The WWE Performance Center has launched a new YouTube channel that will give viewers a behind the scenes look at some of the top up and coming talents in the sport.
For years, the WWE Performance Center has been the landing spot for athletes looking to join the organization as well as a home for current superstars looking to hone their game or work back into shape when coming back from injury.
Most notably, the WWE Performance Center has been the first stop for future superstars en route to NXT or the main roster and the new channel will give a deeper look at those stories.
The first few features on the new WWE Performance Center YouTube channel have already launched including a behind the scenes look at Matt Riddle’s first day arriving in NXT.
‘The King of Bros’ has been regarded as one of the top talents on the independent circuit for several years and his arrival in WWE was a welcome sight.
The feature on Riddle goes beyond his arrival in WWE as the former UFC fighter also describes how tough the road was to get here in the first place.
Among the other videos already available on the new YouTube channel including a look at how WWE action figures are made as well as a fantasy game where superstars pick their own ‘War Games’ teams ahead of the highly anticipated card coming up in NXT.
The new channel promises ‘real life stories’ for the superstars coming through the WWE Performance Center so this will be one more way to see another side of the athletes who are all trying to become household names in the future.
“The Beast” Brock Lesnar returned last night at WWE’s Crown Jewel event, becoming the first ever two-time WWE Universal Champion in the process by defeating Braun Strowman in controversial fashion.
Though many fans were unhappy with the outcome – and the scenario that led up to it – there is one person who couldn’t be happier that Brock Lesnar is not only back, but has reclaimed the Universal Championship.
That man? The King of Bros, Matt Riddle.
Riddle, himself a former UFC fighter, took to Twitter in order thank Lesnar for returning and giving him the opportunity to try and accomplish what he’s wanted for a surprisingly long time: retire Brock Lesnar.
His Tweet read, “Thank you Brock for coming back and winning the universal title! You’re right where I need you bro,” which is a clear statement of intent over Riddle’s future goals.
Having only just successfully debuted for NXT, Matt Riddle has even set himself an ambitious timeframe to work towards, stating that he intends to “retire you [Lesnar] in a few years.”
This isn’t the first time the King of Bros has spoken about facing Brock Lesnar. On a recent edition of “The Ariel Helwani MMA Show” he said the following:
“In my perfect world I’m champion in like, three months,” Riddle said. “And then I’m on the main roster and I’m challenging Brock Lesnar. And I want to retire Brock Lesnar. That’s the perfect world. Maybe Brock Lesnar, main event [at] WrestleMania for the Universal Title, and if he loses he retires.”
It’s good to have goals.
Is this a match you’d like to see? Who would win if it were to go down? Can you see Matt Riddle being the one to retire Lesnar?
WWE will present 205 Live and NXT tonight on the WWE Network. Matt Riddle will make his NXT debut and there is title implications on the line in tonight’s 205 Live main event.
205 Live Preview 10/31
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher vs The Brian Kendrick
Gallagher and Drew Gulak threw Brian Kendrick out of their trio earlier this month. Gulak claimed Kendrick had become a weak link. Now, Kendrick gets a shot at revenge against Gallagher tonight.
Tony Nese vs Mustafa Ali (#1 Contenders Match)
Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander two nights after Cedric lost the Cruiserweight title to Buddy Murphy at Super Show-Down. Then Nese defeated 4 of the top other cruiserweights in the division in a fatal 5-way match. If he beats Mustafa Ali tonight, he’ll earn a title shot against his training partner, Buddy Murphy.
Mustafa Ali defeated Hideo Itami in a Falls Count Anywhere match to blow-off their rivalry. They had been working a program since the summer.
The winner of this match will be the next to challenge Buddy Murphy for the title.
NXT Preview 10/31
Fallout From Last Week
Johnny Gargano was revealed as Aleister Black’s attacker last week. His actions have been met with admiration from his former tag-team partner and current NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
William Regal was set to announce who would challenge Ciampa at Takeover: WarGames before the attack was made. It was an announcement that Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream had been waiting on. We will see if Regal is able to make an announcement regarding the title match at Takeover tonight.
War Raiders vs Adam Cole & Bobby Fish
The War Raiders were unable to defeat Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly two weeks ago for the tag titles after a returning Bobby Fish caused the distraction. Tonight, the War Raiders get a chance for revenge against the Undisputed Era.
EC3 has also had issues with the Undisputed Era recently. He might be watching this match closely.
