Riddle (wrestler)
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Matthew Fredrick Riddle (born January 14, 1986, in
Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...
) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the
Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand, but is currently inactive due to going for drug rehab. As a professional MMA fighter from 2008 to 2014, Riddle made a name for himself by appearing on SpikeTV's '' The Ultimate Fighter 7'' and went on to hold a four-fight winning streak in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) before being fired upon testing positive for smoking
marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
in February 2013. He also fought for Titan FC and compiled a career record of 8–3 (2). In 2014, Riddle began training at the Monster Factory for a career in professional wrestling and made his actual debut in February 2015. Readers of the '' Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' recognized him as the Rookie of the Year and
Most Improved Most Improved (foaled 3 May 2009) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2012 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was owned by Iraj Parvizi and trained by Brian Meehan, before being purchased by Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Mic ...
wrestler of the year in 2016. Between 2015 and 2018, he worked on the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
, wrestling for promotions such as
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
, World Wrestling Network/ Evolve, and others. He is a former Evolve Champion, WWN Champion,
PWG World Tag Team Champion The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & ...
(with Jeff Cobb), and two-time Progress Atlas Champion. Riddle signed with WWE in 2018 and portrays a stereotypical carefree, barefoot surfer valley boy. Riddle was originally assigned to the
NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * '' WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * '' NXT UK'', the British spi ...
brand, where he was a one-time
NXT Tag Team Champion The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on January 23 ...
with Pete Dunne as ‘The BroserWeights’, having become champions after winning the
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is an annual professional wrestling tag team tournament held by the American promotion WWE, and is featured on its NXT brand, having first been established in 2015. In subsequent years, wrestlers from the NXT UK and ...
tournament. He was later promoted to the main roster, where he won the United States Championship in February 2021. In April, Riddle began teaming with
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
as RK-Bro, winning the Raw Tag Team Championship in August 2021 and March 2022.


Early life and education

Riddle was born January 14, 1986, in
Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...
. He later moved to Saratoga Springs, New York, where he attended
Saratoga Springs High School Saratoga Springs High School is a public high school in Saratoga Springs, New York. The school was originally located on Lake Avenue, but was relocated to its current location prior to 1969. The current campus was renovated in 2002. The school's ...
and was a New York state wrestling champion in 2004. During his high school career, he pinned future UFC champion Jon Jones. Riddle later attended
East Stroudsburg University East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) is a public university in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of ten state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). History What today is East S ...
, where he was a member of its team for two years and won many championships. After his head coach was fired, Riddle lost his wrestling scholarship and began his transition into MMA.


Mixed martial arts career


Early career


''The Ultimate Fighter''

Riddle is 1–0 in amateur MMA. During this career, he worked as a roofer and trained in
Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
in the evenings. Riddle credits
B.J. Penn Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III (born December 13, 1978) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Penn competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and in K-1. Penn was the first American Go ...
's book, ''Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge'', in helping him learn during his early years in MMA. Riddle then fought Dan Simmler, an understudy of Matt Serra, to get into '' The Ultimate Fighter'' (TUF) house. Riddle knocked out Simmler in the opening seconds of the second round and struck him three times in the jaw after losing consciousness, breaking Simmler's jaw into two places. Riddle was picked second overall for Team Rampage. During his involvement on show, Riddle was given the nickname Chipper after Rampage noticed him always smiling. Riddle's second match was against Tim Credeur. Credeur defeated Riddle in the second round, causing him to be knocked out of the tournament. After the fight, Credeur bought Riddle an Xbox 360 with his earnings.


