Matt Riddle was released from WWE in September, and he is now navigating the pro wrestling scene, doing his own thing along the way. He saw a lot in WWE, and it seems that he was also denied some major opportunities.

Matt Riddle’s Big Money in the Bank Claim

During a virtual signing hosted by Signed By Superstars, Riddle candidly discussed various aspects of his career during the two-hour session. He said that the Royal Rumble match win in 2022 was his, until Brock Lensar refused to put him over. He also claimed the Money in the Briefcase was also his for a time, but Vince McMahon picked his new favorite at the time to win instead.

The Original Bro revealed that he was originally scheduled to win the 2022 men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match. However, plans took a turn, with Vince McMahon favoring Austin Theory.

“Wanna hear something else cool? I was supposed to win Money in the Bank but Vince (McMahon) really likes Austin Theory and literally hours before, they changed it and Austin was added in and threw me off the ladder. After I took two huge ladder bumps off the RKO and everything else and it’s like… But, I love Austin Theory and I’m happy for him. Keep killing it bro.”‘

Theory was Vince McMahon protégée during that angle that didn’t really get to finalize before Vince McMahon’s retirement. Austin Theory was then stuck with the Money in the Bank briefcase after that, something that hindered him more than anything. Then WWE got the briefcase off him, and he’s been much better off since then.

Riddle may get another chance to compete in a Royal Rumble or Money in the Bank match. No WWE return is off the table at this point, and that’s one thing we all learned after watching CM Punk return at Survivor Series last year. We do know that Riddle claimed that he is not bitter about his WWE release, but that doesn’t give him any shortage of things to say.

Matt Riddle After WWE

The Original Bro is going to be busy, even if he’s not making dates for WWE anymore. At MLW Kings of Colosseum, Matt Riddle made his return to in-ring action for the first time since being released by WWE. This comeback also extends to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he openly challenged World TV Champion and company President Hiroshi Tanahashi.

While both Matt Riddle and Damian Priest weren’t part of the Extreme Rules go-home SmackDown, they did get to compete in a dark match after the episode.

The main event of this week’s season premiere episode of the Blue Branded show saw Gunther once again putting the IC title on the line against Sheamus.

At one point during the bout, Gunther tapped out to a Clover Leaf from Sheamus but the referee didn’t see it and the match continued.

The ending of the bout saw Giovanni Vinci, Ludwig Kaiser, Butch and Ride Holland all coming out to the ring side. These four brawled as Gunther hit Sheamus with a shillelagh and picked up the win.

What Happened After SmackDown

Damian Priest and Riddle came out and had a fun match after the cameras stopped rolling. Priest tried to walk out of the bout at one point but the Ultimate Bro brought him back.

The ending of the match saw Riddle hitting an RKO on the Judgement Day member and then pinning him for the victory.

This was the final episode of SmackDown before the upcoming Extreme Rules PPV. WWE dropped many more White Rabbit clues on the show and teased the reveal at the upcoming PPV.

• 10 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (10/7): IC Title Match, White Rabbit, Go-Home Show For Extreme Rules

This Saturday will mark WWE’s annual Summerslam Premium Live Event, marking the first time the show has taken place outside the month of August.

The show will feature Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown, including a main event Last Man Standing match between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

• Updated WWE SummerSlam Preview

Match Pulled

Summerslam 2022, the first Premium Live Event of the post-Vince McMahon era will be a huge event, but one match is off the card.

On Twitter, WWE confirmed that Raw Superstar Riddle has been medically disqualified from competing at Summerslam.

WWE explained that due to an attack by Seth Rollins, who Riddle was scheduled to face at Summerslam, the ‘Original Bro’ has suffered a brachial plexus injury, more commonly known to fans as a ‘stinger.’

Rollins’ attack came during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

WWE has confirmed that the match has been postponed until a later date, but did not disclose a specific date when the two will face off.

The match had been considered a potential show-stealer as both men are very strong workers who have been prominently pushed on WWE programming.

Rollins had this to say about his SummerSlam match being postponed:

What now?

With Riddle not competing, WWE’s report did not specify what plans there are for Seth Rollins.

It’s possible that Rollins could still appear at Summerslam, and could face a WWE Hall of Famer instead.

With this year’s Summerslam being the first show of a new era, WWE will no-doubt want one of their most consistent Superstars on the card.