Matt Riddle NXT Debut
After being introduced to the NXT live crowd in August, Matt Riddle will make his debut on WWE programming tonight. The King Of Bros’ opponent has yet to be named, likely meaning he’ll face enhancement talent tonight.
The Street Profits vs The Mighty
The new EVOLVE tag-team champions, the Street Profits, will face their longtime tag-team rival in NXT, the Mighty. These two teams are 1-1 against each other on WWE programming. The Street Profits won their first match back in July while the Mighty won the rematch in September.
Nikki Cross In Single’s Action
Nikki shared her secret with Aleister Black two weeks ago. Tonight, she’ll be back in single’s action as she looks to climb back up the rankings of the women’s single’s division in NXT. She’s likely still looking for another rematch against Bianca Belair.
WWE has announced that Matt Riddle’s official NXT TV debut will air next week on the WWE Network. WWE taped this edition of NXT on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at the Full Sail University. The company sent out this promo for his arrival:
It was revealed in August at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 that he had signed with the WWE as he was sitting front row at the show. Since then, he’s been training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to get used to the WWE system.
Big Match Set For 205 Live Next Week
The first two matches for next week’s episode of WWE 205 Live on the WWE Network in Charlotte, NC at the Spectrum Center have been announced. First up is a big contest as it will see Mustafa Ali vs. Tony Nese with the winner earning a title shot from WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy at a later date. Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick will also take place.
This title match could happen at Crown Jewel on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium or Survivor Series on Sunday, November 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center next month.
Matt Riddle has responded to what WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins recently said.
Last week, the WWE RAW star made an appearance on WWE’s Facebook page to do a live Q&A with fans where he talked about a wide range of topics including who he’d like to face in the ring. This is where he named Riddle as he stated that he thinks Riddle is super talented and has an interesting skill set.
He said that Riddle has a different style and is always intrigued by that. He added that “I’d like to see how Riddle and my style mesh together.”
Riddle caught a video of what Rollins had to say and responded by stating, “You’re a stallion @WWERollins hopefully it happens sooner than later bro #bro #kingofbros #stallion #wwe #WWENXT.”
It was revealed in August at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 that he had signed with the WWE as he was sitting front row at the show. Riddle will also make his NXT TV debut on the WWE Network in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see how long WWE keeps Riddle down in NXT before bringing him up to the main roster whether that’s on their flagship show, Monday Night RAW, or SmackDown Live. Whichever brand he ends up on, there will be a long list of superstars who will look forward to sharing the squared circle with him.
The future looks bright as ever as WWE welcomes the latest class of recruits to the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Matt Riddle: The “Super King of Bros” is a former UFC fighter turned pro wrestler. He’s been a standout performer on the independent scene for the past several years. Riddle made his first appearance for WWE at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend and is now a full-time member of the NXT roster. Click hereto learn more about Matt Riddle.
Mia Yim: Mia Yim has competed in the Mae Young Classic tournament two years in a row. She’s a former Impact Wrestling Knockout and is set to make her NXT debut on next week’s broadcast.
Chelsea Green: Another former Impact Wrestling Knockout, Green was trained at Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary. She was a participant on the 2015 season of Tough Enough and is dating Zack Ryder.
Humberto Carrillo: Third generation luchador from Monterrey, Mexico. Carrillo is the latest product of the famed Garza wrestling dynasty and is best known for his work as the masked superstar Ultimo Ninja.
Luis Martinez: Formerly known as Punishment Martinez in Ring of Honor, Martinez was trained at the Monster Factory wrestling school in in New Jersey. Raised in New York and Puerto Rico, he won last year’s ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament.
Daniel Vidot: Vidot is a former professional rugby player from Queensland, Australia. He’s been in talks with WWE since 2014 and has received several tryouts throughout the years.
Jordan Omogbehin: Big J.O. is a 7-foot-3, 370-pounder from Nigeria. He played played college basketball at the University of South Florida and Morgan State University in Baltimore before getting into wrestling.
Visit WWE.com for more information about each new recruit.
Fans are criticizing the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV for multiple reasons, and one of them is the inclusion of stars from only Unites States into the announced World Cup for the show.
Rusev who lost to Miz in a World Cup qualifying match during SmackDown 1000 episode took on his twitter after the show and joked about this situation:
Sorry world i tried to represent you in the #WWEWorldCup
With WWE already being in a tight spot for moving ahead with the show, it’s easy to imagine that Officials will not be very happy about these tweets from Rusev and we’ll have to see if the Bulgarian Brute is punished for them in some way.