Ultimate Fighting Championship (2008–2013)

At ''
The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest'' was the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter'', and premiered on April 2, 2008 on Spike, after ''UFC Fight Nigh ...
'', which was held on June 21, 2008, Riddle made his UFC and professional debut defeating fellow ''Ultimate Fighter'' castmate, Dante Rivera, via unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, 30–27). During ''The Ultimate Fighter 7'', Riddle was shown multiple times arguing with the older and more experienced Rivera. Dante, on more than one occasion, stated that he would retire if Riddle defeated him. Riddle was then scheduled to fight Ryan Thomas at UFC 91, but a knee injury forced Riddle out of the fight and got pinned. The knee injury's recovery was scheduled to take about 6–8 weeks. After his recovery, Riddle fought and defeated Steve Bruno in a unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) at UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens. In his third bout, Riddle defeated another one of his former ''Ultimate Fighter 7'' castmates,
Dan Cramer Daniel John Cramer (born October 31, 1985) is an American retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 2009 until 2014, Cramer made his professional debut with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and was a competitor on SpikeTV's '' T ...
, via a unanimous decision on the undercard of UFC 101. He next faced ''The Ultimate Fighter 9'' alumni Nick Osipczak on November 14, 2009, at UFC 105. The fight was held in Osipczak's home country of England. Riddle lost the fight by TKO in the third round. After his loss to Osipczak, Riddle faced newcomer
Greg Soto Gregory Francis Soto (born June 3, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. Soto is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 , George Sullivan , KO (punch) , CFFC 14 , , align=center, 1 , ...
on March 27, 2010, at UFC 111. After a dominant first two rounds for Riddle, Soto landed an illegal upkick to Riddle's head in the third round which rendered him unable to continue, giving Riddle the victory by disqualification. Riddle faced
DaMarques Johnson DaMarques Johnson (born June 28, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist. He competed for the UFC and King of the Cage and was the Welterweight runner-up on '' The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom''. Background Johnson ...
on August 1, 2010, at UFC on Versus 2. The fight was a catchweight bout after Johnson weighed in at 172 lbs and Riddle would go on to win the fight via TKO due to punches near the end of the second round. Riddle was expected to face
TJ Waldburger Anthony "TJ" Waldburger Jr. (born April 25, 1988) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, he competed for the UFC, Shark Fights, and HDNet Fights. Background ...
on December 11, 2010, at UFC 124. However, Waldburger was forced from the card with an injury and replaced by newcomer
Sean Pierson Sean Ian Pierson (born March 10, 1976) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2013, he fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator. Background Pierson began wrestling in the fourth grade ...
. Pierson defeated Riddle via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) and the bout was dubbed by president Dana White as the real ''Fight of the Night''. Riddle was expected to face ''Ultimate Fighter'' castmate, Matt Brown, on March 3, 2011, at UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann, replacing an injured Mark Scanlon. However, Riddle was also injured, resulting in the Brown fight being removed from the card altogether. Riddle was expected to face
T. J. Grant T is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet. (For the same letterform in the Cyrillic and Greek alphabets, see Te (Cyrillic), Te and Tau respectively). T may also refer to: Codes and units * T, Tera- as in one trillion * T, the symbol for ...
on June 26, 2011, at UFC on Versus 4. However, Riddle was forced from the bout with an injury and replaced by Charlie Brenneman. Riddle faced undefeated welterweight prospect
Lance Benoist Lance Benoist (born August 26, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their welterweight division. Mixed Martial Arts career Early career Benoist went undefeated in his amateur ca ...
who had made his Octagon debut on September 17, 2011, at UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger. He lost the fight via unanimous decision in a bout that had earned ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Riddle was expected to fight Luis Ramos on December 30, 2011, at UFC 141. However, the fight was called off as Riddle became ill and had to only pull out moments before the fight took place. Riddle was expected to face Jorge Lopez on February 4, 2012, at UFC 143, replacing an injured Amir Sadollah. However, Lopez was also forced out of the bout and replaced by newcomer Henry Martinez. Riddle won the fight via a split decision. The bout between Riddle and Ramos was rescheduled for June 22, 2012, at UFC on FX 4. However, Riddle was forced from the bout with another injury, and was replaced by Matt Brown. Riddle stepped in for Siyar Bahadurzada on short notice to fight Chris Clements at UFC 149. Riddle won the match after catching Clements in a standing arm-triangle choke, forcing him to submit at 2:02 in the third round. Riddle won a $65,000 ''Submission of the Night'' bonus. This also marked the first submission win of his professional career. On October 20, 2012, it was announced that Riddle had failed his post-fight drug test, testing positive for marijuana. Riddle was subsequently fined and suspended for 90 days, retroactive to July 21, 2012. His win over Clements was changed to a no contest. Riddle was originally expected to face Besam Yousef on November 17, 2012, at UFC 154, replacing an injured Stephen Thompson. However, Yousef was forced out with an injury and replaced by John Maguire. Riddle defeated Maguire via a unanimous decision. Riddle faced Che Mills on February 16, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV: Barão vs. McDonald. Riddle defeated Mills via split decision. On February 26, 2013, Riddle revealed that he had tested positive for marijuana. This was his second failed drug test within a year, and Riddle was subsequently released from the promotion. He had finished his UFC career ranked 3rd in UFC history for takedown defense (89.3%) and 8th for the total of strikes that have been landed (1350), and without positive marijuana tests would have held an octagon record of 10–3 with a streak of five consecutive victories.


