Before any major WWE show, like the upcoming SummerSlam event, rumors and reports about independent wrestlers joining the promotion run rampant. Former UFC fighter-turned-indie-darling Matt Riddle is the latest name to hit the dirt sheets amid reports he is headed to the WWE.
According to Ringside News, Riddle has signed a three-year contract with WWE. He recently canceled all of his independent dates and pulled all of the items from his online store, a move that stoked rumors. The report also states that Riddle will be in attendance at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn on Aug. 18.
However, there's no confirmation from WWE or Riddle at this time. In the likely event the "King of Bros" is headed to the company, here's a primer for those unfamiliar with his work in the Octagon or on the indie circuit.
CAREER IN UFC
The Allentown, Pennsylvania native was an amateur wrestler in college before moving on to an MMA career in 2008. His first professional UFC match was on The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale, where he defeated fellow castmate Dante Rivera.
Between 2008 and 2013, Riddle amassed a record of 8-3 in the UFC's Welterweight division. Then his fortunes took a turn for the worst. Following a split decision against Che Mills in 2013, Riddle was released from the UFC.
According to MMA Junkie, Riddle's release failed his second post-fight drug test for marijuana. Riddle spoke candidly about his marijuana use as an alternative to pain medication in an April 2018 interview with Vice Sports, which you can see below.
Riddle later signed with other MMA promotions, notably with Bellator MMA and Titan FC, but retired after numerous injuries. He then set his sights on a career in professional wrestling.
INDIE CIRCUIT
In February 2015, Riddle made his professional wrestling debut for Monster Factory in New Jersey, capturing the promotion's Heavyweight Championship before moving on to Evolve and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).
In January 2017, Riddle captured the Progress Atlas Championship for World Wrestling Network. Teaming with Jeff Cobb as "The Chosen Bros," Riddle captured the PWG Tag Championships from Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr. in October 2017, before dropping them this past April. The 32-year-old is the current Evolve Champion after defeating Zack Sabre Jr. at Evolve 102 in April.
During his 10 years in the indie circuit, Riddle has made a major impact on pro wrestling which has clearly drawn the attention of the WWE (if Ringdside News' report is to be believed). Riddle is scheduled to perform at Joey Janela's Lost In New York event hosted by Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) on Aug. 17. That's the same weekend as Takeover and SummerSlam
Do you think Matt Riddle is heading to the WWE? Who do you want to see him feud with? Let us know in the comments section below.