Earlier this week it was reported that WWE had contacted Bill Goldberg about competing at Summerslam, after Brock Lesnar walked out during SmackDown.

With Lesnar now back and his match with Reigns still on, WWE could still call on Goldberg for an impromptu match with Rollins.

While promoting his episode of Biography: WWE Legends on A&E, Goldberg discussed possible dream matches and talks about Wardlow and their parallels.

Goldberg Vs Roman Reigns Again?

After Vince McMahon announced his retirement from WWE, reports emerged revealing that Brock Lesnar is extremely upset and that he left the July 22 SmackDown tapings.

The Beast Incarnate is scheduled to compete at WWE SummerSlam 2022 next weekend and challenge Roman Reigns for the Unified WWE Universal Championship. Following Lesnar leaving SmackDown, Bryan Alvarez reported that a replacement is being considered for him at SummerSlam.

WrestlingNews then went on to report that WWE was considering bringing back Goldberg as the SummerSlam replacement for Lesnar.

Goldberg’s Dream Opponents

Interestingly enough, before this report even came out, Goldberg noted that Roman was one of the opponents that he would like to get retribution from.

Goldberg spoke with Graham “GSM” Matthews of Bleacher Report about the possibility of squaring up with guys like Brock and Roman again, along with a possible first-time-ever match-up.

The only man in history to hold the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and WWE Universal Championship said:

“Oh, man, you know, there there are a number of guys out there that would be interesting for sure. I think Riddle and I have had a little bit of a controversial past. I’d love to pop him in the face a couple of times. 

“But yeah, Roman I owe Roman something for sure. I’d always like to get Brock again. But you know, hey, man, beggars can’t be choosers. And if it happens, it happens. If not, then, you know, I just got to deal with it. I’ll catch him on the street or something.”

Goldberg Speaks About AEW Champion

Graham “GSM” Matthews also asked about Wardlow. Many comparisons have been made between Wardlow and stars of the past, and Goldberg has been one of them.

Goldberg had the following to say about the current AEW TNT Champion:

“I understand the comparisons. I’ve heard of him for sure. I’ve seen pictures of him. I haven’t seen him work that much. But yeah, hey, man, more power to him. There needs to be more characters like that. There needs to be serious intensity out there. There’s people that slice meat and there’s people that eat meat, and he needs to be eating meat; and now Big E is going to come into it.”

Goldberg on Wardlow comparisons

“But yeah, man, I don’t know I’ve never read anything about a comparison from him and how he passes judgment on it. But at the end of the day, anybody that’s close to the top and their prospective business to be compared with myself. That’s an honor and a privilege.”

Riddle has provided an injury update on his tag team partner Randy Orton.

Orton has been dealing with a back injury and hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since he and Riddle lost a Winner Takes All WWE Undisputed Tag Team Title bout to The Usos on SmackDown Live back in May.

He’s expected to miss the remainder of 2022 with the injury. Recently, Riddle was a guest on ProSieben MAXX, where he provided an injury update on his tag team partner.

“Randy (Orton) is still recovering from his injuries and hopefully he’ll be back sooner than later. I can’t give more of an update because I’m not a doctor and I don’t have one so, but I know Randy’s in high spirits for sure and he’s doing well.”

Riddle In Singles Competition

As for Riddle, he’s currently slated for a big one-on-one matchup with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. Riddle has been able to get his career as a singles star kickstarted since Orton’s absence.

He even got a shot at Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Championship, although he came up just short. It will be interesting to see if Riddle and Orton reform RK-Bro should “The Viper” return to in-ring action after his back injury heals up.

Quotes via WrestleTalk

The July 18 episode of WWE Raw is in the books and here’s what went down once the USA Network broadcast ended.

This episode of the red brand’s show was held inside the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Featured on the latest edition of Raw was Miz TV with special guest Logan Paul.

There was also a Raw Women’s Championship match between titleholder Bianca Belair and Carmella. Fans also got to see a singles match between AJ Styles and Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory.

After The Show

Fans in attendance got to see a dark match between Riddle and Seth Rollins once Raw went off the air.

Riddle and Rollins are involved in a feud that will lead to a singles match at SummerSlam. During the July 18 episode of Raw, Rollins attacked Riddle from behind during the KO Show and hit him with The Stomp.

Later on in the night, Seth defeated Ezekiel in singles action.

The feud between Riddle and Rollins began in the buildup to MITB. It has spilled over past that match as Riddle delivered an RKO to Rollins on the July 4 episode of Raw to prevent him from attacking Ezekiel.