Bellator MMA (2013)

Shortly after being released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Riddle signed a multi-fight deal with Texas-based promotion, Legacy Fighting Championships. However, on May 18, 2013, it was announced that Riddle instead joined the
Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...
roster after his Legacy contract had been purchased by the promotion. Riddle was expected to compete in the Bellator's welterweight tournament during their ninth season which begins in the Fall of 2013. However Riddle cracked his rib and had to pull out of the tournament, and subsequently retired from MMA fighting due to financial reasons. A few weeks later Riddle came out of retirement and was expected to fight at
Bellator 109 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...
. Once again Riddle pulled out of that fight and was subsequently released.


Titan FC (2014)

Riddle fought fellow former UFC fighter
Michael Kuiper Michael Jan Hugo Kuiper (born June 7, 1989) is a Dutch mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, he has competed for the UFC and Titan FC. Mixed martial arts career E ...
in the co-main event of Titan FC 27 on February 28, 2014. Riddle won by second round guillotine choke. Riddle was expected to face MMA legend Jose Landi-Jons for the vacant Welterweight Championship at Titan FC 29 on August 22, 2014. However, Landi-Jons was forced out of the bout due to visa issues, and was replaced by UFC veteran Ben Saunders. However, Riddle was forced out of the bout due to injury and was replaced by the man he was originally scheduled to face, Jose Landi-Jons.


Professional wrestling career


Independent circuit (2014–2018)

On October 29, 2014, it was reported that Riddle was training for a career in professional wrestling. Riddle made his professional wrestling debut on February 7, 2015, at the Monster Factory in Paulsboro, New Jersey. In July 2015, he won the Monster Factory Heavyweight Championship. On September 15, 2015, it was announced that Riddle had signed with the World Wrestling Network (WWN) to work the October Evolve events. Riddle later confirmed that he had taken part in a WWE tryout, which led to them setting up the booking with Evolve. On January 24, 2016, Riddle won Evolve's Style Battle tournament. On April 8, it was reported that Riddle had signed a contract with Evolve's parent company WWN. On September 3, Riddle made his debut for
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG), entering the 2016 Battle of Los Angeles tournament, from which he was eliminated in his first round match by Kyle O'Reilly. In October 2016, Riddle took on Cody Rhodes at New York promotion House of Glory's show titled ''Unbreakable'' in a losing effort. On January 15, 2017, Riddle defeated Rampage Brown to win the Progress Atlas Championship. Riddle debuted for Revolution Pro Wrestling on January 21, unsuccessfully challenging Katsuyori Shibata for the
British Heavyweight Championship The British Heavyweight Championship is a top British wrestling championship found throughout the country's circuit. The championship was recognised and defended on matches screened by UK national television network ITV as part of the professi ...
. On February 11 at CZW 18, Riddle faced David Starr in an inter-promotional champion vs champion match, with Riddle defending Progress Wrestling's Atlas Championship and Starr defending wXw's Shotgun Championship. The match ended in a double disqualification, and neither championship changed hands. On April 1, Riddle defeated five other men to become the inaugural WWN Champion. On August 5 Riddle won The Scenic City Invitational Tournament. On October 20, Riddle and Jeff Cobb, known collectively as "The Chosen Bros", defeated the Lucha Brothers ( Rey Fenix and
Penta el Zero M Penta may refer to: Places * , an Italian hamlet (') of Fisciano, Salerno * Penta-di-Casinca, a French municipality of Corsica * Penta, Chhattisgarh, a town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India * , a small river in Lithuania Other * Pent ...
) for the
PWG World Tag Team Championship The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
. They retained the titles until April 20, 2018, when they lost them against The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz and Dezmond Xavier). On April 5, 2018, Riddle defeated Zack Sabre Jr. at Evolve 102 to win the
Evolve Championship The Evolve Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship owned by the Evolve (professional wrestling), Evolve professional wrestling promotion, promotion. The inaugural champion was crowned on April ...
. On August 4, Riddle lost the Evolve Championship to Shane Strickland at Evolve 108.


