Matt Riddle’s release leaves him at a career crossroads

Matt Riddle is no longer on the WWE roster and his potential to remain in the industry is now threatened. 

This week featured a surprising round of news for the WWE. SmackDown is heading back to the USA Network. Monday Night Raw and WWE NXT may be going to another network. And a round of talent cuts came out of nowhere, just like a Randy Orton RKO. But one of those cuts stands out as an individual who potentially wore out his welcome, and that is Matt Riddle.

“Just wanted to inform everyone that I’m no longer with WWE,” Riddle posted on Twitter. “Thank you for the memories and opportunities also thank you to all the fans for the support and love you give me every time I go out to the ring. See you all soon.”

Fightful Select reported that Riddle “burned through too many chances while in WWE.” He was removed from television after the incident at the JFK Airport where he claimed an officer sexually assaulted him, which led to an internal investigation by the Port Authority. The report states that Riddle was never planned to return.

While talented, Riddle has had far too many instances of problems. In the Summer of 2020, he was accused of sexually assaulting Candy Cartwright in May of 2018. He and Seth Rollins had real-life issues with each other after Riddle’s comments about Rollins’s wife, Becky Lynch. Even going all the way back to his days in mixed martial arts, Riddle showed an inability to make sound decisions. He was cut from the UFC back in 2013 he was released from the UFC after two failed drug tests within a year, severely curtailing what was shaping up to be a promising MMA run.

It will be interesting to see where Riddle goes next. Does the UFC attempt to capitalize on his platform growth over the last 10 years and bring him back into the company? Or since that company is also under the Endeavor banner, is Riddle’s bridge burned there as well? All Elite Wrestling should stay out of the Matt Riddle business as well. The company is still looking to rebuild momentum that was killed thanks to the CM Punk fiasco. Signing another individual who has shown even worse personal decision-making abilities would certainly draw looks. That company has more to focus on at this time.

Matt Riddle was a lighting rod topic in professional wrestling and rightfully so. When his name was included in the list of WWE releases, many probably shrugged or thought that this is what he gets for past actions. Now that he is no longer in the WWE, it will be a story to watch to see if Riddle pops back up in wrestling, where, and in what capacity.