Here’s an image of the dark match between Riddle and Rollins.

WWE confirmed on Monday evening the latest match for SummerSlam as Riddle will battle Seth Rollins in a singles match. 

Riddle has been feuding with Rollins over the last few weeks since becoming a singles star once his tag team partner Randy Orton was sidelined with an injury and losing to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. 

They both came up short in this year’s men’s Money In The Bank Ladder before Bobby Lashley & Riddle defeat Seth Rollins & Theory on last week’s Raw. They’ve also been working house shows since late June, with Riddle going over in the majority of their matches. 

WWE presents the SummerSlam event on Saturday, July 30, 2022, from the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show over the next week. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE SummerSlam Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar – Last Man Standing Match
• Happy Corbin vs. Pat McAfee
• WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Theory
• Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The Street Profits – Jeff Jarrett as the special guest referee 
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey 
• Riddle vs. Seth Rollins

The July 15 episode of WWE SmackDown is over and fans got something extra.

This edition of SmackDown took place inside the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The show featured a non-title match between SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Natalya.

The show also saw Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory go one-on-one with Madcap Moss.

In the main event of the show, Angelo Dawkins took on one-half of the Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos. After the match, Jeff Jarrett was announced as the special guest referee for The Usos vs. Street Profits at SummerSlam.

After The Show

Once WWE SmackDown went off the air, there was a dark match between Riddle and Omos.

Riddle ended up winning the match via DQ.

Neither man was seen on the FOX broadcast tonight, so their appearance was exclusive to the fans inside the Amway Center.

Riddle and Omos are officially members of the Monday Night Raw brand. As of late, Omos and MVP have offered their services to The Bloodline.

Meanwhile, Riddle has gotten into a feud with Seth Rollins.

The July 1 episode of WWE SmackDown has come and gone but there was a dark match after the show.

During this week’s edition of the blue brand, we found out who would be the final participant in this year’s men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. It ended up being Madcap Moss who defeated Ezekiel, Happy Corbin, and The Miz to earn his opportunity.

We also got quite the tease of a tag team possibly breaking up. Kayla Braxton dropped a potential bombshell rumor that The Street Profits haven’t been getting along.

Once Cameras Stopped Rolling

Once the FOX broadcast went off the air, Riddle and Seth Rollins had a singles match. Both men will be participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match on July 2 in Las Vegas.

Rollins and Riddle have been at each other’s throats in the buildup to Money in the Bank. It’s led some to speculate that it’ll lead to a match at SummerSlam but that hasn’t been confirmed at this time.

For now, it looks like they’re starting a string of dark match and live event battles.

There was also a dark match before the show aired. Shinsuke Nakamura took on Humberto in singles action.

The stage is set for a big WWE title match on next week’s edition of SmackDown.

On the June 10 episode, Riddle took on Sami Zayn in the main event. The stipulation was that if Riddle won, he’d get a shot at Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship on June 17.

If he lost, he would be barred from SmackDown.

Roman Reigns vs. Riddle Official

In an exciting SmackDown main event, Riddle defeated Zayn with the RKO. After the match, The Usos attacked Riddle but one-half of RK-Bro sent them packing by retaliating with kendo stick shots.

Reigns will now put the undisputed gold on the line for the first time against Riddle on the June 17 episode of SmackDown.

The match is happening on that date as Reigns isn’t scheduled for the Money in the Bank premium live event on July 2.

WWE may be setting up a stipulation that could see Riddle barred from SmackDown.

One-half of RK-Bro has made it a mission to find WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns and make him pay for his actions. Reigns cost RK-Bro their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title match against The Usos.

In storyline, The Bloodline is being credited with possibly ending the career of Randy Orton.

Riddle’s journey may come with a harsh consequence.

Riddle To Be Booted From SmackDown?

Fightful is reporting that Riddle is on tap for the June 10 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

In addition, there has reportedly been a pitch for Sami Zayn, an “honorary” member of The Usos, to try to get rid of Riddle on SmackDown for good.

One of the angles pitched was for Riddle to face Sami with the stipulation being that if Riddle loses, he can no longer appear on SmackDown.

The report notes that this was simply a pitch and it isn’t set in stone.

On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Sami Zayn cost Riddle his tag team title match against The Usos by playing Roman Reigns’ theme song, causing a distraction.