WWE


Early years in NXT (2018–2020)

On July 31, 2018, it was reported by Uproxx that Riddle had signed a contract with WWE. On August 18, Riddle appeared at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV and was identified by the event's commentators as WWE's newest signing. Riddle's NXT debut was on the October 31 edition when he successfully defeated Luke Menzies. On November 17, 2018, on the pre-show of NXT TakeOver: WarGames II,
Kassius Ohno Cassius may refer to: People * Cassius, an ancient Roman family name, see Cassia gens **Gaius Cassius Longinus (died 42 BC), Roman senator and a leader of Julius Caesar's assassination ** Avidius Cassius (130–175), usurper Roman Emperor * Cassi ...
interrupted a Riddle interview. When the show started, Riddle challenged Ohno to a match and defeated him in 6 seconds, winning the fastest match in NXT history. Riddle and Ohno had a rematch at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, where Riddle made Ohno submit with a series of elbow strikes to the head. In 2019, WWE Network released a documentary on his wrestling career and entry into NXT entitled ''Arrival: Matt Riddle''. Throughout March, Riddle would start a feud with the NXT North American Champion, Velveteen Dream. On April 5, at NXT TakeOver: New York, Riddle challenged Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American Championship, but was unsuccessful, ending his undefeated streak in NXT. In July, Riddle started a feud with the returning
Killian Dain Damian Mackle (born 20 February 1985) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Killian Dain and since his departure from WWE he has reverted back to his ring name on the indep ...
. On the August 7 episode of ''NXT'', Riddle was supposed to face Dain, but it never happened as they brawled before the match happened. The two brawled at NXT TakeOver: Toronto and eventually faced each other on the August 21 episode of ''NXT'', where Dain was victorious, but Riddle attacked Dain after the match. On the premiere episode of NXT on the USA Network on Sep 18, Riddle fought Dain in a Street Fight but ended in a no contest. A week later on the Sep 25 episode of NXT, Riddle again fought Dain in a Street Fight but this the winner would be the #1 Contender for the NXT Championship which Riddle won by submission. On the Oct 2 episode of NXT, Riddle unsuccessfully challenged NXT Champion Adam Cole. On the November 1 episode of ''SmackDown'', Riddle and Keith Lee were one of the many ''NXT'' wrestlers to invade the show, confronting and ultimately attacking Sami Zayn. Later that night, Riddle joined Triple H and the rest of the ''NXT'' roster as they declared war on both
Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
and SmackDown, and vowed to win the Survivor Series brand warfare. In November, Riddle would start feuding with Finn Bálor. On the November 13 episode of NXT, Finn Bálor insulted the NXT roster as "all boys who can't take a beating", specifically mentioning Johnny Gargano and Matt Riddle. Riddle attacked Bálor, who retreated. Riddle was originally part of Team Ciampa for NXT Takeover: Wargames, but on the Nov 13 episode of NXT, Riddle got taken off Team Ciampa due to Riddle having a match with Bálor at Wargames; at the event Riddle lost to Bálor. The following night at Survivor Series, Riddle was part of Team NXT in a losing effort to Team SmackDown also involving Team Raw during the match Riddle eliminated
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
with a roll-up pin before being laid out with an RKO that caused him to be eliminated by
King Corbin Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin. Pestock is a former offen ...
. Riddle participated in the Royal Rumble match at the namesake pay-per-view and entered at #23 but was eliminated by Corbin in 41 seconds.


