Matt Riddle’s WWE career was on an upward trajectory, but a number of incidents outside of the company ultimately led to the rising superstar’s dismissal. Even so, among the latest released talent, he seemed like a wrestler who was sure to join rival AEW as soon as he was available. However, now, it looks like any plans for that will have to wait as rumors of Riddle challenging Jake Paul to a fight are surfacing.
In what could be seen as a surprise move, there are rumors that Matt Riddle is potentially going from the WWE to fight one of the biggest names in professional boxing. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter laid out the details of the situation, and he explained where the situation is at currently (via RingsideNews.com):
Still, there were at least talks that were expected to take place this week regarding Jake Paul vs. Riddle. At best, the talk right now should be categorized as very preliminary. Ultimately, it’s a call that will be made on Paul’s side. If it’s boxing rules, it’s likely an easy, safe fight for Paul, and Riddle would be doing it for a payday. If it’s MMA rules, it’s intriguing because Paul would be younger and has been fighting while Riddle hasn’t, and the size isn’t an issue like it was with Paul boxing guys like Nate Diaz and Tyron Woodley. But Riddle has kept up his Jiu-Jitsu training throughout his WWE career. There are wrestling companies who have shown interest, but no deal is believed to be close to happening, nor could any until 12/20. The baggage that led to him being fired by WWE is obviously going to be a factor in any decision-making by the companies.
Wrestling fans may be aware that before he was the beloved WWE superstar who rode a camel at Crown Jewel, Matt Riddle was an MMA fighter with a UFC contract. He ultimately lost his contract due to multiple failed drug tests for marijuana, which somewhat mirrored the drug issues that led to later suspensions in the WWE. Riddle left the UFC with an 8-3 record, with two bouts receiving a “no contest” decision. Before he was released from the WWE, he hinted on social media that he wanted to return to professional fighting.
To this point, Jake Paul has only competed in boxing bouts against professional fighters with the same or lesser experience than Riddle had. Paul did mention back in April of this year, however, that he had plans to get into MMA by the end of the year or early 2024, which would fit the timeline of his potential competitor’s non-compete.
Paul intends to join PFL, which would make it easy for Riddle to commit to since it isn’t tied to the WWE or UFC, both of which are now under the same umbrella. Jake Paul explained this choice further in the video below:
An MMA fight like this would be a massive draw for pro wrestling fans, especially given the hype of Riddle being a more experienced pro fighter. Add the fact that Jake Paul’s brother Logan has made massive strides in his WWE career over the past year, and there’s a storyline here that could give Riddle some enormous bragging rights over the company that let him go. What wrestler wouldn’t want to strut into AEW saying he beat one of the top trending fighters and brother of a prominent WWE superstar?
This is all purely hypothetical at the moment, however, and as Dave Meltzer mentioned, Matt Riddle has struggled with substance issues and other behavioral problems throughout his career. I also personally don’t see Jake Paul booking a fight where he’s feasibly the underdog, especially for an MMA debut, so it might end up being a boxing bout if any fight is offered at all. We will just have to wait and see, and be sad it won’t be offered on our Peacock Premium subscription like other upcoming WWE events if it’s announced.
As Matt Riddle makes his next move outside of the WWE, the latter is prepping for Fastlane on Saturday, October 7th. So, check out CinemaBlend’s big predictions for Fastlane and who we think will stand tall at the end of the big night.