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Tag: Matt Riddle

  • MLW Fusion Results (5/30/26): Austin Aries Returns, Riddle Signs With Kross

    MLW Fusion Results (5/30/26): Austin Aries Returns, Riddle Signs With Kross

    MLW Fusion came back Saturday with a two-hour season premiere streaming free on YouTube, kicking off a new era headlined by Austin Aries vs. Trevor Lee. Here’s everything that went down.

    Quick Results

    • Shotzi def. Priscilla Kelly
    • Scarlett def. Aleah James
    • Austin Aries def. Trevor Lee
    • The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) def. Joe Coffey & Mark Coffey
    • Diego Hill def. Adam Brooks
    • Zamaya def. Carolina Cruz
    • Alex Hammerstone def. Bishop Dyer

    News & Notes

    • Aries headlines the new era. Austin Aries beat Trevor Lee in the spotlight match of the night, then called out MLW National Champion Blue Panther after the win.
    • Kross opens the door. MLW World Champion Killer Kross held a press conference announcing an open contract for any challenger. By night’s end, Matt Riddle had signed it, setting up a title showdown. Alex Hammerstone was visibly unhappy that someone beat him to the signature.
    • Good Brothers vs. Skyscrapers heats up. Gallows and Anderson brawled with The Skyscrapers (Donovan Dijak & Bishop Dyer) backstage early, then beat the Coffey brothers. The Skyscrapers later taunted them with the MLW Tag Team Titles, sparking another fight.
    • Shotzi stays hot. Shotzi topped Priscilla Kelly and called out MLW Women’s World Champion Shoko Nakajima.
    • Contra resurfaces. A Contra video aired showing Mads Krugger being “killed.”
    • Celebrity cameo. Actor Danny McBride appeared at the Fusion press conference alongside Don Gato.

    What’s Next

    Matt Riddle vs. Killer Kross is now set for the MLW World Title, with Hammerstone lurking after being passed over. Aries’ callout points toward a National Title program with Blue Panther, while the Good Brothers and Skyscrapers are clearly on a collision course over the tag straps. Fusion returns next Saturday at 6:05 PM ET on YouTube.

  • Matt Riddle: Brock Lesnar Went Off-Script at Elimination Chamber Saudi Arabia

    Former WWE star Matt Riddle recently claimed Brock Lesnar completely derailed a planned Elimination Chamber match in Saudi Arabia, showing up without attending the pre-match meeting, going off-script inside the chamber, and then laughing about it afterward.

    Riddle shared the account on the Rewind Recap Relive podcast, describing a match that was supposed to feature multiple planned spots and pin exchanges for each participant.

    \”Brock Lesnar not listening to anybody but himself and maybe Paul Heyman — he basically starts flipping out, punches the pod wall. They\’re not really sturdy. He punches through it, then starts kicking it, busts it down. And everybody just kind of fed him — clothesline, F5. Clothesline, F5.\”

    The result was a match that ended roughly ten minutes ahead of schedule, robbing the other competitors of their planned moments.

    \”AJ Styles was furious. I was furious. Seth — everybody was furious. The match abruptly ended like 10 minutes earlier than it should have.\”

    Laughing It Off — Then Paul Heyman Got an Earful

    Riddle revealed that the aftermath was equally infuriating. Rather than apologizing, Lesnar walked away laughing, saying he had simply forgotten the plan.

    \”After the match, he\’s laughing. He goes, \’Oh sorry, I forgot.\’ You forgot. You flew all the way to Saudi just to forget,\” Riddle said. \”He didn\’t even say sorry — he was just laughing and walking away.\”

    Paul Heyman stepped in to smooth things over, only to be shut down by the locker room.

    \”Paul Heyman came up and was like, \’He\’s sorry, dude.\’ And we\’re like, \’Paul, shut the f*** up.\’ You manage this guy. The better he looks, the better you look.\”

    Riddle said Lesnar had a history of similar behavior and offered a blunt warning to anyone working with him:

    \”Advice for the locker room — don\’t listen to him.\”

    Riddle was referring to the 2022 Elimination Chamber match, where Brock Lesnar put on a dominant performance. \’The Beast Incarnate\’ entered the match early after breaking out of his pod and went on to eliminate Seth Rollins, Riddle, AJ Styles, and finally Austin Theory to capture the WWE Championship.

