Matt Riddle on former WWE rival no-selling his moves after receiving backstage instruction
Matt Riddle worked for WWE between 2018 and 2023. In a new interview, The Original Bro disclosed details about a behind-the-scenes conversation he once had before facing Bobby Lashley.
On April 12, 2021, then-WWE Champion Lashley defeated Riddle on the post-WrestleMania 37 episode of RAW. The All Mighty dominated almost the entire match before making his opponent tap out to his Hurt Lock submission.
Riddle reflected on his WWE career during an appearance on Developmentally Speaking. Discussing the match with Lashley, the 38-year-old recalled how the current AEW star was instructed to no-sell his moves:
"After I lost the US title [to Sheamus at WrestleMania 37], Bobby Lashley squashed me for 10 minutes," Riddle said. "I even asked the [producer], I'm like, 'Do I get any offense?' and they go, 'No offense.' They go, 'You throw kicks and then he'll no-sell them and then just beat you.'" [24:26 – 24:40]
After losing to Lashley, Riddle began a short feud with Randy Orton before forming the popular RK-Bro tag team with The Viper.
How Matt Riddle's mother reacted to his one-sided losses
Throughout his wrestling career, Matt Riddle has prioritized having fun over worrying about whether he wins or loses matches.
Riddle amusingly revealed that his mother does not share the same mindset. Elaborating on his defeat to Bobby Lashley, the former United States Champion said his mother wanted him to warn her if he was going to lose convincingly on television:
"There were days where I showed up to work like that, and I remember my mom calling me once and being like, 'Matt, if that's gonna happen, tell us so we don't have to watch,'" Riddle added. "I'm just like, 'Mom, it's a show.' But, yeah, to me that didn't matter. As long as I'm part of the show, I'm having fun. If I can make Bobby or whoever else in the ring look like a monster or beast, that's what I'm here for." [24:41 – 25:05]
Riddle also addressed whether he could return to WWE to reunite with Randy Orton. The two men held the RAW Tag Team Championship twice during their one-year stint together.
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Please credit Developmentally Speaking and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.