{"id":69488,"date":"2020-05-29T21:35:02","date_gmt":"2020-05-30T01:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=69488"},"modified":"2020-05-29T22:40:20","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T02:40:20","slug":"before-they-were-famous-matt-riddle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/05\/29\/before-they-were-famous-matt-riddle\/","title":{"rendered":"Before They Were Famous: Matt Riddle"},"content":{"rendered":"

All wrestlers have to start somewhere on the path to making their dreams a reality, whether it be a wrestling school, church basement, bingo hall, etc. From there, those wrestlers work their way up to the pinnacle of their dreams. For many, that\u2019s a career in\u00a0WWE <\/strong>or more recently AEW, IMPACT! Wrestling or even NJPW. But sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. In LWOPW\u2019s newest feature, \u201cBefore They Were Famous,\u201d we take a look at the pre-WWE careers of some of the company\u2019s top current stars, following along on their road to superstardom. In this edition, we look at the long journey of former UFC<\/strong> and NXT<\/strong> star, SmackDown<\/strong>‘s Matt Riddle<\/strong>.\u00a0 Matt Riddle was famous before arriving to the WWE, as a result of his time within the UFC and the fallout which surrounded it.\u00a0 However, this is about his journey to the WWE through his pro-wrestling career.\u00a0 Therefore, the UFC career will only briefly be mentioned.<\/em><\/p>\n

Matt Riddle was born on January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.\u00a0 Though Riddle may have never envisioned a career in professional wrestling, he always excelled at amateur wrestling.\u00a0 For those who do not follow MMA, Jon Jones<\/strong> is widely considered one of the greatest of all time within the sport.\u00a0 Within MMA, he has a near-perfect record of 26-1 (1) – with both the loss and the bracketed loss coming from disqualifications.\u00a0 Therefore, he is very<\/em> highly regarded within the Octagon.\u00a0 As a state wrestling champion, Riddle actually pinned Jones – thus demonstrating Riddle’s talent as a wrestler.<\/p>\n

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Matt Riddle in 1st place, Jon Jones in 3rd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UFC Beginnings<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Matt Riddle soon found fame on UFC’s Ultimate Fighter in 2008, where he was Quinton “Rampage” Jackson<\/strong>‘s rookie.\u00a0 Riddle developed a solid career within the UFC, earning a reputation as something of a rising star.\u00a0 As a middleweight, he was deemed one of the hottest prospects for the future of the sport.\u00a0 In addition to being a legitimate tough guy, Riddle is also fond of cannabis – something which has led to his easy-going, “bro” image.\u00a0 He has in the past spoken to VICE Sport<\/strong><\/em> on his love for cannabis and how it helps tame his ADHD.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did my research. I\u2019ve had hand surgeries, I\u2019ve used pharmaceuticals, and I [eventually] felt like, \u2018Holy s***, this is addicting and I shouldn\u2019t be taking this because I want to take more and I\u2019m not even in pain.\u2019 Marijuana never felt like that. I just like the way it makes me feel. I\u2019m about to be 32, I barely work out, and I\u2019m shredded. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s because of the weed, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s hurting me either, you know?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Leaving Mixed Martial Arts for Professional Wrestling<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Photo: Oli Sandler – Ringside Perspective<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately, Riddle’s taste for cannabis would bring his UFC career to an end.\u00a0 Multiple failings of the extensive tests for marijuana in the UFC tarnished his very impressive 10-3 record – including a five-win winning streak.\u00a0 Riddle, to this day, is still furious about the release – and rightfully so.\u00a0 With Riddle predominantly smoking weed for medicinal purposes – possessing a medical marijuana card for the State of Nevada – it is easy to understand why he would be frustrated by his release from a company that regularly employs fighters who have failed more serious drug tests.\u00a0 However, this is what led Riddle to professional wrestling after short stints in Bellator<\/strong> and Titan Fighting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Matt Riddle: Training and EVOLVE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Photo: Cerebral Hunter \/ twitter.com\/Delisketo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matt Riddle began training at Monster Factory<\/strong> (Paulsboro, New Jersey) in November 2014.\u00a0 Like Kurt Angle<\/strong> and Brock Lesnar<\/strong> before him, to name but two, Riddle’s amateur wrestling background would provide him with all the basic tools necessary to excel within pro-wrestling.\u00a0 His first event match – a no contest against Nick Comoroto<\/strong> – came just three months later.\u00a0 Just eight months later (less than a year after beginning training), Riddle was wrestling at EVOLVE 49<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 It was here where he would defeat Johnathan Gresham<\/strong> in just under five minutes.\u00a0 Despite the “relaxed bro” persona Riddle takes with him, he is a shrewd businessman.\u00a0 He is determined to make himself more valuable within pro-wrestling.\u00a0 He would work the next thirty-eight straight EVOLVE<\/strong> events, with a gap between his EVOLVE 87<\/strong><\/em> victory over current NXT North American Champion, Keith Lee,<\/strong> and his EVOLVE 90<\/strong><\/em> victory over Lio Rush<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/VQjl4zSpE6A<\/p>\n

Due to EVOLVE’s friendly relationship with WWE, he still features for them every so often.\u00a0 He held the EVOLVE Championship for 121 days in 2018, therefore he is one of the company’s greatest former champions.\u00a0 Aside from EVOLVE, Riddle has worked all over the world.\u00a0 PROGRESS Wrestling<\/strong>, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla<\/strong>, Major League Wrestling<\/strong>, The Crash<\/strong>, Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling<\/strong>, among others, are notable for having featured The Bro.\u00a0 Riddle also has a number of accolades to his name.\u00a0 Before joining the WWE in 2018, Riddle had won the King of Khaos<\/strong> Championship; the PWG World Tag Team Championships as one half of the Chosen Bros<\/strong> (with Jeff Cobb<\/strong>), the WWN<\/strong> Championship and more.\u00a0 His run as PROGRESS Atlas Champion was considered the belt’s highest point as he helped legitimize the division with his matches against WALTER<\/strong> being some of the best PROGRESS wrestling has ever held.\u00a0 He will only add to the growing list of accomplishments as he proceeds further into his career.<\/p>\n

Matt Riddle Signs for WWE and NXT Career<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After years of developing a reputation as one of the indie circuit’s hottest acts, Riddle finally joined the WWE in July of 2018.\u00a0 He was first spotted in the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV<\/strong><\/em> crowd, as has been the case with some of the other high profile NXT acquisitions.\u00a0 Though wrestling numerous house shows prior, Riddle made his NXT TV debut on October 17 2018, where he squashed Luke Menzies<\/strong> in just over three minutes.\u00a0 His NXT TakeOver<\/em> debut at NXT TakeOver: War Games II<\/strong><\/em> saw him defeat Kassius Ohno<\/strong> in seven seconds.\u00a0 It remains the fastest match in NXT history.\u00a0 His next NXT appearance would see him again defeat Kassius Ohno, though in a slightly more competitive match.\u00a0 He would build a dominant, undefeated reputation within the company until meeting The Velveteen Dream<\/strong> at NXT TakeOver: New York<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 The feud began over Riddle wanting Dream’s NXT North American Championship, which Riddle would never win.<\/p>\n