Shortly after WWE and UFC merged to form TK Group Holdings, a slew of terminations from WWE Headquarters and cuts from the roster took place. Over one hundred employees lost their jobs on top of around thirty talents. One of the most notable names to lose their spot in the WWE landscape was former Tag Team and United States Champion Matt Riddle.
The former UFC star is a “stallion” of an athlete with a penchant for smoking cannabis, something the company began to lean into as the substance became more socially accepted. His charming and laid-back personality led to him quickly winning over the WWE fanbase, starting with the NXT die-hards and eventually making his way to the Raw and SmackDown roster. Unfortunately, Riddle’s outside-of-the-ring exploits led to him and the company receiving unwanted attention in recent years.
One of Riddle’s bad headlines included allegations of sexual assault by his former girlfriend, Candy Cartwright. The two sides settled out of court, but other allegations have lingered. Riddle has also dealt with substance abuse issues, which he took time away from WWE to deal with, but he looks to have relapsed. At an airport shortly before his release, after reportedly drinking with his friends during a delayed flight, an intoxicated and annoyed Riddle made a scene in a terminal, requiring police to come and escort him away. Riddle later claimed he was sexually assaulted by one of the officers but deleted that post. The whole situation was messy and a bad look.
Despite his release and negative publicity in recent months, Riddle is returning to the pro wrestling landscape sooner than many expected. Big Time Wrestling has announced that The Original Bro will take on fellow stoner Rob Van Dam at their March 9, 2024, The Reunion 3 in Chillicothe, Ohio, at the OU-Shoemaker Center. It is a big-time match-up, pun intended, and the green room for it is likely to be just that, filled to the brim with green.