The cameras have stopped rolling for the June 6 episode of WWE Raw and here’s what happened after the show.

This week’s Monday Night Raw took place inside the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. Things got started with a promo from Cody Rhodes with him stating he still has his sights set on Money in the Bank despite being scheduled for surgery this week.

Seth Rollins made his way out to give his “respect” to Cody. It was all a ruse as Rollins returned with a sledgehammer to attack “The American Nightmare.”

Fans also got to see a new member of The Judgment Day enter the faction, while the group’s leader was kicked out.

After The Show

There was no dark match once WWE Raw went off the air. Instead, Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair addressed the crowd.

She had been sitting ringside for the fatal four-way number one contender match. Rhea Ripley ended up winning that match and she will be getting the next title opportunity.

WWE also held its Raw Talk show. During the show, Riddle vowed to show up on the June 10 episode of SmackDown. He also said that eventually, he will take the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns.

A big-time championship match has been added to tonight’s June 3 episode of WWE SmackDown.

WWE is known to pivot on the fly and while reports suggested that initial plans were to hold off The Usos defending their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles until Money in the Bank, things have changed in recent days.

That report was updated to mention that WWE officials were considering having the match take place at Hell in a Cell this Sunday (June 5).

As it turns out, we’re getting the match far sooner than anyone anticipated.

WWE has announced that The Usos will put their gold on the line against Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura on the June 3 episode of SmackDown.

The company also noted that there will be a six-pack challenge to determine the number one contender for Ronda Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.

That match will feature Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Xia Li, Natalya, Aliyah, and Shotzi.

Fans will also get to see the return of Madcap Moss, who has vowed to get revenge on Happy Corbin.

Riddle opened the May 23 episode of WWE Raw with an emotional promo.

He told the WWE Universe that Randy Orton had back problems going into the tag team title unification match, which was held on the May 20 episode of SmackDown. The Usos ended up winning all the gold thanks to assistance from Roman Reigns.

Riddle went as far as to say Orton was barely able to walk ahead of the match. He then said he doesn’t know about the future of RK-Bro due to Orton’s lingering issues.

“Randy’s been having a really hard time with his back lately. Before our Tag Team Title Match, he could barely walk. I knew Randy wouldn’t let me down because he knew how much it went to me. And he knew how much it meant to you.”

Of course, this could be a part of the storyline between The Bloodline and RK-Bro. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer had reported last week that Roman Reigns is expected to take on Randy Orton either at Money in The Bank or Summerslam.

Reigns is also internally set to meet Riddle one-on-one at some point in July. It’s important to note that these plans are not set in stone.

It appears the next direction for Roman Reigns has been revealed.

Reigns is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion but he doesn’t have a one-on-one feud at this time. He’s been propping up The Usos on their journey to become Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.

With that said, WWE may have clued us in on the next singles match for the “Tribal Chief.” On the May 13 episode of SmackDown, Riddle of RK-Bro nailed Reigns with a knee to the jaw to close the show.

Next Three Opponents For Roman Reigns?

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that there is talk of booking Roman Reigns against Riddle at Money in the Bank on July 2.

Reigns is expected to win that match and go on to face Randy Orton at WWE Summerslam on July 30.

Then there’s the big stadium show in Cardiff, Wales on Sept. 3. Right now, the word is that Reigns will finally collide with Drew McIntyre one-on-one at WWE Clash at the Castle.

Reigns reportedly signed a new deal with WWE for fewer dates. As a result, he isn’t expected to have a match at the Hell in a Cell premium live event on June 5.

WWE is reportedly still planning on having a title unification match for the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships but does not plan on unifying the titles.

At WrestleMania Backlash, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and Roman Reigns defeated Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre in what was originally announced to be a tag title unification match.

It was later reported that WWE had always planned for a six-man tag at the Premium Live Event.

On this week’s Raw, Randy Orton and Riddle said they will still unify the titles and will appear on this Friday’s SmackDown.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said WWE is building to a title unification match, but this will not actually see one team hold both titles (via WrestleTalk).

“They are going to do the match, but as of right now, and I was also told this can change, but, they are not planning on actually unifying the titles.”

Dave Meltzer

Meltzer speculated that WWE could use a DQ finish to avoid unifying the titles in a title unification match.

WWE’s Empty Promises

Should WWE go through with this plan, not unifying the titles would be the latest in a string of empty promises by the promotion.