Matt Riddle Makes On Screen In Ring Debut For NXT
Matt Riddle made his WWE debut during the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV event in August this year. Now he has made his televised in-ring debut for the company as well.
Riddle wrestled his first televised match for the company during the recent NXT tapings. He faced Luke Menzies in his debut match for the brand.
This bout is expected to be aired on the October 31 Halloween episode of the show. You can check out some photos from Riddle’s NXT debut in the tweets below:
Matt Riddle has signed with WWE, and there are some high expectations for his career with the company. Even from Riddle himself. Riddle was an indy darling for several years, making the transition to professional wrestling from mixed martial arts (MMA). After working for some of the top promotions around the world, WWE inked Riddle to a deal earlier this summer.
Riddle is now competing on NXT, and fans are expecting to see him on the main roster sooner than most young talents. Recently, Riddle was interviewed on “The Ariel Helwani MMA Show” to discuss his journey in wrestling. During the interview, Riddle was asked about his expectations for his run with WWE. Riddle offered up a very interesting answer.
He noted he’d like to win the NXT Championship three months from now. After that, he’d like to be called up to the main roster, with his sights set on Brock Lesnar. Not only does Riddle want to headline WrestleMania with “The Beast” for the Universal Title, but he wants to end Lesnar’s professional wrestling career:
“In my perfect world I’m champion in like, three months,” Riddle said. “And then I’m on the main roster and I’m challenging Brock Lesnar. And I want to retire Brock Lesnar. That’s the perfect world. Maybe Brock Lesnar, main event WrestleMania for the Universal Title, and if he loses he retires.”
Up next on #HelwaniShow: Very excited to speak to @SuperKingofBros about his rise to wrestling stardom and life after MMA
Independent superstar and former PROGRESS ATLAS Champion Matt Riddle recently signed with WWE’s NXT brand. The ‘King of Bros’ recently made his debut for the company in a house show bout. The former UFC fighter recently spoke to The Main Event on ESPN’s West Palm radio on a variety of topics including his signing with WWE.
Riddle discussed the reaction from fellow Independent stars; “Everybody’s excited for me,” stated Riddle. “I think especially with my past and everything like that, I think people never thought I would ever be with a company like WWE, or be at this level again.” Riddle then followed this with “I was killing it on the indies. I was traveling the world. I was probably one of the top three or four wrestlers in the world on the indies, just killing it. Nobody really saw me going to a bigger company because of my past and just how people view me.”
Riddle also specifically discussed talking with Triple H before signing with NXT: “I actually got a direct call from are main man ‘Trips’, Mr. Triple H, Paul Levesque,” Riddle claimed. “It was good. About three years ago I was about to get signed and we talked about that because I was supposed to possibly get signed then and it didn’t happen. We talked about that.” Riddle then talked about his trajectory in the company, stating that the company has “got good intentions,” and that Triple H “made me feel good with working with NXT and working with him. Honestly, that’s why I signed up and we’ll see where it takes me.”
NXT’s newest “big thing”, Matt Riddle, has let fans know he’s interested in a potential match with Cesaro. He made the comments on ESPN West Palm’s The Main Event recently.
“In my opinion, if I was going to pick main roster guys, I’ve always had a hunch out for Cesaro,” Riddle said. “I just feel like if we were able to just go at it, make it a fight, I think it would be pretty sensational.”
Matt Riddle On Potential Opponents In WWE
Riddle also mentioned several names on the NXT roster he would also like to face.
“They’ve got so many talented individuals,” Riddle said. “I’ve worked with the majority of them. In NXT, I have probably worked with every top guy from Ricochet to Roderick (Strong), to Kyle (O’Reilly), Adam Cole. The only guys I haven’t really worked with are Velveteen Dream and Lars [Sullivan], some of the other guys that are homegrown.”
Riddle also mentioned the unique shorts he wore during his NXT debut recently. According to Riddle, the small and colorful shorts were actually his wife’s. His normal ring gear has sponsors logos and Riddle didn’t think WWE or NXT would approve.
“I have other gear I wore while I was on the indies and I have a couple sponsors on there and I didn’t want to wear the sponsors in matches,” Riddle continued. “Especially if WWE didn’t sign off on it and NXT didn’t sign off. I didn’t think it was fair for me to wear sponsored clothing while performing under their umbrella without their permission. I just decided to wear little shorts, which were actually my wife’s shorts.
