Former WWE US Champion confirms he has talked to AEW President Tony Khan - "I don't know if he likes me"
A former WWE United States Champion recently confirmed that he has spoken with AEW CEO Tony Khan however, the conversation was seemingly underwhelming. The star in question is none other than Matt Riddle.
The Original Bro is one of the most controversial stars in professional wrestling. Matt Riddle was released by the WWE last year after reportedly being given multiple chances. Since his release, Riddle has returned to the independent circuit and has competed for several promotions like NJPW, MLW, and more. Many have questioned whether we could see him appear in All Elite Wrestling.
In a recent chat with Steven Muelhausen of Sports Illustrated's The Takedown, Matt Riddle opened up about his talks with AEW CEO Tony Khan. Riddle claimed that he might have not made a good impression on Tony Khan during their first meeting in Chicago after his match with Zack Sabre Jr. However, he's hopeful about being on an All Elite Wrestling show soon due to New Japan's connections with the Jacksonville-based promotion.
"I know MLW works with New Japan. New Japan works a lot with AEW. Maybe you'll see me on an AEW channel or broadcast sooner rather than later. Maybe you won't," he said. "I talked to Tony (Khan). I don't know if he likes me. He seemed happy. I wrestled Zach Sabre Jr. in Chicago. He seemed cool about it. I don't know. When you meet me, I'm very sarcastic. But when I met him, I was like, ‘Oh, you like that match’? But I said it a different way, and he looked at me all confused. And I was like, ‘Never mind, dude’. I just walked away. So that was my experience with that." H/T:[Fightful]
Matt Riddle on a potential WWE return in the future
The Original Bro had a decent run in the Stamford-based promotion. However, he was fired following the controversy at JFK Airport which shocked many as Riddle was a huge part of the roster.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Matt Riddle revealed that he could return to WWE if he works harder and gets noticed. Riddle further noted that he's fine if the company never approaches him again for a comeback.
"I think the longer I'm away, the harder I work, and the more I do, the more likely I could come back. But I'll also say this, if I never go back ever again, and they never talk to me again, I'll be ok with that," he added. [H/T: Sports Illustrated]
It will be interesting to see if Triple H decides to bring back Matt Riddle in the future as he has brought back some previously released stars to WWE.