Championship reigns (2020–2021)

On the January 10, 2020, episode of ''NXT'', the participants of the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic were announced, with Riddle and Pete Dunne being announced as surprise participants; they would later take on the name of The BroserWeights, a portmanteau of Riddle's "Original Bro" nickname and Dunne's "Bruiserweight" nickname. Together, they defeated Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster in the first round on January 15,
Fabian Aichner Fabian Aichner (born 21 July 1990) is an Italian professional wrestler signed to WWE where he performs on SmackDown brand under the ring name Giovanni Vinci. He is a member of Imperium. Aichner previously worked on the U.S. independent circuit, ...
and Marcel Barthel of Imperium in the semifinals on January 22, and Grizzled Young Veterans ( James Drake and
Zack Gibson Jack Rea (born 8 August 1990) is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Rip Fowler. He is also known for his work as Zack Gibson on the UK independent circuit. He f ...
) in the finals on January 29 to win the tournament and earn a match against Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly of The Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championship at NXT TakeOver: Portland. At the event on February 16, Riddle and Dunne defeated Fish and O'Reilly to win the titles, marking Riddle's first title win in WWE. When Dunne couldn't travel to the United States because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he picked Timothy Thatcher as his replacement for Riddle's partner. Riddle and Thatcher would lose the titles against Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) on the May 13 episode of NXT after Thatcher walked out on him. On the May 27 episode of NXT Riddle and Thatcher fought in a Fight Pit match, with WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle as the special guest referee, where Riddle lost to Thatcher by technical submission. This would turn out to be Riddle's last match in NXT. On May 29, 2020, Kurt Angle announced that Riddle would move to the SmackDown brand. On the June 19 episode of '' SmackDown'', Riddle made his main roster debut, where he interrupted Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles before defeating Styles in a non-title match. Riddle received an opportunity at the title on the July 17 episode of ''SmackDown'', where he lost to Styles. After the match, he was attacked by
King Corbin Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin. Pestock is a former offen ...
. This led to a match at Payback, where Riddle defeated Corbin. He lost to Corbin on the September 25 episode of ''SmackDown'', ending their feud. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Riddle was drafted to the
Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand. On October 29, his
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
was shortened to Riddle for unknown reasons. Riddle would participate on Team ''Raw'' in the men's traditional elimination tag team match at the Survivor Series, where he would pin Corbin on route to a clean sweep for ''Raw''. In December, Riddle would begin a feud with United States Champion Bobby Lashley. On the January 4, 2021, episode of ''Raw'', Riddle defeated Lashley in a non-title match and would earn a title match the following week but failed to capture the championship. On the January 25 episode, Riddle defeated The Hurt Business ( Cedric Alexander, MVP, and
Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under his real name. He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wres ...
) in a gauntlet match to earn another title opportunity against Lashley. At the Royal Rumble, Riddle entered at number 16 and helped eliminate Lashley before being eliminated by Seth Rollins. Riddle received his title match the following night on ''Raw,'' where he defeated Lashley by disqualification but did not win the championship. On February 21 at
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
, Riddle defeated Lashley and
John Morrison John Morrison or Morison may refer to: In politics * John Morrison (Manitoba politician) (1868–1930), politician in Manitoba, Canada * John Morrison (Saskatchewan politician) (1872–1950), Canadian Member of Parliament * John Morrison (intelli ...
in a triple threat match to win the United States Championship, his first title on the main roster and his first singles title in WWE. He lost the title to Sheamus on Night 2 of WrestleMania 37, ending his reign at 49 days.


RK-Bro (2021–2022)