    Despite the frustration from the competitors at the time, the moment still became one of the most memorable highlights of the 2022 Elimination Chamber event, with Lesnar bulldozing through the pod and dominantly reclaiming the WWE Championship.

  • Matt Riddle: Brock Lesnar Grabbed Me by the Neck Before Royal Rumble

    Former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle recently revealed that Brock Lesnar once grabbed him by the back of the neck in a backstage hallway, confronting him over a t-shirt that listed \”Retire Brock Lesnar\” as an unchecked goal.

    \’The Original Bro\’ shared the story during a lengthy sit-down on the Rewind Recap Relive podcast, explaining that the merchandise was never meant as genuine disrespect, but it was a motivational tool. He said:

    \”I get there. All of a sudden, the only guy grabbed me by the back of the neck when I\’m walking in the hall and I turn around and it\’s Brock Lesnar. His security guard goes, \’Hey, you need help with this?\’ I turn around like — does Brock Lesnar need help with me?\”

    Riddle claimed that Lesnar pulled him aside and issued a blunt warning: the two would never work together, and Riddle needed to stop using his name. Riddle said he pushed back without backing down.

    \”I\’m like, \’Dude, I\’m not going to force you to do anything you don\’t want to do. I was just talking trash. And if it got you this worked up, it must have worked. If anything, you touched me now.\’\”

    The T-Shirt That Started It

    Riddle explained that the shirt featuring the \”Retire Brock Lesnar\” checklist was an extension of his goal-setting mentality, not a legitimate rivalry campaign. He sold the merch on the independent circuit long before he ever crossed paths with Lesnar in WWE.

    \”I set my goals high,\” Riddle said. \”Am I going to retire Brock Lesnar? 99.9% of the time, no. But if I make that my goal, I\’m going to get pretty far.\”

    He added that Lesnar taking personal offense to it only validated the strategy — and that the confrontation itself proved a larger point about how the locker room operated around The Beast.

    Riddle is currently competing in Major League Wrestling, where he is pursuing the MLW Heavyweight Championship.

  • Randy Orton Pitched Matt Riddle as His WrestleMania 41 Opponent to WWE

    Former WWE star Matt Riddle recently revealed that Randy Orton personally pitched him to WWE as a potential WrestleMania 41 opponent, and that Riddle followed up by reaching out directly to Triple H, offering to pass a drug test on the spot.

    Riddle shared the exchange on the Rewind Recap Relive podcast, saying the last time he had any contact with WWE was in the lead-up to WrestleMania last year.

    \”The last time I talked to anybody from WWE was before WrestleMania last year because they were looking for an opponent for Randy. Randy hit me up being like, \’Hey, I pitched you to be my opponent.\’ And I was like, \’Holy crap, thank you.\’\”

    Riddle said he immediately took the initiative and reached out to Triple H directly, making clear he was ready to return on short notice.

    \”I contacted Triple H and said, \’Hey, I\’ll be there if you need me. I\’ll pass a drug test, whatever you need, man. I\’ll be there, bro.\’ And he\’s like, \’I appreciate it. We\’ll keep you in mind.\’\”

    WWE Went in a Different Direction

    Despite the outreach, WWE ultimately chose another opponent, Joe Hendry, for Orton at WrestleMania 41. Riddle said he holds no grudge and acknowledged the decision was out of his hands.

    He expressed genuine appreciation for Orton going to bat for him, saying the relationship between the two remains strong despite no longer being on the same roster.

    The RK-Bro tag team run produced one of the more beloved acts of the pandemic-era WWE, and Riddle has previously said he felt that chapter ended without a proper conclusion.

    When asked about the possibility of a WWE return more broadly, Riddle was optimistic: \”Never say never. There\’s always a chance.\” He is currently working for Major League Wrestling and has positioned himself for a run at the MLW Heavyweight Championship.

  • Matt Riddle Calls Out WWE Star for Ratting to Dirtsheets

    Matt Riddle is calling out Kevin Owens for leaking backstage information to wrestling dirt sheets, according to a new interview with R3 Interviews.

    Riddle recalled a backstage confrontation with Brock Lesnar, claiming The Beast pulled him aside and made it clear there would be no future between them.

    “Brock pulled me to the side and said, ‘We’re never going to work together. We’re never getting in the ring. Just keep my name out of your mouth,’” Riddle revealed.