Matt Riddle is just starting out his career with WWE but fans have high hopes for him in their developmental system NXT. It was revealed in August at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 that he had signed with the WWE as he was sitting front row at the show. He has yet to make his television debut for NXT but is preparing for it while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
He made his NXT in-ring debut at a live event last weekend in Sanford, FL at the Sanford Civic Center by beating Fabian Aichner in a back-and-forth match. The finish of the match saw him a hit powerbomb where he followed up by hitting a knee strike.
During a recent interview on a radio show called “The Main Event,” he talked about a wide range of topics including why he didn’t wear the MMA-style trunks at the NXT show that he wore on the indies. He brought up how he wore multi-colored trunks which he borrowed from his wife. He is waiting on WWE to sign off on wearing his old trunks with sponsors on it but it should be noted that when he made his entrance, he was wearing a jacket that featured the logo of his sponsor SPLX.
He also talked about who he’s eager to square off against in WWE and someone who he would consider a dream opponent, which he named Cesaro. The reason for it is due to him thinking that they could have a “sensational” match against one another in the ring.
Finally, Riddle made it known that he is confident in his WWE future and expressed it by stating that, “I feel with the right opportunity I can go as far as I want.”
Matt Riddle made his NXT in-ring debut on Friday night in Sanford, Illinois. The King of Bros defeated Fabian Archer in what fans in attendance described as a fantastic match.
After months of speculation about him joining WWE, the rumors were put to rest when he was shown ringside at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend. Riddle began training at the WWE Performance Center earlier this week. His first NXT program is expected to be against veteran performer Kassius Ohno.
Gymnastics champion Stacey Ervin Jr. also made his debut at the #NXTSanford show. Despite an impressive showing, he lost to Kassius Ohno.
Here are some photos and videos from Matt Riddle’s NXT debut:
PROGRESS recently announced who new NXT Superstar Matt Riddle would be facing at Wembley Arena. The ‘King of Bros’ will be making his final independent appearance against Mark Haskins for Chapter 75 ‘Hello Wembley’ on September 30th.
Haskins is one of the most well respected veterans in the UK scene. The former PROGRESS World Champion had to relinquish his belt and has been seeking a chance to regain it since. Haskins lost to Tyler Bate in their Chapter 74 match which meant that he wouldn’t get a shot at WALTER for this upcoming Wembley Chapter.
Haskins has taken to Twitter to discuss what the Wembley show means for the UK scene. The ‘Underrated’ star stated “To think we’ve reached the peak of British Wrestling would be naive. This might only be the start of something HUGE. Don’t become content, keep working and pushing forward because we could be the generation that changes everything.”
Here’s the full announced card for the event:
PROGRESS Women’s Champion Jinny vs Millie McKenzie
PROGRESS World Champion WALTER vs Tyler Bate
Eddie Dennis vs Mark Andrews
Jimmy Havoc vs Paul Robinson
Thunderb*stard Tag Team Title Match
Ilja Dragunov vs Pete Dunne
Mark Haskins vs. Matt Riddle
To think we've reached the peak of British Wrestling would be naive. This might only be the start of something HUGE. Don't become content, keep working and pushing forward because we could be the generation that changes everything. https://t.co/bSUaZ8zJrWpic.twitter.com/B9CHnW94TX
Matt Riddle has started training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, according to the Wrestling Observer. A few people in WWE were surprised did not publicize the news. (As noted earlier this week, The Rock’s daughter Simone has also been training at the facility.)
After months of speculation about Matt Riddle signing with WWE, he appeared ringside at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. He has yet to appear on NXT television, but it’s expected that Matt Riddle will make his in-ring debut for NXT at the next set of television tapings.
NXT currently has television taped through September 19th and the next round of tapings will be held next week. (Spoilers)
There has been some buzz about who the King of Bros will feud with first. Velveteen Dream sent out a tweet using Riddle’s “BRO” catch phrase, but WWE reportedly has something else planned.
On this week’s edition of NXT TV, veteran journeyman Kassius Ohno had a backstage segment with General Manager William Regal. Ohno said something along the lines of, “I’ll take on whoever is the next new big thing….bro.” The Observer states that there is in fact talk of Matt Riddle facing Ohno at the next NXT Takeover event. NXT Takeover: Los Angeles will be held from the Staples Center during Survivor Series weekend in November.
