WWE superstar Matt Riddle is known for his outspoken opinions, some of which have upset some of the company’s top superstars and legends. During a recent interview with the Hindustan Times , he opened up about how his colleagues and management might perceive him, revealing that he understands why he rubs people the wrong way.
Riddle — who will make his Friday Night SmackDown debut in the coming weeks — mentioned Vince McMahon and Bill Goldberg while elaborating on the matter. Earlier this year, it was reported that McMahon didn’t like the superstar due to his comments on social media. The former UFC fighter’s vocal criticism of Goldberg, meanwhile, led to a confrontation backstage. According to Riddle, people don’t like him because his criticism is often misconstrued.
“I think they take my demeanor and my mindset or how I look at things as disrespect. I think even Vince might have taken it as me being disrespectful. When I talked to Goldberg, I told him I wasn’t being disrespectful, I was just telling the truth and me being honest.”
Riddle believes that he hurt Goldberg’s ego, but claimed that it was never his intention to cause any upset or outrage. He then went on to discuss the reported friction between him and Brock Lesnar, whom he also had a behind-the-scenes confrontation with earlier this year.
Riddle has made it clear that he wants to retire Lesnar in a match, and his remarks have rubbed “The Beast Incarnate” the wrong way. At this year’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Lesnar approached Riddle and told him that they’ll never work together. Riddle, however, is adamant that he can change the former world champion’s mind by proving that he’s a worthy opponent who can draw money.
According to Riddle, Lesnar misunderstood his words. The Friday Night SmackDown superstar is a fan of the former UFC heavyweight champion and believes that the performer is great at his job. His desire for a match with him is a reflection of that admiration, coupled with his own personal ambitions to be “The Guy” in WWE.
Riddle believes that his words hurt Lesnar’s ego, but revealed that he should have felt flattered because he was being talked about. He said that if the tables were turned, he’d take it as a compliment.
“Somebody is basing their entire career on retiring me because I am that good. But they don’t understand it that way, they don’t see it that way and they take it as disrespect. And that’s how they take it, it’s fine. All I can do is change their mind.”
Riddle concluded by saying that he’s undoubtedly going to give the wrong impression because of his ambition, but his outspoken antics have reportedly impressed WWE management because he reminds them of a young Shawn Michaels.
