JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you ever hear a pro wrestler talk about the sheer brutality of learning to wrestle in-ring they’ll tell you it’s very hard and punishing to the body. Many quit.
That’s the case for almost every new pro wrestler. ALMOST, is the operative word in the previous sentence. Because occasionally athletes come along who trainers are simply in awe of. A few names that come to mind are Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle and Ken Shamrock. Matt Riddle is among that elite class.
The reason is as simple as you assume. Riddle knew how to fight before ever setting foot in pro wrestling.
A dominant fighter in the world of MMA and UFC the transition to WWE was natural.
“Well wrestling was my first love,” said Riddle. “But growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s, I didn’t think I was big enough. And I started amateur wrestling, then started wrestling in college and then the natural progression took me on the route of mixed martial arts.”
And when we met up with Riddle, the persona you saw on screen in WWE, well, it hasn’t gone anywhere.
He talks with the carefree attitude that fans fell in love with. But while the appeal of Riddle may be that he appears carefree, it doesn’t mean he’s not dealing with a lot of responsibility.
“I just had another child. Number four,” said Riddle. “Little Matthew. 6 months old. And I’ve been wrestling a lot. I’ve been wrestling in Mexico, Canada, New Japan. I’ve been wrestling in Japan. So I’m still just traveling the world wrestling but still making time for fans.”
Riddle is on the indy circuit now after his release from WWE in September of 2023.
During his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, Riddle feuded and teamed with a who’s who of WWE megastars including Randy Orton, AJ Styles and Bobby Lashley.
But along the way Riddle found out, beyond on-camera feuds and friendships Riddle discovered there are simply some in the business who don’t like him.
One such name is ring legend Bill Goldberg.
“Willie G wasn’t a big fan,” said Riddle. “Not when I talk. I talk a little trash. Stirring the pot.”
And that’s not the only controversy Riddle has been involved in. Another involved WWE star Seth Rollins and disparaging comments Riddle’s ex-wife made about Rollins’ wife Becky Lynch (one of the greatest female wrestlers ever) in 2022.
“I had to say sorry for her on her behalf. Seth was pretty unhappy with what she said,” Riddle recalled. “I don’t want to go into details because it was pretty mean.”
Riddle goes on to describe that’s the nature of pro wrestling. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality and sometimes he pushes that to points where it becomes uncomfortable.
And frankly, that’s the type of stuff that fans flock to.
Victoria Crawford is also back on the show to discuss some recent wrestling headlines including the upcoming Netflix Vince McMahon documentary, a recent lawsuit filed against AEW and NXT coming to CW next month.
Watch the full episode in the video player above.