We’ll have full NXT TV Spoilers next week, which will give us a better idea of where things are headed for Matt Riddle.
NXT’s roster is beyond stacked: which NXT talent do you want to see work with Matt Riddle in the months ahead?
It appears that WWE has an opponent in mind for Matt Riddle in NXT as his first feud is speculated to be against The Velveteen Dream due to the company teasing it on social media. Most recently, Dream sent out a tweet that mocks Riddle’s “Bro” catchphrase, which you can see here:
It was revealed last month at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 that he had signed with the WWE as he was sitting front row at the show. He has yet to make his television debut for NXT but is preparing for it while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE does have a set of NXT TV tapings coming up next Thursday in Winter Park, which could be when Riddle makes his debut and starts to build this potential feud.
Champion vs. Champion Match Announced
Two matches including a champion vs. champion match have been announced for next week’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network. WWE taped this edition of NXT back on Thursday, August 23, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at the Full Sail University.
NXT North American Champion Ricochet vs. WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne will take place with the titles on the line. Also announced is Dakota Kai and Deonna Purrazzo vs. Lacey Evans and Aliyah in a tag team match.
Matt Riddle was fired from the UFC while on a 4-fight win streak. The issue was that he had two of those victories overturned due to failing drug tests for marijuana.
UFC President Dana White took Matt Riddle to task in 2013 for failing another marijuana test. White fired Riddle and called him a “weak-minded dummy” for his failure to abstain from marijuana. What new evidence is showing, however, is that Riddle could have abstained from marijuana for months and still flunked those tests.
With his NXT debut pending, Riddle took an opportunity to take a shot at his former employer.
“You have to go to work three times a year, and you couldn’t pass a drug test?” Dana White asked of Riddle in 2013. “You’re so weak-minded and so addicted to marijuana, that you couldn’t stay off it enough to pass a drug test three times a year. Well, guess what dummy, they drug test in the real world, too!”
Science Now Unsure About Cannabis Test Matt Riddle Failed
The tests used to determine that Riddle had consumed cannabis not long before his UFC fights have recently been shown to be based on disputed-science, however. The latest research in this area is stating such tests are flawed and lead to false-positives for medical or frequent cannabis users.
Studies out of Norway in 2014 have shown that THC does not leave the body in a time-determined manner. Thus previous claims by medical testing companies that their devices only test for “recent cannabis use” have been misguided. This includes the testing used by the UFC prior to the advent of USADA. This is a controversial issue, however, and several medical testing companies still claim otherwise.
Based on the new research though, Riddle could have abstained for months from marijuana before his fights and still failed the tests he was given. Don’t cry for Matt Riddle, though, he seems to be doing just fine.
PROGRESS has announced who new NXT Superstar Matt Riddle will be facing at Wembley Arena. The ‘King of Bros’ will be making his final independent appearance against Mark Haskins for Chapter 75 ‘Hello Wembley’ on September 30th.
Haskins is one of the most well respected veterans in the UK scene. The former PROGRESS World Champion had to relinquish his belt and has been seeking a chance to regain it since. Haskins lost to Tyler Bate in their Chapter 74 match which meant that he wouldn’t get a shot at WALTER for this upcoming Wembley Chapter.
Matt Riddle recently appeared on camera at NXT Takeover and has been confirmed as a signee to WWE’s developmental system. Riddle has been one of the hottest ‘import’ talents to emerge from PROGRESS over the past few years having won the ATLAS title and defending the belt across the globe. This will be the biggest English Independent show in years and the following bouts are now signed:
PROGRESS Women’s Champion Jinny vs Millie McKenzie
Following NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 last night, Triple H participated in a media conference call to answer some questions.
Of course, one hot topic was WWE’s official announcement on the signing of Matt Riddle. Riddle will be a part of the NXT roster in the coming weeks. WWE was initially hesitant to sign Riddle in the past due to his history of marijuana use.
Triple H On WWE Signing Riddle
Now that they’ve signed Riddle, it appears as though that is no longer a concern for the promotion. Triple H had this to say about Riddle’s signing:
“I think he’s ready to come in and get brought the rest of the way,” Triple H said. “I also think he’s matured as a person which, we’ll find out.
“But I think he’s matured as a person and he’s realized where he wants to get to in the business as opposed to just having fun being in the business, there’s a difference. So we think now’s the right time, but time will tell.”
