During his time with WWE, Matt Riddle became the WWE United States and a World Tag Team Champion. His success with the company, however, was very much in flux for most of his run, with his outside-the-ring antics regularly distracting from his career inside the ring. Last year, WWE finally decided it was time to cut bait with the young star after an apparent intoxicated outburst at an airport. Since Riddle has left the company, another major name has made waves for their behavior off-screen: Vince McMahon.
In an interview with Saturday Night’s Main Event, Riddle was asked to give his thoughts on former WWE employee Janel Grant’s horrific allegations against Vince McMahon, John Laurinitis, and WWE.
“Well, you know, people say that, and now, granted, I had no idea of anything going on. Of course, like, I’m, I don’t even politic my own matches. I just show up and do my job,” he began. “But honestly, if you just watch any of his work from even his in-ring performance, the things he said and did logic would tell you alone, especially like me, personally, all the good wrestlers, all the people that play good characters. Those are, that’s them.
“Now, it might be turned up by 10 or 100, but that said. So when I’ve seen Vince do all the things he’s done from the 80s, 90s to early 2000s, everything, I was not surprised. I mean, some of it, a little, but, yeah, the guy’s a billionaire that owns a company. And, yeah, he’s probably done it all and seen it all and wants to do more and see more. I don’t know he’s, I don’t know, I don’t. I’m not a billionaire.
“I wasn’t, I wasn’t, I wasn’t the dude. Brock was the dude he was talking to, or whoever else; it wasn’t me. But, yeah, you know, so I really have no comment other than that. I mean, I’m not surprised. I hear people say they’re surprised. I’m not surprised. I mean, the guy was a maniac.”
Riddle was then pressed on what his personal interactions with McMahon were like behind the scenes.
“Awesome,” he replied. “He thought I was goofy. If anything, the first time we met, he didn’t like me because I was goofy. And I was like, he’s like, ‘You’re goofy.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m goofy, but that’s a good thing.’ He’s like, ‘Being a goof isn’t a good thing.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I’m a goof that can kick your ass.’ And then you could tell that didn’t make him happy. And then Bruce Prichard hopped in and was like, ‘Hey, Vince, he’s pretty good at wrestling. Trust me.'”
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If you use any quotes from this article, please give a h/t to Haus of Wrestling and credit Saturday Night’s Main Event