Daniel Cormier expresses excitement about WWE debut; reveals backstory between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle
Daniel Cormier has voiced his excitement about his upcoming WWE debut at the WWE Extreme Rules event that'll transpire on October 8. Cormier is scheduled to serve as the special guest referee for the Fight Pit match between WWE mainstay Seth Rollins and former UFC fighter Matt Riddle.
Speaking to ESPN MMA's Marc Raimondi, Daniel Cormier alluded to the fact that he's been in touch with WWE executives like Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and others over the past several years.
However, he added that no role in the WWE made sense for him. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the Rollins-Riddle storyline is the ideal program for his long-awaited WWE debut. Additionally, 'DC' also alluded to the real-life animosity between Rollins and Riddle by stating:
"This made sense because not only is this program between the two very intense, it's rooted in something more. If you keep up with the [WWE] product, you'll understand that these two guys [Rollins and Riddle] don't get along. And it's not only in terms of, 'You're my enemy in the match.' No, they don't get along outside of the ring. So, it just made sense."
Check out Cormier making the special guest referee announcement on WWE:
Furthermore, Daniel Cormier revealed that it wasn't the WWE executives but rather WWE performer Seth Rollins who contacted him for his Extreme Rules appearance. Highlighting that he accepted the offer, Cormier also pointed out that he and Rollins' wife Becky Lynch share the same agent who helped 'DC' close the deal with WWE. The UFC Hall of Famer said:
"It wasn't really from the people in charge. It was Seth Rollins who texted me. He goes, 'Hey, real-life fighting in the Fight Pit, and we may be in the market for a special guest referee. Would you have any interest in it?'"
Watch Cormier discuss the topic at 0:35 in the video below:
Daniel Cormier vows to be an impartial referee for Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle at WWE Extreme Rules
Daniel Cormier was in the audience cheering for Seth Rollins as he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. Since 'DC' happens to be friends with Rollins, there's been speculation as to whether he'd be an impartial referee in the grudge match against Matt Riddle.
I love @dc_mma and am very happy for him but I do have questions regarding how impartial he’ll be reffing a @WWERollins match 🤔 https://t.co/u4XK8fMRJN
Shutting down the aforesaid speculation, Daniel Cormier promised that he'd be impartial at Extreme Rules. In a recent Instagram post, 'DC' addressed his role in the Rollins-Riddle matchup and wrote:
"I will be fair. I’ll be honest. I’ll be impartial. And I will not take anyone’s sh**. I will be there for a reason. The law has been called in, and I will enforce it with every part of myself to the fullest extent."