“The Game” also praised Riddle’s talent and said he thinks he’s going to be one of the Superstars who makes it in WWE:
“He’s a very, very talented guy, the sky is the limit and you know, we’ll see what he can do. It’s an interesting thing because I think sometimes people think that we just bring them in and just go with it, it’s not that simple.
“Not everybody makes it, not everything works. There are a lot of factors that go into it, so we’ll see. I believe in him and I believe he has a lot of potential and talent, but again just like everybody else as they walk in the door, we’ll see.”
Discussion: What do you make of Triple H’s comments about WWE’s signing of Riddle? Let us know in the comments below!
Following months of speculation, Matt Riddle appeared on camera on a WWE broadcast at Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 live special.
Riddle has been rumored to be negotiating a deal with WWE for a while now, and after his cameo on last night’s show, WWE has confirmed that he has signed.
Former EVOLVE Champion and UFC fighter Matt Riddle was announced as WWE’s newest signee by Paul “Triple H” Levesque at the official NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 post-show press conference.
Additionally, WWE.com published an article confirming the signing of the former Ultimate Fighter veteran.
Matt Riddle, or as he is often referred to by fans, “The King of Bros,” has been announced as the newest Superstar to wave the NXT flag. Fittingly, the news was revealed as he was ringside for tonight’s huge WWE Network special event in Brooklyn.
The former wrestling champion and UFC fighter made a name for himself in the indie circuit, capturing titles such as the EVOLVE Championship and the PROGRESS Atlas Championship.
It's worth noting that although Riddle has signed with WWE, he is still obligated to make various independent appearances through September of 2018.
With WWE signing another top independent star, the NXT talent roster expands. Riddle joins a rich talent pool right now that includes Ricochet, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Aleister Black, EC3, Velveteen Dream and many others.
Check out a photo of Riddle in the front row of last night's show below. For complete NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 results from Saturday night, click here.
Matt Riddle suffered a nasty injury over the weekend during his EVOLVE World Title loss to Shane Strickland.
Riddle will join WWE at the company’s next TakeOver event prior to SummerSlam later this month. After his loss to Strickland, Riddle’s mother took to Instagram and shared a nasty injury her son suffered during the match.
The former UFC fighter lost the tip of what looks to be his right index finger. Check out a photo of the injury below (WARNING: it’s a bit graphic and contains some blood):
“Thank you for watching and checking in on him @prowrestling5star! Today Matt wrestled an intense hardcore match that involved tables, ladders and chairs. The first chair clip took the tip of his pointer finger off (wrong finger in my comment).
“Blood within the first few minutes got the kids attention for sure. He explained to them today that he was going to wrestle hard, and it was going to be intense to watch. They smiled and said they couldn’t wait to see.
“It did rock them a little. Watching Dad get carried off like he did was not easy. Thankfully Fred got the wink he did at them on video! When he showed them how Dad gave them a wink as he was getting taken out they felt better.”
Matt Riddle defended his EVOLVE Title against Shane Strickland in a Hardcore Rules match at Saturday’s EVOLVE 108 event in Philadelphia, PA at the 2300 Arena that aired on the WWNLive streaming service.
At the show, Riddle lost the title, which further sparked the rumors that he is headed to WWE or New Japan Pro Wrestling after finishing up his commitments with other wrestling promotions. Riddle would then beat Austin Theory at EVOLVE 109 the next night in a singles match.
Saieve Al Sabah defeats Anthony Henry JD Drake defeats Jon Davis and Josh Briggs and Odinson (w/Drennan & Parrow) Darby Allin defeats Austin Theory (w/Priscilla Kelly) AR Fox defeats Joey Janela (w/Penelope Ford) EVOLVE Tag Team Title Match: Catch Point (Chris Dickinson & Jaka) (w/Dominic Garrini & Stokely Hathaway) (c) defeat TK Cooper & Tracy Williams EVOLVE Title Hardcore War Match: Shane Strickland defeats Matt Riddle (c)
EVOLVE 109 Results
Anthony Henry defeats Jon Davis AR Fox defeats Saieve Al Sabah AR Fox & The Skulk (Adrian Adrian Alanis & Leon Ruff) defeat The End (Drennan, Odinson & Parrow) JD Drake defeats Dominic Garrini Josh Briggs defeats Jaka Chris Dickinson (w/Stokely Hathaway) defeats Tracy Williams Matt Riddle defeats Austin Theory WWN Title Match: Joey Janela (w/Penelope Ford) (c) defeats Darby Allin
Where do you think Riddle will end up? Sound off in the comment section.