    Riddle then alleged that after confiding the exchange to Kevin Owens, the story quickly found its way online.

    “I told Kevin Owens and seven minutes later it’s on the dirtsheets,” Riddle said, directly accusing Owens of being the source of the leak.

    The revelation comes as Riddle has been competing on the independent scene, most recently appearing for Major League Wrestling (MLW).

    Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar has been largely absent from WWE programming, with rumors swirling that The Beast could be heading toward retirement as early as this summer.

  • Matt Riddle Shoves Fan at Boca Raton Wrestling Event

    Matt Riddle was involved in a physical altercation with a fan at a Boca Raton Championship Wrestling event on Sunday night, with video of the incident circulating on Instagram.

    Footage posted by James Michael Oja, Jr. shows Riddle approaching Oja near the barricade during his match with Stallion Rogers, smiling, exchanging words, and then shoving him in the face. Oja remained on his feet.

    https://www.instagram.com/bigoja321/reel/DVYofV5EWTc

    Prior to the event, Riddle had responded to Oja\’s online challenges — in which Oja had called out several wrestlers — by posting on Instagram, \”I\’m showing up to your job site bro.\”

    Oja attended the show and filmed a promo with independent wrestler Big Ben Bishop mocking the crowd and promotion.

    The video was shared on Instagram by James Michael Oja, Jr., who refers to himself as a “bad-*ss construction worker.” Oja had previously issued online challenges to several wrestlers, including Riddle.

    The incident occurred during Riddle\’s match with Stallion Rogers. Oja was standing near the barricade when Riddle approached him, smiled, said something, and then shoved him in the face. Oja remained on his feet throughout the incident.

    Riddle\’s Indie Wrestling Run

    Riddle has been active on the independent circuit since his September 2023 WWE release, which followed an incident at JFK International Airport. He returned to the ring in February 2024 at Adrenaline Championship Wrestling and quickly picked up steam, also capturing the Combat 1 World Championship that same month.

    He re-signed with Major League Wrestling, where he worked prior to joining WWE, and won his first major post-WWE title when he defeated Satoshi Kojima for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in January 2025 in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,400 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

    He subsequently retained the title by winning the 40-man MLW Battle Riot in April 2025, last eliminating RVD.

    During his MLW run, he also competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, TNA, and Lucha Libre AAA.

    Controversy

    Riddle\’s indie run has not been without controversy. In August 2025, he allegedly no-showed a UK charity event — Al Snow\’s Global Wrestling Kingdom — advertised since May, forcing the promotion to issue meet-and-greet refunds, and reportedly never returned his deposit.

    He also allegedly no-showed another indie booking in October 2025 at the last minute.

  • Matt Riddle Teases RAF Wrestling Debut, In Talks With Eric Bischoff

    Matt Riddle has hinted that he could soon be competing for Real American Freestyle wrestling.

    The former WWE Superstar was backstage at RAF05 in Sunrise, Florida on January 10, where Colby Covington defeated Luke Rockhold in the main event. Speaking with The Schmo, Riddle revealed he\’s been in discussions with RAF leadership about a potential appearance.

    \”Hopefully soon. I\’ve been talking to some of the brass, the upper echelon,\” Riddle said. \”It looks promising, but at the same time, I think they\’re just starting to break into the MMA world, realizing how they can sell tickets.\”

    Riddle, who competed in the UFC from 2008 to 2014 before transitioning to professional wrestling, has been vocal about wanting to compete for RAF since attending their inaugural event in August 2025. At that time, he confirmed speaking with Chief Media Officer Eric Bischoff about future involvement.

    The 40-year-old also shared his observations on what draws crowds to RAF events, noting the star power of UFC fighters like Covington and Rockhold.

    \”Everybody came here to see Luke Rockhold and Colby Covington,\” Riddle explained. \”Not saying Bo Nickal isn\’t great or all the other wrestlers aren\’t great, but there\’s a certain level of charisma, being a star, and that takes time.\”

    RAF Wrestling was founded in 2025 by Chad Bronstein, the late Hulk Hogan, and Eric Bischoff. The promotion features freestyle wrestling competitions between Olympic wrestlers, NCAA champions, and MMA fighters, broadcasting exclusively on Fox Nation.

    RAF06 is scheduled for February 28, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona, featuring Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber in the main event.