Before WrestleMania Backlash, it had been announced that the titles would be unified despite WWE never having any plans to do that at the time.

WrestleMania Backlash had featured promotional material of Brock Lesnar, who not only did not appear at last Sunday’s event but had never been booked for the show.

Lesnar had been featured prominently in posters for the show before WrestleMania 38, to not give away that he was going to lose to Roman Reigns at the two-night April event.

During this same edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer stated that while Roman Reigns has been confirmed for upcoming Premium Live Events including Money in the Bank, Summerslam, and Clash in the Castle, there’s no guarantee he’ll appear.

• Roman Reigns Hints WrestleMania Backlash Was Last Six-Man Tag Match For The Bloodline (May 2022)

Riddle couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to take his WWE career to next level than Randy Orton. The Apex Predator has gone through many of the phases the former UFC star went through early in his WWE journey. Randy also got into trouble and upset many veterans early on before growing up and earning the respect of his peers. Now he is using that experience to help the young star navigate the waters in WWE.

RK Bro spoke to Give Me Sport during WWE’s UK tour. When asked what he has learned from the Legend Killer, Riddle mentioned how Randy has been helping him understand the landscape of WWE:

“What haven’t I learned? You know, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about the business side of things and handling myself. Not just in the world of wrestling but in the world of WWE. Because I feel like each promotion, each company I’ve worked for kinda has a different landscape. From the UFC to the WWE, to the independence scene and everywhere.

I feel like he’s really helped me guide through the waters as smoothly as possible. At least for me because I kind of ruffle feathers all the time. He’s been helping me out a lot with that.”

‘It’s Night And Day’

Randy Orton is regarded as one of the best in-ring workers of the current generation. Riddle mentioned how just watching him work makes you better:

“And of course, in ring ability, just watching Randy every night do what Randy does best, you are gonna get better. Your timing is gonna get better, your confidence is gonna go up. Your swagger goes up on the microphone, everything goes up.

From day one to day now, at least from my point of view it’s night and day. The transition and changes I have made. And I would say maybe, from outside looking in, it’s harder to see. From being on the inside looking out, it’s night and day like I said. My job has gotten drastically easier and more fun working with this guy.”

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If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Lisa Rennie, the wife of current WWE superstar Matt Riddle has announced that the couple has officially separated.

The former Olympic Weight Lifter confirmed the news on Instagram. She posted a photo with her kids and revealed that it’s been a month since their divorce was finalized:

“It’s been exactly one month since the judge signed the paperwork and our divorce was finalized. The kids and I are enjoying our new adventure, and are grateful for everyone that’s been by our side through all of this.”

Lisa was first mentioned in news back in 2020 when Riddle admitted to having an affair with fellow professional wrestler Candy Cartwright. Though the WWE star denied the accusations of sexual assault made by Cartwright

The former UFC star then tweeted a photo of himself with his current tag team partner Randy Orton from a live event in October 2021. In the caption, he claimed that he was loving his life, and ‘it doesn’t get any better than this.’

• Matt Riddle Addresses Allegations Against Him

Lisa replied to this post from her then-husband. In a deleted tweet she wrote: “You would say that now that you packed up and moved to Orlando away from your children.”

Riddle is currently scheduled to team with Orton and Drew McIntyre to face The Bloodline at the upcoming WrestleMania Backlash event.

There’s been a long standing rivalry between Riddle and Brock Lesnar, with the current WWE Raw Tag Team Champion having long advocated for a match against the current WWE Champion.

Riddle has called Lesnar out on social media on numerous occasions. The two even had what was reported to be a backstage altercation at the 2020 Royal Rumble

With both men having a history in the world of MMA, a potential match has a uniqueness to it that could certainly sell tickets and be a memorable encounter. So far, though, Lesnar has had zero interest in facing the young star in a singles match. They both were involved in the recent Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship in Saudi Arabia.

During a new interview with Adam’s Apple, Riddle brought up the topic yet again when asked about possible opponents.

“I would really like the one on one match with, you know, Brock,” Riddle said. “That would be good. But there’s a lot of talent out there. You’ve got the Edges, you know, me and Randy are partners, you never know we might wrestle one day. There’s a lot.”

Of course, a match between these two seems like it would be down the road several months, if at all. Lesnar is currently embroiled in a feud with Roman Reigns that will culminate in the main event of WrestleMania 38. Meanwhile, Riddle and Randy Orton hold the Raw Tag Team Championships; their team will eventually split and spill into a feud of its own.

