Personal Information
Full Name | Matthew Fredrick Riddle |
Date of Birth | January 13, 1986 |
Nationality | American |
Birth Place | Allentown, Pennsylvania |
Height | 6'2" |
Weight | 216 lb (98 kg |
Current Team(s) | |
Theme Song | We Up |
Debut | February 7, 2015 |
Nickname | The Original Bro |
Matt Riddle: A Brief Biography
Matthew Fredrick Riddle is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for his work with WWE as Matt Riddle and simply Riddle. He is a former two-time RAW Tag Team Champion alongside Randy Orton as RK-Bro.
Early Life
Matt Riddle was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on the 14th of January in 1986. Sometime during his childhood, he moved to New York and attended Saratoga Springs High School. Riddle was a New York State Wrestling Champion in 2004.
He also attended East Stroudsburg University where he won multiple championships. However, after the head coach was fired, Riddle had to forego his wrestling scholarship so he decided to transition his career into MMA.
Professional Wrestling Career
Independent Circuit (2014-2018)
After retiring from MMA, Riddle began training to become a professional wrestler. Riddle wrestled for several independent promotions and won championships. In 2016, WWE tried signing Riddle, but he had prior commitments with Evolve. In 2018, Riddle signed with WWE.
WWE (2018-2023)
In October, Riddle made his debut on NXT. He defeated Kassius Ohno at TakeOver WarGames II and Phoenix. In 2019, Riddle spent the year chasing the NXT and North American Championship but failed to win. In November, Riddle and Keith Lee invaded SmackDown and attacked Sami Zayn. At TakeOver WarGames III, he lost to Finn Balor.
At Survivor Series, Team NXT lost to Team SmackDown. In 2020, Riddle formed a team with Pete Dunne called The Broserweights and entered Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and won. At TakeOver Portland, they won the NXT Tag Team Championship. After 87 days, Timothy Thatcher, who substituted for Pete Dunne, lost the titles. On NXT, Timothy Thatcher defeated Riddle in a pit fight in Riddle's last match.
In June, Riddle was moved to SmackDown. During the Draft, Riddle went to RAW. He began a storyline with Randy Orton. In February, Riddle won the United States Championship from Bobby Lashley. At WrestleMania 37, he lost the title to Sheamus. After months of convincing, Randy Orton and Riddle began working together as a tag team.
They dubbed the team as RK-BRO and began climbing the tag team division. At SummerSlam, RK-BRO defeated AJ Styles and Omos for the RAW Tag Team Championship. At Survivor Series, they defeated The Usos. In 2022, they began feuding with The Alpha Academy. On RAW, they lost the titles to The Alpha Academy. In March, they won the titles back from The Alpha Academy.
They successfully defended the gold at WrestleMania 38 and began feuding with the SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos leading to a title unification match in which RK-Bro lost.
Randy Orton suffered an injury in the match and Riddle went after The Bloodline seeking for revenge. He even faced Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship but lost. Riddle participated in the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match at the namesake PPV but the match was won by Theory.
He then feuded against Seth Rollins leading to a match at SummerSlam. However, Riddle was pulled out of the match due to an injury he suffered at the hands of Rollins. Nonetheless, he entered SummerSlam to attack Rollins ensuing a brawl.
He made his return to WWE on a subsequent episode of RAW leading to a brawl between him and Rollins. The two faced off at Clash at the Castle in a hard-hitting contest that Rollins won. Riddle will compete against Seth Rollins at the Extreme Rules in a Fight Pit Match with a special referee Daniel Cormier, a UFC legend.
On the 7th November edition of RAW, Riddle and The New Day lost to The Bloodline's The Usos and Solo Sikoa in a six-man tag team match. He was then suspended from WWE for 60 days for violating the wellness policy. He made his return to the company on the RAW after WrestleMania where he rushed in the ring to help Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against The Usos and Solo Sikoa.
The six superstars collided at WWE Backlash in a Six Man Tag Team Match. Riddle and the tag team champions lost to The Bloodline at the event. Riddle then went on a hiatus. On September 22, Riddle announced his departure from the company amidst WWE's roster cuts, bringing an end to their five-year alliance.
Matt Riddle's Championships and Accomplishments
Championship | Number of Times |
5 Star Tap or Snap Championship | 1 |
Evolve Championship | 1 |
Progress Atlas Championship | 2 |
PWG World Tag Team Championship | 1 |
WWN Championship | 1 |
WWE United States Championship | 1 |
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship | 1 |
NXT Tag Team Championship | 1 |
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic | 1 |
Personal Life
Matthew Fredrick Riddle was born on January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He attended his school in Saratoga Springs High School in Saratoga Springs, New York. In school, he was the New York state wrestling champion in 2004. He graduated from East Stroudsburg University.
Matt Riddle got married to Lisa Rennie in 2011. They have a son and a daughter. The couple separated in October 2021 as she accused Riddle of walking out of their family. In March 2022, the couple got officially divorced.
Matt Riddle Net Worth
As per FirstSportz.com, Matt Riddle is worth around USD 3 Million as of 2023. It's also reported that he earns a basic salary of around $400,000 from WWE.
Matt Riddle’s Height, Age, Finisher and more
Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
Weight | 216 lbs (98 kg) |
Date of Birth | January 14, 1986 |
Real Name | Matthew Fredrick Riddle |
Spouse | Lisa Rennie (m. 2011 d. 2022) |
Finisher | The Bro Derek |
Major accomplishments in WWE | Two-Time WWE RAW Tag Team Champion, United States Champion, NXT Tag Team Champion |