On the April 19 episode of ''Raw'', Riddle would interrupt a backstage interview by
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
where Riddle suggested a tag team formation, with Orton dismissing the idea by leaving. A match was made later on in the night between Orton and Riddle, which Riddle won with a roll-up. The following week on ''Raw'', Orton was backstage with Riddle when he suggested the team be given a try; the newly labeled RK-Bro defeated Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin, and in a backstage interview afterwards, Orton suggested to Riddle they take the team "a day at a time", thus turning Orton face for the first time since early 2020. After a seven week absence, Orton returned on the August 9 episode of ''Raw'', where he initially discontinued his team with Riddle at the beginning of the show. Later on in the night, Orton defeated AJ Styles in a match following assistance from Riddle and afterwards pretended to hug him but instead hit him with an RKO as a sign of gratitude. The following week, Orton officially reunited the team after Riddle saved Orton from an attack at the hands of Omos and Styles. At SummerSlam, RK-Bro defeated Styles and Omos to win their first WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, both individually and as a team. At Crown Jewel, RK-Bro would retain their titles against AJ Styles and Omos. While performing on ''Raw'', Riddle returned to ''NXT'' on the December 7 episode, revealing himself as the Shaman for MSK. At New Year's Evil, they defeated Imperium (
Walter Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
,
Fabian Aichner Fabian Aichner (born 21 July 1990) is an Italian professional wrestler signed to WWE where he performs on SmackDown brand under the ring name Giovanni Vinci. He is a member of Imperium. Aichner previously worked on the U.S. independent circuit, ...
, and Marcel Barthel) in a six-man tag team match. At Day 1, RK-Bro retained their titles against The
Street Profits The Street Profits are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. The team is currently performing in WWE on the Raw brand. They are three-time tag team champions in WWE, having held the Raw, SmackD ...
(Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). On the January 10, 2022, episode of ''Raw'', RK-Bro lost the titles to
Alpha Academy Alpha Academy are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of Chad Gable and Otis. They are signed to WWE and perform on the Raw brand. The pair are longtime best friends in real life, with their friendship dating back to 2011, where ...
( Chad Gable and
Otis Otis may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media ** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl'' * Otis (The Walking Dead), Otis (''The Walking Dead' ...
), ending their reign at 142 days. Riddle participated in the Royal Rumble match at the namesake event before being eliminated by eventual winner
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
. Riddle later competed in the WWE Championship
Elimination Chamber match The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
at the namesake event, where he was again eliminated by Brock Lesnar, who won the match. On the March 7 episode of ''Raw'', RK-Bro won their second Raw Tag Team Championship after defeating Alpha Academy and Kevin Owens &
Seth "Freakin" Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
in a triple threat tag team match. They went on to successfully defend the titles at WrestleMania 38 in another triple threat tag team match against Alpha Academy and The
Street Profits The Street Profits are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. The team is currently performing in WWE on the Raw brand. They are three-time tag team champions in WWE, having held the Raw, SmackD ...
. The
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE' ...
, The Usos, would challenge RK-Bro to a tag team championship unification match at
WrestleMania Backlash WWE Backlash, known as WrestleMania Backlash since 2021, is a professional wrestling event that is produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. It is broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and ...
with Orton reluctantly accepting. The match at the event, however, was changed into a non-title six-man tag team match, in which The Bloodline ( Roman Reigns and The Usos) defeated RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre after Reigns pinned Riddle. The unification match between RK-Bro and The Usos was later scheduled for the May 20 episode of '' SmackDown'', where RK-Bro lost their titles to The Usos, ending their second reign at 74 days.


Various feuds (2022–present)

After Orton was sidelined with a back injury, Riddle continued to feud with The Bloodline, teaming with
Shinsuke Nakamura is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand. Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where ...
to unsuccessfully challenge The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship on the June 3 episode of ''SmackDown'' following a distraction from Bloodline associate Sami Zayn. With a win over Zayn the following week, Riddle earned a match against Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. On the June 17 episode of ''SmackDown'', Riddle lost to Reigns, barring him from challenging Reigns for the title again. On the June 20 episode of ''Raw'', Riddle failed to qualify for the Money in the Bank
ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
after losing to Omos. However, he won a last chance qualifying battle royal the following week to earn his way into the match. At the eponymous event on July 2, he was unsuccessful in winning the match. He then began feuding with Seth "Freakin" Rollins, leading to a match between the two being announced for SummerSlam. However, the match was postponed by WWE after Riddle suffered an injury following an attack by Rollins on the July 25 episode of ''Raw''. Despite the injury, Riddle appeared at SummerSlam and called out Rollins, leading to a brawl which saw Rollins come out on top. On the August 29 episode of ''Raw'', his ring name was reverted back to Matt Riddle. Riddle and Rollins finally faced off at
Clash at the Castle WWE Clash at the Castle was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American promotion WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Satu ...
on September 3, where Riddle was defeated. On the September 19 episode of ''Raw'', Riddle got involved in a United States Championship match between the champion Bobby Lashley and Rollins, causing Rollins to lose the match. Later in the show, during another brawl, Riddle challenged Rollins to a Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules. The match was confirmed by WWE, making it the first Fight Pit match on the main roster. Further, it was also announced that UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier will serve as the special guest referee for the match. At the event on October 8, Riddle defeated Rollins via submission. On the October 17 episode of Raw, Riddle failed to win the United States Championship from Rollins ending their feud. On December 13, it was reported that Riddle had been suspended for 60 days after failing WWE's wellness policy for a second time. It was also stated that he had previously failed the wellness policy for the first time earlier that summer, with it having been unreported until his second failure (with this being why his match with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam was postponed). WWE reportedly sent him to rehab, supposedly stating that if he refused he would be fired.


