WWE released Matt Riddle from his contract in September, and now the King of Bros is ready to reinvent himself.
Matt Riddle After His WWE Release
Matt Riddle’s departure from WWE last year stirred some talk, thanks to his off-ring behavior causing controversy. Now, he’s making a comeback, but not where fans might have expected. Instead of joining AEW, Riddle is heading to Major League Wrestling (MLW), surprising many in the process. His return to the ring is scheduled for January 6th at MLW Kings of Colosseum, where he’ll face off against Jacob Fatu.
In a recent interview with Ryan Gaydos of Fox News, Matt Riddle opened up about his time in WWE, expressing a desire to move away from the more entertaining side of wrestling. This may also call for a change to his established persona.
Matt Riddle plans to focus on showcasing his actual wrestling skills, steering clear of the ‘goofball’ persona he had in WWE. With 2024 priving a fresh start, Riddle is excited about refocusing on his wrestling career and presenting a more serious and authentic side of himself in the ring.
”The last couple months, they’ve been good. I feel like the last probably 10 years, I’ve been wrestling pretty hard in the sense, like on the indies before I went to the ‘E’ (WWE), I was pretty busy traveling to Europe and wrestling everywhere. And then, of course, with the ‘E,’ I was traveling everywhere. So, the last three months, I kinda just had my first vacation in a really long time. I had a kid. A little son, Matthew. So, it was really getting ready and kinda like a reset button. The last couple of months, I totally just didn’t want to do anything other than work out, relax and take care of my family.”
“And now that (it’s) the New Year and I got that time and everything else like that, I think it’s just time to cook again and just really been focusing on that and what I want to do in the ring. I feel like before was more of a … it’s always entertainment, but it was a lot of entertainment before. And now, I think, the direction I’m going in, I’m going to be able to show the world what I can do in the ring and just present that version of myself rather than kind of a goofball on TV.”
Why WWE Released Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle was released from WWE after a string of internal issues. He was also involved in an inebriated ordeal at JFK Airport as he was on his way home from WWE’s last live event in India.
Matt Riddle simply burned all of his chances with management, who did stand behind him, as they couldn’t back him up any longer. The Orirginal Bro had also returned to the company just a few months prior to that after a length hiatus so he could attend rehab.
The indies will be good to Matt Riddle, and he’s already raking up dates. He will wrestle RVD in a first-time ever match in March, and his MLW return is also likely a solid endeavor for him. So, Riddle won’t be hard to find if fans want to look for him after his time in WWE ended.