• Brock Lesnar Reveals Advice For Young Wrestlers

The matches confirmed so far for the two-night WrestleMania 38 event include:

• WWE Universal Championship vs. WWE Championship Match (Main Event for Night Two)
  Roman Reigns (c) vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match (Main Event for Night One)
  Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
• WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match
  Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
  Queen Zelina Vega and Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley
• Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz and Logan Paul
• Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin
• Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn
• Edge vs. AJ Styles
• Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory

Would you like to see a match between Riddle and Lesnar? Let us know in the comments section below.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

WWE RAW Superstar Riddle finally got his opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for an extended period of time at the Elimination Chamber event this weekend.

Riddle has in the past stated his want to be the man to retire the Beast Incarnate, words that have apparently not exactly gone over well with Brock.

Speaking on the After The Bell podcast back in 2020, Riddle discussed how Lesnar felt ‘disrespected’ by the comments. “I’ll be honest with you. The guy has it all. I think he’s taken my comments as like, literal disrespect” Riddle began.

“I think he really hates me. Which, hey, ok. I get it, I rubbed you the wrong way. I told everybody that I get it, I’ll stay away. So I won’t call people out anymore,” Riddle concluded.

Riddle on Brock Lesnar

Lesnar now appears to be in a place where he is happy to work with the former RAW Tag Team Champion.

Both men were part of the Men’s Elimination Chamber match at the Premium Live Event from Saudi Arabia, which would see Lesnar leave as the WWE Champion.

Taking to social media to react to the contest, Riddle would write “Look at us now! Never Say Never bro.”

It is not known what Riddle will be doing at WrestleMania 38, although a match against his tag team partner Randy Orton appears to be the direction that the company is going in.

Matt Riddle said in a recent interview with Mark Andrews that his team with Randy Orton, RK-Bro, was not supposed to be a long term deal. In fact, Riddle says the original plan called for Randy Orton to turn on him the very first night.

“I’ll tell you this, I guess it’s just my luck with tag teams because now I’m tagging with Randy Orton, doing the RK-Bro and bro, same thing happened. It was supposed to be a one — he was supposed to turn on me night one,” Riddle said.

“Like literally, he was supposed to turn on me night one and then Vince and the crowd and everybody liked it so much they’re like, ‘You guys willing to see if this works?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah’ and Randy was like, ‘Yeah, we’re willing to see.’”

“You know, we like working with each other, we’re friendly, it’s been crazy. Randy was gone for three months, I just kept the team afloat. Always talking about Randy. They’re like, ‘Oh man, he’ll be back soon.’ I had no idea when he was coming back.”

Where Is Randy Orton?

Randy Orton appears to be taking time away from WWE again, although it is not clear how long he will be gone for. Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live that the Viper will be away for “a little while” although the reason for his absence is not clear.

Orton entered into the Royal Rumble match at #29 and only lasted a little over 2 minutes before being eliminated by Brock Lesnar. He then missed this week’s RAW even though he had been scheduled to take part in the scooter race along with Riddle against the Alpha Academy. It’s not clear if Orton will be on RAW next week for the Quiz Bowl with RK-Bro, Chad Gable and Otis.

H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Brock Lesnar won the men’s 2022 WWE Royal Rumble, but that was not the original plan. Just days after WWE’s latest premium live event, details are leaking out regarding the chaotic planning leading up to the Rumble.

Before WWE settled on Brock Lesnar winning, Matt Riddle and Randy Orton were each slated to be the last man standing, according to PWInsider.

In light of WWE ultimately going with Brock Lesnar, it remains to be seen if Riddle will still be in line for a main event push headed into WrestleMania.

Riddle qualified for the Elimination Chamber match last night on RAW by defeating Otis in a qualifying match. Meanwhile, his RK-Bro teammate Randy Orton was not at the show last night.

With Riddle having qualified for the Elimination Chamber match, it does not appear as though Riddle and Orton will challenge the Alpha Academy on the event for the RAW tag team titles.

It’s also worth noting that Orton did not appear in any of the backstage videos involving the scooter race between Riddle and Chad Gable on Raw.

No word yet on why Orton missed Raw. He was only in the Royal Rumble match for 2 minutes and 21 seconds after entering in at the #29 position.

He received a big ovation from his hometown St. Louis fans but was eliminated by Brock Lesnar after he and Riddle had eliminated Otis and Big E.