Personal life

Riddle married Lisa Rennie in 2011. They have fraternal twin daughters and a son. The couple divorced in March 2022.


Sexual assault allegation

In the summer of 2020, Riddle was accused of sexually assaulting female independent wrestler Candy Cartwright. Cartwright alleges that after an independent show in May 2018, Riddle asked Cartwright to have sex with him, and when Cartwright turned down Riddle's request, she claims that Riddle choked her and forced her to give him oral sex. WWE released a statement claiming they were looking into the incident; Riddle immediately denied the allegations in a video posted to his Twitter page. Riddle stated that he had an affair with Cartwright, but sexual relations between the two were completely consensual. Riddle later filed for a restraining order against Cartwright, alleging that she harassed, stalked, and threatened his safety both in person and over the internet. In September 2020, Riddle withdrew his petition for a restraining order. On October 8, 2020, Cartwright filed a lawsuit against Riddle, WWE, and Evolve president Gabe Sapolsky over the incident. In March 2021, the court dismissed WWE and Sapolsky as defendants in the suit, stating that their connection to the allegations could not be proven. Cartwright dropped the lawsuit on July 13, 2021.


Other media

Riddle made his video game debut as a playable character in '' WWE 2K20'' and subsequently in ''
WWE 2K22 ''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video games, sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the ninth game under ...
''.


Championships and accomplishments


Mixed martial arts

* Ultimate Fighting Championship ** Fight of the Night (1 time) vs.
Lance Benoist Lance Benoist (born August 26, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their welterweight division. Mixed Martial Arts career Early career Benoist went undefeated in his amateur ca ...
** Submission of the Night (1 time) vs. Chris Clements


Professional wrestling

*
5 Star Wrestling 5 Star Wrestling (stylised as 5★ Wrestling) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Scotland. The company operated from 2015-2018 and promoted events throughout Great Britain and Ireland. They also produced a television series which was ...
** 5 Star Tap or Snap Championship (1 time) *Beyond Wrestling **Tournament for Today Men (2016) * Evolve **
Evolve Championship The Evolve Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship owned by the Evolve (professional wrestling), Evolve professional wrestling promotion, promotion. The inaugural champion was crowned on April ...
(1 time) **Style Battle (2016) *Hope Wrestling **Hope 24/7 Hardcore Championship (1 time) * IWA Mid-South ** Revolution Strong Style Tournament (2018) *Keystone Pro Wrestling **KPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Punisher Martinez * Monster Factory Pro Wrestling **Monster Factory Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *'' Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** Ranked No. 46 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the '' PWI 500'' in 2018 * Progress Wrestling **
Progress Atlas Championship Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman, events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, and later, actor Glen Robinson (professionally known as Glen ...
(2 times) *Pro Wrestling Chaos **King of Chaos Championship (1 time) *
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
**
PWG World Tag Team Championship The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
( 1 time) – with Jeff Cobb *Scenic City Invitational **Scenic City Invitational Tournament (2017) * Sports Illustrated **Ranked No. 5 of the 10 Best Male Wrestlers of 2018 * Style Battle **Style Battle (8, 9) * Westside Xtreme Wrestling ** AMBITION 8 (2017) *
WWNLive The World Wrestling Network is an American professional wrestling organization known for and branded after its video streaming service, WWNLive. WWNLive hosts content both from WWN's "brands", including Full Impact Pro (FIP) and Shine Wrestling ...
**
WWN Championship The WWN Championship was a professional wrestling championship promoted by the WWNLive governing body. The inaugural champion was crowned on April 1, 2017, when Matt Riddle defeated five other men for the title. Like most professional wrestling ...
(1 time) *'' Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' **
Most Improved Most Improved (foaled 3 May 2009) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2012 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was owned by Iraj Parvizi and trained by Brian Meehan, before being purchased by Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Mic ...
(2016) ** Rookie of the Year (2016) * WWE ** WWE United States Championship ( 1 time) ** WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (
2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
** NXT Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Pete Dunne **
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is an annual professional wrestling tag team tournament held by the American promotion WWE, and is featured on its NXT brand, having first been established in 2015. In subsequent years, wrestlers from the NXT UK and ...
(
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
) – with Pete Dunne


Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 8–3 (2) ,
Michael Kuiper Michael Jan Hugo Kuiper (born June 7, 1989) is a Dutch mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, he has competed for the UFC and Titan FC. Mixed martial arts career E ...
, Submission (guillotine choke) ,
Titan FC 27 ''Titan FC 27: Ricci vs. Gurgel'' was a mixed martial arts event, held on February 28, 2014 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. Official fight card See also *Titan Fighting Championships *List of Titan FC events *Titan FC ...
, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:29 ,
Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of the ...
, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 7–3 (2) , Che Mills , NC (overturned) , UFC on Fuel TV: Barão vs. McDonald , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 (1) , John Maguire , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 154 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , , - , NC , align=center, 6–3 (1) , Chris Clements , NC (overturned) , UFC 149 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:02 , Calgary, Alberta, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Henry Martinez , Decision (split) , UFC 143 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 ,
Lance Benoist Lance Benoist (born August 26, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their welterweight division. Mixed Martial Arts career Early career Benoist went undefeated in his amateur ca ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , New Orleans, Louisiana, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2 ,
Sean Pierson Sean Ian Pierson (born March 10, 1976) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2013, he fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator. Background Pierson began wrestling in the fourth grade ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 124 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 ,
DaMarques Johnson DaMarques Johnson (born June 28, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist. He competed for the UFC and King of the Cage and was the Welterweight runner-up on '' The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom''. Background Johnson ...
, TKO (punches) , UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:29 , San Diego, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 ,
Greg Soto Gregory Francis Soto (born June 3, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. Soto is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 , George Sullivan , KO (punch) , CFFC 14 , , align=center, 1 , ...
, DQ (illegal upkick) , UFC 111 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:30 , Newark, New Jersey, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Nick Osipczak , TKO (elbows and punches) , UFC 105 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:53 , Manchester, England , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,
Dan Cramer Daniel John Cramer (born October 31, 1985) is an American retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 2009 until 2014, Cramer made his professional debut with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and was a competitor on SpikeTV's '' T ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 101 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Steve Bruno , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tampa, Florida, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Dante Rivera , Decision (unanimous) ,
The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest'' was the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter'', and premiered on April 2, 2008 on Spike, after ''UFC Fight Nigh ...
, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Tim Credeur , Submission (armbar) , rowspan=2, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest , (air date) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:06 , rowspan=2, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Dan Simmler , KO (punch) , (air date) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:09 ,


References


External links

* * * *
UFC Profile
*
"Former EVOLVE employee files speaking out lawsuit against Matt Riddle, WWE issues statement"
eWrestling, October 9, 2020 {{DEFAULTSORT:Riddle, Matt 1986 births Living people 21st-century professional wrestlers American male mixed martial artists American male professional wrestlers American Muay Thai practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts Mixed martial artists from Pennsylvania Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai NXT Tag Team Champions NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Del Rio, Texas Progress Wrestling Atlas Champions PWG World Tag Team Champions Sportspeople from Allentown, Pennsylvania Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Welterweight mixed martial artists