"Go back and do that if that's what you want to do" - WWE legend tells Riddle to go back to UFC after Undertaker comments
Riddle's recent comments about The Undertaker have not gone down well with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, who questioned Riddle's decision to badmouth The Undertaker and the older era of pro wrestling.
Matt Riddle was previously an MMA fighter, who fought in UFC, among other promotions. He signed with WWE in 2018 and recently became the United States Champion.
On his latest Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T spoke about Riddle, who had recently called the old generation of wrestlers "dumber" than modern wrestlers. An irate Booker T first spoke about how answers from wrestlers may be misconstrued by the media, and then spoke about Riddle:
"If Riddle did say anything about what The Undertaker said, regarding whatever it is, it should be a problem. It's the first real interview The Undertaker ever given. For someone to be giving him pushback on what he sees what the business is today, that person should talk to him and not some reporter. That's just my take on it. Should it be some pushback, as far as guys like myself if he did call guys from my era, 'those are just dumb guys' - what do you mean by that, first and foremost? And how did you come to that conclusion? I was reading the part as far as MMA guys, you know, they're really, really tough. Go and work for Dana White. Remember what Dana White said at the end of his run in the UFC. Go back and do that if that's what you want to do. But if you're doing this (WWE) and you're confusing it with doing that (UFC), it's a problem. If someone doesn't address it, it's going to continue to be a problem."
Booker T also spoke about how he was told to take a media course after joining WWE, where he was educated on how to answer questions and "pivot". The Hall of Famer said that The Undertaker paid his dues and put the company first, and should be shown respect.
Riddle's response to The Undertaker's "soft" comments
On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, The Undertaker said that the modern generation of wrestlers are "soft" compared to his era. Riddle, in reply, said that there's a modern breed of wrestlers who are "real savages" and not "pretend" ones.
Riddle also said that wrestlers in The Undertaker's era weren't "smart" and that modern wrestlers are smarter, with regard to their health and training.