Matt Riddle says getting released by WWE was one of the biggest reliefs he had in years.
WWE released Riddle in September 2023, ending his turbulent run with the company. During his time in WWE, he held the United States Championship and the RAW Tag Team Championship.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Matt Riddle commented on his release.
“I feel like a lot of people would say, ‘Oh, man, sorry you got fired.’ But for me, I feel like it was, like getting fired from the UFC, I feel like getting fired from WWE happened at the right time,” Matt Riddle said. “Not saying I won’t go back or saying I will go back. There’s no discussion there. But at the same time, I just had another kid, and with the WWE schedule, it’s a lot.
“It’s four days a week, nonstop traveling, and you’re never home. Having another kid, it’s not the heat way, I wish I left on better terms, but I think it was the right move for everybody.”
Matt Riddle On Thinking He Would Get Fired
After noting that the schedule was getting to him, Matt Riddle explained how he felt like he could get fired any time.
“Honestly, for me, just from my experience with the UFC, I thought I was gonna get fired a long time ago, just because when I got fired from the UFC, I was on a four-fight win streak, and then I got fired,” Matt Riddle said. “After that, I just think I’m gonna get fired any day because you just never know. Some guys don’t, some guys do. That’s how I always played it.
“Then after I went to rehab and stuff like that and I got out, I didn’t even think they were gonna bring me back. It was ‘Mania season, I wasn’t on ‘Mania. A lot of times, they do the budget cuts right after that. So I was like I think it’s already chopping block time, and it didn’t happen, and the TKO merger, plus my shenanigans, acting a fool half the time, didn’t help things.”
Matt Riddle: I Didn’t Take A Vacation In Seven Years
Matt Riddle went on to share his belief that his release was best for everyone. He stated that getting fired was one of the biggest reliefs he had in a long time.
“But at the same time, I think it was best for everybody, and honestly I got fired, I remember, I don’t mean this in a bad way, it’s not a dig to WWE, but it was probably one of the biggest reliefs I’ve had in a long time,” Matt Riddle said. “Over the last seven years, I was under contract with them, working very hard, and before that, I was working really hard to get there. Seven years, I didn’t take one vacation.
“They give you vacation, but I always made sure I didn’t miss work, and I didn’t take a vacation in seven years. I think my vacation was my time in rehab. If you added up all my weeks over the even years, probably the amount of time I spent there was my vacation time that I earned over the course of seven years.”
Matt Riddle: The Writing Was On The Wall
Matt Riddle also reflected on the end of his time in WWE and noted that multiple variables played into it. He noted that the writing was on the wall, as he did not think he was a good fit at the time.
“I think there was multiple variables that played into my departure,” he said. “Plus, I failed a couple drug tests. For me at least, the writing was on the wall. I’m very good in the ring, in entertaining. But at the same time, especially with WWE and how they want to be perceived, I don’t think I was a good fit, at least at the time.”
The full interview can be seen here:
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