg in a real fight. “If I didn’t believe I could, I wouldn’t say it. You don’t hear me saying I can beat Bobby Lashley, you know, maybe on a good day. Or Brock Lesnar, maybe on a good day.”
At the time, Riddle tried to write an apology for Reigns. Orton submitted the apology and reworded it to “no apology at all,” which made the Tribal Chief even angrier.
The two didn’t speak for a while, but things cleared up again when they began working together from May to July 2022 – including a singles match for the world title on SmackDown.
“I think when he saw how professional I am in the ring and I also explained why things were being said and I wasn’t just trying to challenge you,” Riddle said. “I know my place in WWE, but if someone tells me to show you a promo, I’m going to do it. I think he got that. He still wasn’t happy about it, but he got it. Roman and I, we’re good.”
One relationship he would like to deepen in the ring is with WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam, whom he met in 2008 at a cannabis party in the grotto of the Playboy Mansion.
Riddle, who is working with Van Dam on an RV-Bro glass piping project, among other things, would prefer to tag with him even more after a singles match for the New Japan World Television Championship turned into a tag match against Chris Harris and James Storm on an independent show in March.
“I think I could do for Rob what I did for Randy,” Riddle said. “If he wanted to, we could probably have a crazy run as a tag team.”
Riddle said he still has his eye on MLW world heavyweight Satoshi Kojima, but is hoping for a chance at revenge against Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki, who is 2-0 against him in singles matches since 2018.
“I think I’d like to get that win,” Riddle said. “I’d like to beat Minoru Suzuki. Also, he came into my jujutsu studio the other day and he definitely didn’t want to roll with me because the last time he rolled with me I took his lunch and I’m more than happy to take his lunch again in MLW.”