EVOLVE Champion Matt Riddle has discussed the rumors about his next landing spot in the world of professional wrestling.
Riddle spoke with Sports Illustrated following his tag team match with “Filthy” Tom Lawlor against Nick Gage and Matt Tremont at Beyond Wrestling’s “Americanrana ’18” this past Sunday night where he talked about the rumors that he is headed to WWE or New Japan Pro Wrestling after finishing up his commitments with other wrestling promotions.
Riddle did note in this interview that his next landing spot will likely be with WWE or NJPW. “I’ve been in situations like this before,” said Riddle. “There is nothing official. I’ve talked to WWE, I’ve talked to the president of New Japan, and I am confident in where I stand in the world of professional wrestling.”
If you recall, this isn’t the first time that rumors about his future have surfaced online as there were reports that he signed with the WWE three years ago but ultimately didn’t work out and never put pen to paper for a contract.
“Being real in pro wrestling has paid off,” said Riddle. “Just being myself, that really translated to the fans. It’s not that I don’t love the indies, it’s just time to move on. Places like EVOLVE, Beyond, those were the companies that gave me an opportunity, gave me a platform, and gave me the chance to run with the ball and showcase my skills. I got to mix it up with a world array of talent.
Riddle continued by stating, “I need more substance, I need to grow. I’m a shark and I swam in a lot of different ponds, but I’m ready for the ocean. It just depends if I’m going to the Atlantic or the Pacific.”
Riddle is slated to defend his EVOLVE Title against Shane Strickland in a Hardcore Rules match at this Saturday’s EVOLVE 108 event in Philadelphia, PA at the 2300 Arena that will air on the WWNLive streaming service.
What are your thoughts on Riddle’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Matt Riddle is talking in-depth about the possibility of signing with WWE and the “endless possibilities” that would await him in NXT.
The King of Bros is the latest guest on Sean Waltman’s popular XPAC 1-2-360 podcast at AfterBuzz TV. He also spoke about WWE’s upcoming all-women’s Evolution Network special.
The entire episode of Matt Riddle on XPAC 1-2-360 is embedded below.
Below are highlights sent in by the show’s producers. Matt Riddle, one of the top independent wrestlers in the world, has been rumored to be signing with WWE over NJPW. With the popular opinion that Matt Riddle is WWE bound, here is what the Evolve Champion said about:
Being One Of The Top Free Agents In Pro Wrestling
“I am in a really good position right now, I work with Evolve on a regular basis and they have a great relationship with WWE and other companies as well. Zack Saber Jr. worked with us, New Japan…I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world and wrestle guys from New Japan, Ring of Honor, especially Progress and still wrestling WWE guys. I’m in a really good spot. The last couple of years you {Sean Waltman} helped me out a lot too but you know how granted they took issues with my past… I was kinda stuck but from what I’ve gathered, what I’ve heard from everybody, everybody is at the point where they all want me and they’re all willing to work with me. I think they’re all big fans of Matt Riddle. And I think it’s my time to make the right decision, do it and let’s see what happens.”
NXT Presenting “Endless Possibilities” For Him & Who He Wants to Work With
“I had one match with Roderick Strong, which was great and I’d love to do something like that again. I’ve wrestled Kyle O’ Reilly all around the world from Ireland to the U.S to everywhere, I’d love to do that again. Adam Cole the same. Aleister Black, I wrestled him only once and we didn’t call anything and it was one of my fave matches I’ve had and I’d like to do that again. Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet… the list goes on. Endless possibilities for great matches.”
Being Terrified to Work With James Ellsworth:
The one that sticks out to me the most and he was terrified, he was like ‘you’re so good though’ and this and that and I’m like, ‘Bro, relax. It’s like a 5 minute match and we’re gonna kill it, it’s gonna be easy.’ And this person was James Ellsworth. He was terrified. I’ll be honest I had a lot of people tell me just to kick the shit out of him… and I’m like ‘I’m not that kinda person. And James Ellsworth can’t really defend himself against me…I don’t like that.’ But we were talking about the match and he was just shaking and nervous for it, I don’t know if he thought I was gonna turn it up on him or what. It ended up being a good match… he thanked me for the match and said it was a great experience and ‘thank you for not killing me.’