• Heat on Shane McMahon From Royal Rumble Booking (Report)

As RK-Bro made their ring entrance at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, Riddle rode atop a camel. Orton just walked to the ring as per usual, however. According to comments that Riddle would make recently to Metro UK, his tag-team partner was upset that he didn’t get to ride a camel as well.

“The camel was a good time! I highly recommend, if you haven’t ridden a camel, get yourself a camel, get yourself the opportunity to ride one,” Riddle said.

“You know who wasn’t happy about it though, because they didn’t get to ride a camel either? Randy. Randy wanted to ride a camel and Vince wouldn’t let him,” Riddle continued. “He goes, ‘Randy, that’s not your character, riding a camel.’ He’s like, ‘What does that mean, man?! My character doesn’t ride a camel?!’”

Riddle then says he tried to make his partner feel better about the situation.

“I’m like, ‘Randy, I’m sorry bro, sometimes you’re just not the dude that rides camels.’”

RK-Bro RAW Tag Team Championship Reign

Randy Orton and Matt Riddle won the RAW tag team championships at SummerSlam from AJ Styles and Omos. They then successfully defended the titles against Bobby Lashley and MVP on an episode of WWE RAW. Their second title defense was against the former champions, Styles and Omos, at Crown Jewel when the above mentioned camel riding took place. They’ve since defended the titles a 3rd time on RAW against the Dirty Dawgs team of Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler.

They are the 66th team to win the titles since their inception in 2002. Their victory to win the titles at SummerSlam was the 85th title change in the championships lineage.

One-half of Team RK-Bro, Matt Riddle has a long and complicated history with Bill Goldberg. Riddle has made disparaging comments about Goldberg publicly in the past but according to comments he made recently to Talk Sport, the two have patched things up and come to some type of understanding.

“Bill and I had a conversation. It was like ‘Bill, I’m sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way’ on the way back from Saudi Arabia,” Riddle said. “We were on the plane, had a couple of cocktails. I’m not saying we’re best friends, but we are doing way better than we were.”

“I think just us talking and seeing him work [longer matches this year], you just get to know somebody and understand them.”

“He’s like me; if you just listen to the dirt sheets or watch me do interviews, you might hate me [laughs]. But in real life, I’m a pretty nice guy. I talk crap, but that’s just to drum up interest. He realises that – I think we’re all good.”

Riddle Still Wants A Match With Goldberg

Riddle recently appeared on the Cheap Heat podcast as well. During the conversation, he noted that he’s hopeful a match between him and Goldberg takes place sometime next year.

“I think we can get that match,” Riddle said on the show. “I think we pull that one out. No promises but I’m hoping by 2022, we get Riddle vs. Goldberg. It will sell tickets.”

Riddle signed with WWE in the summer of 2018 and has steadily moved up since then. He’d move to the main roster in the summer of 2020. During his time in WWE, Riddle has won the NXT Tag Team Championships along with Pete Dunne, the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Classic (also along with Pete Dunne), the United States Championship, and he is currently a co-holder of the RAW tag team championships along with Randy Orton.

Riddle believes he’s garnered more haters since aligning with Randy Orton.

Riddle is one-half of the Raw Tag Team Champions along with Orton. Riddle and Orton call their team “RKBro.” They captured the gold back in August during the big Summerslam PPV event inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Riddle Attracts Haters With Orton Pairing

Speaking to talkSPORT, Riddle said that somehow he’s been on the receiving end of more negativity thanks to teaming with Orton.

“No, I think people hate me even more now I’m with Randy,” Riddle answered with a smile. “‘This son of a b**** thinks he;s untouchable now’ [laughs]. I try to tell Vince and other people, it’s part of my persona. It’s part of what makes me popular. I’m legit, I’ve fought in the UFC. Anyone can test me anytime. 

“Everybody here knows I can throw down and I’m going to talk s***. It’s one of those things where I can’t change that. I talk trash. For me, isn’t that my job? Make people care about what we’re doing and talk trash so people say ‘oh man, I’d watch that fight!’ or is it real?”

Riddle has been known to ruffle some feathers. He once had beef brewing with Goldberg but the two have seemingly settled their differences. He also had a backstage run-in with Brock Lesnar over some comments made to the media.

More recently, Riddle has gotten on Roman Reigns’ bad side for saying he was never a needle-mover.