Matt Riddle is one of the WWE’s most popular superstars, but his current booking on Monday Night Raw seems to indicate that there are more questions about his future than answers. On tonight’s Raw, Riddle went one-on-one with Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser as part of a continuing storyline involving the European faction, Drew McIntyre, and The King of The Bros. Despite his popularity with the fans in Houston and status as an established singles competitor, Riddle fell victim to Kaiser’s Kaiser Roll finishing sequence and picked up a surprising loss.
Tonight’s booking is one of what feels like a string of major losses for Riddle, who seems to be lost in the WWE shuffle. He lost a Money in the Bank qualifying match to eventual winner Damian Priest and most recently was pinned cleanly by Intercontinental Champion Gunther on the July 17 edition of Raw. Over the past several months, Riddle has been the odd man out in several feuds involving Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, The Bloodline, Judgment Day, and now Imperium.
However, it is not just the losses that seem to be adding up for Riddle; it is the way he is being booked as a babyface on the show. While he has teamed with many of the company’s biggest stars, his partnerships with Owens, Zayn, and McIntyre have arguably come across as forced, with Riddle being an extension to the team instead of a solidified entity.
“It’s hard being different sometimes and I use to think I needed to fix something about myself but then I realized my happiness is no else’s business and I’m proud to be me,” he cryptically wrote on Twitter the night before WWE Raw. “One of a Kind.”
Riddle has had his share of success throughout his WWE career, most notably teaming with Randy Orton as the uber-popular RKBro. However, in December 2022, Riddle was suspended for 60 days after failing WWE’s Wellness policy a second time. In spite of that and a public divorce, Riddle recently announced that he and his partner, adult film actress Misha Montana are expecting their first child.