When MLW Started Talking with Ex-WWE Star Matt Riddle Unveiled

Matt Riddle enjoyed a great deal of attention during his stint in WWE. After his NXT run, he made it to the main roster and worked with none other than Randy Orton. However, his departure from the company was a surprise to many of his fans. As it was previously confirmed that the star would be joining Major League Wrestling, MLW founder Court Bauer revealed exactly when their communication with Riddle started.

In a recent conversation with Busted Open Radio, Bauer opened up about Riddle’s deal with MLW. He said that initial talks started between the two parties during the fall. Moreover, he revealed that Riddle has been a prospect for MLW since 2017–18.

“Matt, we go back a long time, 2017-2018 in MLW, and we wanted him to the face of MLW way back then, but he had other opportunities and he couldn’t even be on our TV show. He had another contract with another company that allowed him to do streaming, but not pay-per-view or TV. Our finals were on BeIN Sports and it was tricky getting that final match done. We’re excited to see where he in MLW in 2024 and beyond. We started talking to him in the late fall about having a future with MLW and seeing what we could do with him. We’re looking at a really strong 2024 with Matt being part of that and hopefully beyond. We’ll see what happens. He’s a great guy. He kind of sounds like James Franco when he talks and has that surfer mentality, but he’s from Allentown, Pennsylvania.”

Moreover, Bauer said that Riddle is going to make constant appearances on most of the MLW shows moving forward. The most significant revelation is the fact that Riddle will be able to work elsewhere during his MLW stint. Lastly, Bauer teased that there is more planned for the former WWE superstar, and he’ll reveal it on his own when the time is right.

“It’s open. He’s going to be on virtually all of our shows going forward. Where that takes us down the road, we’ll see. He’s able to work for other places, just to let everyone know that. He’s primarily with us. He’s going to be with us and there is going to be other stuff coming down the road that he’ll reveal on his own, but we’ll be one of his bigger focuses.”

Riddle’s termination from WWE came in light of several backstage issues that severely impacted his tenure. More than two dozen backstage issues ultimately led to a mounting heat build-up, though Matt Riddle still managed to carve out his place among fans. Riddle is set to feature in a match against Jacob Fatu at the Kings of Colosseum event, which is scheduled for January 6th.

How do you think Matt Riddle is going to start off his MLW journey? Let us know in the comments.