CM Punk’s Downfall in MMA:
“CM Punk, for example, he started training MMA. Did he start at like a local Jiu-Jitsu gym? No. He went to Duke Roufus, he went to one of the biggest camps in the world with some of the toughest people and I’ll tell you this that’s probably the worst thing he could’ve done. Because there are a bunch of killers there that want to beat you up. They don’t go five miles per hour, they already know all the moves and they’re going to but the beat on you because that’s what you do in fights.
While I personally think he probably should’ve gone and got a couple personal trainers. Like a personal Jiu-Jitsu instructor, a personal Muay Thai instructor got his hands, his feet, everything educated. His Jiu-Jitsu educated. And then started to maybe roll with a couple white belts, some blue belts that aren’t at the highest level school in your area and then eventually you make your way to the killers. Then you can be a killer yourself. But I think he just hopped in way to quick.”
Check out the full segment of Matt Riddle talking to Sean Waltman:
Matt Riddle is likely WWE-bound as speculation regarding the former UFC fighter’s future continues. Riddle has been canceling upcoming bookings as of late and the belief is he could be shown on-camera during Takeover: Brooklyn this year.
New details were revealed today regarding Riddle’s negotiations with NJPW before signing with WWE.
PWG recently announced that he will no longer be a participant in this year’s Battle of Los Angeles as well.
Matthew Riddle will no longer be a participant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. Trevor Lee has now entered the tournament in his place!
“Matthew Riddle will no longer be a participant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles,
PWG Tweeted. “Trevor Lee has now entered the tournament in his place!”
“On a plane to Detroit so stoked to see my sexy lady after weeks of travel and work #stallion#kingofbros#splx#love#sexylady#wife”
Matt Riddle Negotiations with WWE and NJPW/ Marijuana Stigma
WWE and NJPW are both believed to have sent offers to Riddle. NJPW is also believed to have made Riddle an offer last November only to have rescinded it shortly after.
“New Japan did go back to (Riddle) which surprised me a lot,” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio. “He was going to be on the November New Japan tournament with Jeff Cobb and then Bushi Road found out about his marijuana past.”
NJPW has stricter policies towards marijuana-related offenses due to the increased stigma of marijuana in the country. Riddle has been an out-spoken marijuana proponent and has previously failed multiple drug-tests for it while fighting in the UFC. NJPW is believed to rescinded their offer as a result of Riddle’s association with marijuana.
WWE had previously shied away from Riddle as well, possibly for similar reasons.
NJPW and WWE are both believed to have reversed their stance recently, however. Both promotions reportedly sent offers to Riddle despite his association with marijuana. Riddle evidently opted for WWE’s offer.
Matt Riddle Pro-Wrestling Career
Riddle had a decorated career on the independent scene. He is a former WWN Live Champion, PWG Tag Team Champion, Progress Atlas Champion, and Evolve Champion.
In 2016, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted him both the Most Improved and Rookie of the Year.
Evolve Champion Matt Riddle is rumored to be WWE bound. The “Super King of Bros” had been scheduled to work multiple dates in Dublin, Ireland for Over The Top Wrestling during SummerSlam weekend, but pulled out due to a ‘scheduling conflict.’
Due to a scheduling conflict Matt Riddle can no longer appear at #WrestleRama2 weekend, However we have worked hard to secure a replacement! IWGP United States Champion, Juice Robinson comes to OTT Aug 18th and 19th limited tickets https://t.co/bUYVejPd5Y #?? #OnlyTheBestpic.twitter.com/lH6OKq0gVU
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez said they don’t know for sure what’s in store for Riddle, but he’s probably headed to WWE. Alvarez addressed a fan asking about Matt Riddle and expressed a similar sentiment.
Both New Japan Pro Wrestling and WWE have been interested in Riddle, but New Japan would only use him for limited dates in the United States, which wouldn’t be enough to sign him.
Riddle has been the Evolve Champion since Evolve 102 back on April 5th when he defeated Zack Sabre Jr., who had been champion for over a year. His next Evolve title defense takes place on Saturday, August 4th when he defends against Shane Strickland in a Hardcore Rules match from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
Having canceled scheduled appearances during SummerSlam weekend, it would not be entirely unexpected to see Matt sitting ringside during NXT Takeover: Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. Should he sign with WWE and join NXT, Riddle would be amongst an absolutely stacked roster that includes Adam Cole, Aleister Black, Ricochet, EC3, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Velveteen Dream and Keith Lee.
Discussion: Are you familiar with Matt Riddle’s work? If so, do you think Matt Riddle would be a good addition to NXT?